My work at Wright-Locke Farm has taken center stage in the whirlwind that is my increasingly farm-based life. Between the children I’ve hosted for visits and programs and the adults- be they parents, farm volunteers, community members, or potential program partners- I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, I feel incredibly excited and honored to be working in a community with so many individuals committed to local food and farm-based education. Summer is fast approaching, and so it’s all systems go when it comes to researching, planning, prepping, and facilitating the bulk of this year’s educational programming.

In the midst of the madness that is my runaround, I have come to the conclusion that my pre-plan can plan, originally created just prior to my hiring at Wright-Locke, is a bit ambitious for both my schedule and bank account this year. I mean, TRUST ME, my summer will not be void of preserving; I’m already creating imaginary weekend itineraries for PYO goodies so that I don’t miss the boat on lower-cost fruit, and I should have a stretch of relative calm during that glory late August – early September period when just about all summer crops are available here in New England. Long-story short, time-suck / wallet-emptying preserves like dehydrated cherries are NOT gonna happen this time around; my health and sanity come before jar tallies, thankyouverymuch!

Another tweak to my previous planning when it comes to putting up seasonal foods is my consideration of nutritional value. I’ve said before that preserving, especially canning, can be bothersome to my nutritionally-schooled conscious. Let’s be honest: the last thing most people need is MORE refined sugar or salt in their diet, and many canning recipes call for these key ingredients in jaw-dropping quantities. And to cook something- that then boils in jars, that then sits on my shelf for months- doesn’t always seem like the best way to capture the nutritive-value of most just-picked fruits and vegetables, either. So while you can safely bet that I will can items like pickles and jams, I do intend to place an even greater emphasis on fermented and overnight-pickled veggies in addition to lower-sugar and naturally-sweetened (read: local honey and maple syrup) preserves this harvest season. The following recipe for farm-fresh rhubarb jam is case in point. I used far less sweetener in this recipe than what is called for in most jams, and used raw local honey for nearly half of all sugar added. The result is a tight, glossy, and brightly-flavored jam with a tart finish and a subtle floral element, thanks to the local wildflower honey I used.

Honeyed Rhubarb Jam

Yields about 6-7 half-pints (I used quarter-pint jars to spread the love a bit more)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lbs rhubarb, washed and chopped into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored, and thinly-diced (about 1 cup diced apple)
• 1 cup of raw local honey
• 1 + 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 lemon, juiced then quartered (seeds removed)
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

After your fruit has been prepped as indicated above, combine the rhubarb, apple, honey, 1 cup sugar, water, lemon juice, spent lemon quarters, and salt in a large non-reactive bowl; set aside at room temperature for 1-2 hours or macerate in the refrigerator overnight (I took the overnight route).

Pour the contents of the bowl into a large, non-reactive pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the mixture often to ensure it doesn’t begin to stick to the pot; skim foam from the surface of the jam as necessary. After the mixture has reduced significantly (at least a third to a half of the original volume), stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the jam sets (check to see if the jam is set by placing a small spoonful on a plate that has been in the freezer for at least an hour; the jam is set when it holds its shape on the cool plate). If it seems too loose, continue cooking it over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it’s set. I also used a candy thermometer, which read 218 degrees F when I chose to stop cooking the jam.

Once set, turn off the heat and remove the lemon pieces from the jam. Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4″ headspace. Process jars in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Store in a cool, dark, and dry place for up to one year.

Recipe adapted from Rhubarb Jam (2012).

Luckily that instant was just that. A moment of anxiety and sense of loss over a time and place that no longer really existed. I could hear the faint whine of my own tiny violin begin to play.

The apartment we left behind over the past several days still feels like ours. As my love expressed upon moving our last load of stuff into the new place, it feels like we’re staying in someone else’s home, or even more, like we’re visiting a really nice timeshare or beach house. We had become so comfortable in our (literally) crumbling 19th century apartment, and so attached to all of the memories it held. We knew we’d have to go soon, just not THAT soon. More like two or three years kind of “soon.” Not “by April 1st” kind of soon.

I am not a superstitious gal. I don’t believe in fate the way in which many do. But it was definitely time to move on, and since we ourselves were not ready to move on, it seemed as though the universe ( …or our new landlord) made the decision for us. All I have to say is thank GOODNESS I had to pee at 2:30AM the night I stumbled upon the Craigslist post for the apartment in which we now reside. Score one for bodily function!

Incredible things have been happening in my life this year, and it’s only the beginning of April. Spring is finally, actually here, soil is being broken into, seeds and plants are going into the ground, and summer is a mere eleven weeks away. I now live in a beautiful, impeccably-maintained home that is structurally and geographically very-much the same as our old digs. I have no complaints, only heaps of gratitude and appreciation for what we’ve had and what we now have. I PROMISE new recipes and posts relating to local food preservation, healthy eating, and small-scale ag are coming your way. Just not quite yet. Stay tuned.

I’m terrible at following recipes. Or rather, I’m seemingly incapable of taking the time to seek out recipes and then prepare dishes accordingly. I don’t know what it is- my oft-hectic, job-to-job schedule, the fact that I’ve been working at a restaurant for over a half-decade, my taste for improv (thank you, Maura Morrison; EVERYONE should take your class), my lack of patience, or a combination of these factors. Whatever the reason, I am far more inclined to look in the fridge and cupboard, pull out some items, and whip up a dish or meal “on the fly,” as us restauranteers like to say.

I don’t think this is such a bad thing. Recipes and tutorials are great! Especially for new cooks, which I do still consider myself to be. But having watched professional cooks for over five years and working at local farms for the past three (going on four), I am much more confident in my ability to make do with what I already have at home. And make do I did with this fabulous and healthy curried soup.

If you’ve been following my posts or simply gone as far as read my blog name, you KNOW I have a thing for cruciferous veggies. These nutrient-dense, disease-fighting plants are excellent in salads, pickled / fermented, stir-fried, oven-roasted, or souped-up. Crucifers like kale, broccoli, and cabbage seem to get the lion’s share of publicity, but cauliflower deserves a time to shine, too. In my attempt to best-maintain its phytochemical content, I chose to add the prepped cauliflower florets at the end of cooking, when the soup was still VERY hot but removed from flame. This way, the cauliflower cooked without over-softening and absorbed all those delicious soup flavors as the soup itself cooled down, to then be stored in the fridge.

Curried Cauliflower

and Parsnip Soup

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 2 – 3 tbsp oil (I used walnut oil)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 cup celery, finely-chopped
• 2 – 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely-grated
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp Madras curry powder
• 1 1/2 tsp powdered poultry seasoning (I used Szeged’s chicken rub)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely-chopped
• 2 cups parsnips, sliced into thin rounds
• 5 cups water
• 1 tbsp vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped into small florets / pieces
• a shake or two of hot red pepper flake
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish

Directions:

In a large pot over low flame, gently sweat your mirepoix ingredients (in this case, oil, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery) for about 5 minutes or until shiny and slightly softened. Add the ginger, spices (cumin, turmeric, curry, chicken seasoning), and cilantro, and gently cook another 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium-high and throw in the parsnips, followed with the water, vinegar, and hot red pepper flake; stir to combine, cover, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat a bit and continue to simmer the soup until the parsnips are fork-tender. Check the soup for adequate salt and pepper and add more, if needed. Turn off the heat, add the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Allow the soup to cool at least 10 minutes before transferring to quart or pint jars (pints make for a perfect addition to your lunch pail). Consume within 5 – 7 days.

If you are eating the soup immediately, I would continue cooking the soup over medium-low heat until the cauliflower is fork-tender, which only takes a few minutes. Garnish with fresh whole-leaf or chopped cilantro. For a boost of protein, feel free to add a scoop of precooked quinoa or brown lentils!

Oh my, where oh WHERE to begin. What a month it is has been, and now, all of a sudden, it’s March. The days are longer, warmer and louder with the hum of neighborhood birds. And I have a LOT of projects- here, there, and everywhere (literally)- to work on. Finally, I am where I have longed to be, doing what I hold so dear to my heart and actually being able to call it my full-time job. Life is good, but boy does she move.

I want to share with you all of the glorious things consuming my work, garden, and cooking life right now, but alas, I still have to play waitress on Saturdays to pay all the bills. I do, however, have enough time to squeeze in this on-the-fly recipe for totally-bomb black radish and potato pancakes.

The starchier, thick-skinned black radish adds a subtle bite and layer of flavor to the more standard potato latke. I suggest serving them with plain yogurt, homemade applesauce, and a side of hearty greens sauteed with garlic and, if you’re feeling frisky, a touch of molasses.

Black Radish

and Potato Pancakes

Makes about 8-10 pancakes using a 1/2 cup scoop

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Russet potato, shredded (about one medium potato)
• 1 cup black radish, peeled and shredded (about one medium black radish)
• 1 1/2 cups onion, thinly-sliced (about one medium onion)
• chives, chopped (optional, for an added punch of color)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• oil to coat the pan with each round of pancakes (about 1/4 cup total; I used walnut oil)
• salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the shredded potato and radish with sliced onion (and chives, if using) in a medium glass or ceramic bowl; season with salt and pepper and toss or mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate glass bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add the egg mixture to the radish-potato mixture, using a fork to stir the mixture a bit.

Heat a pan over high flame with enough oil to coat the bottom. Scoop a 1/2 cup of the pancake mixture, carefully drain off excess liquid with a fork (pressing gently down on the potato/radish in the scoop is a good idea if your mixture is particularly wet), and drop it into the hot oil; gently pat down on the pancake with a spatula to flatten slightly. Depending on the size of your pan, you can usually cook 2-3 pancakes at a time. Cook until you see the edges of the pancakes begin to brown, then flip them with a spatula; cook them for another 2-3 minutes or until browned on both sides. Transfer hot pancakes to a cookie rack with paper towels on top and a paper grocery bag beneath (in case of oil dripping); allow to sit for a moment, just to soak up extra oil. Transfer the pancakes to serving plates and serve with condiments like plain yogurt, plain or flavored applesauce, mincemeat, or chutney.

The snowy landscapes of today aren’t fooling me. Spring is on its way, and I’m preparing to trade treadmills for trail runs and garden work as I begin my education coordinator position at Wright-Locke Farm. In doing so, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be healthy, and how so many, regardless of food or exercise knowledge, can become derailed in their journey towards a more healthy lifestyle. Everyone’s circumstance and needs are different, and no one’s body reacts exactly the same way to any eating or exercise regime. With so many diet “solutions” marketed today, distinguishing the healthiest AND most effective course of action from unsafe or failure-bound diet plans is a difficult task for most. Though I am not a registered dietician*, people often ask me nutrition-related questions, especially broad questions like “how do I lose weight?” or “what kinds of food should I eat?” and I do feel inclined to help them out. Even if I can’t answer their inquiry at length, it’s my hope that that person can consciously take some useful morsel of information away from our discussion (and I, too, can learn something from the interaction).

Omitting metabolic issues and other chronic or acute diseases that can greatly affect nutritional health, when talking about weight management I always stress the importance of caloric balance, or the difference between what you eat (calories gained) and what you burn through fitness and non-fitness physical activity (calories expended). Though this basic tenet is obvious to most, the real issue Americans seem to face when it comes to actively working towards this balance is their fixation on subtractive dieting (i.e. “I can’t eat this or that”) coupled with a lack of understanding concerning the positive and negative impacts of specific foods consumed and activities executed. Luckily, there are now free online tools that can help ordinary people better understand how their food and activity choices affect their nutritional and overall health status without the added stress of strict dietary or exercise guidelines.

REDEFINE YOUR DIET

Merriam-Webster gives four definitions of the noun “diet,” the first two of which I typically identify with the term: “food or drink regularly provided or consumed” and even more simply, “habitual nourishment.” Let those two definitions seep in, especially the phrase “habitual nourishment.” I am in LOVE with that phrase.

From my experience discussing healthy eating and weight management, I sense people are more inclined to associate the term “diet” with what NOT to eat rather than the foods they SHOULD be adding to their meals and snacks. But who can blame them? Not only has the quick-fix diet and supplement industry taught us otherwise, but when we try to make drastic or perhaps (initially) unappealing changes to our habits, it is terribly difficult to not focus on what we’re missing. It’s also tempting to think that the choices leading to proper nutrition are clear cut, black and white, right or wrong, as the outcome is, or at least should be, defined by scientific evidence. But you’ll still hear nutrition science students lament how this body of evidence concerning what and what not to eat is constantly evolving, therefore making even the most educated populations confused about a rational course of action (this blog post might will hopefully make you laugh- and cringe- at what I would deem unrealistic and unhealthy thinking and behavior). For better or worse, there are no set foods or standardized diets that will always lead to proper nutrition because there are too many variables (soil health, agrochemical use, crop variety, food transportation, storage, and preparation methods, human immunology, digestive function…  I could go on but I won’t) at play.

A “good” or proper diet doesn’t necessarily lead to weight loss; a truly good diet should lead you to a healthy weight (at this point in time, best indicated by calculating your BMI) and a properly-fed and fueled body and mind.

TAKE ACTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Those who are serious about achieving a healthy weight and nutritional status need not spend money on expensive and often unsafe product-based diet or exercise routines. Save your money to buy all those fresh, whole foods your body needs and instead focus on heightening your self-awareness when it comes to eating and activity. An easy way to start is with a short-term food and physical activity journal. The premise is simple: record EVERY. SINGLE. THING. you eat, drink, and do over a three or five day period, then tally the results, in terms of nutrients consumed and calories burned throughout your day (don’t be fooled- you burn calories while you sleep, too). Longer-term tracking can be completed if desired, but the idea here is NOT to become obsessive about what goes in your body. Taking the time to record what you eat and do over a designated period of time is simply a means of becoming more aware of the “value,” in terms of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, and water) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients or phytochemicals), of what you eat and how many calories you burn throughout a typical day and week.

I’ve posted links to a handful of nutrient database resources already on Little Miss Cruciferous, but I have just recently discovered what I consider to be the most useful of them all: the USDA SuperTracker, a free online diet analysis tool that allows for personalized food and activity tracking and optional goal setting. So put down the pencil, paper, and calculator and let the USDA do the number-crunching for you!

Screenshot taken from USDA (2013)

There are two ways you can go about using the SuperTracker. You can start using it right away, without altering your current lifestyle, giving you as true a portrait of your consumption and activities as possible. Or you could start by playing around with your account, inputting theoretical meals, snacks, and activities to see how things stack up based on your profile information, and then set forth a loose and realistic plan of foods and activities to include in your day-to-day as you begin tracking.

Screenshot taken from USDA (2013)

THE NEXT STEP

I’ve probably said it here before, but I’ll say it again: small changes are often best when seeking out big and long-lasting impacts. Periodic food and activity journaling with the SuperTracker online tool should be used to see changes in your dietary nutrition and fitness habits while you continue to make adjustments to your routine based off of the new knowledge you have regarding your diet and activity level. Perhaps most helpful is continued use of the SuperTracker’s Food-A-Pedia or the National Agricultural Library’s food nutrient database for specific nutrient quality information as you add new foods into your meals and snacks (ongoing research seems to work best for me when it comes to remembering food “values,” or approximated macro-, micro-, and phytonutrient values). If and when you can’t find information on a specific food or activity, try finding a substitute to get an idea of the macro- and micronutrient content of that food or the calorie expenditure of that activity.

Screenshot taken from USDA (2013)

The SuperTracker and most other diet analysis tools do not (yet) provide quantitative or qualitative data concerning phytonutrient (also called phytochemical) values of specific foods. This is mainly because these nutrients are considered non-essential while also still being discovered and researched.  But if you’re anything like me, you still want to know what types of food carry these powerful, disease and free radical-fighting chemicals. The USDA’s National Agricultural Library provides a wealth of knowledge concerning specific foods and the phytonutrients they contain on this webpage.

Another important aspect of a food’s nutritive value is its farm-to-plate time frame (which is impossible to know if you’re getting it from a conventional grocery store) and the ways in which your food is prepared. Any farmer or whole foods advocate will tell you: the fresher the produce, the better, as whole foods lose vitamins, water, and flavor through exposure to heat, air, and light. Those same factors are also at play in cooking; depending on how you prepare dishes, you change the bioavailability of nutrients within that food or even create carcinogenic compounds like heterocyclic amines. The following resources can help you better understand the different ways in which you can healthfully prepare and serve meals and snacks:

The Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet via { www.globalhealingcenter.com }

Healthy Grilling Guide via { www.about.com }

What are the Health Benefits of Juicing? via { www.mercola.com }

Guide to Cooking 20 Vegetables via { www.eatingwell.com }

How to Combine Foods for Optimum Nutrition via { www.livestrong.com }

The History & Health Benefits of Fermented Food via { www.foodandnutritionmagazine.com }

FURTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE

If you have existing medical conditions or specific concerns about dramatically changing your diet and activity level, schedule an appointment with your physician or an R.D. (registered dietician), but NOT a nutritionist! I say this as someone with a Master of Science in Applied Nutrition who had the opportunity to pursue a dietetic internship but did not due to cost and my current career aspirations. Any medically-based service, including nutritional counseling, should be completed through a trusted establishment with certified medical or public health staff. Technically speaking, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, meaning standards of knowledge and field training differ dramatically across their practices. The name of the game here is YOUR health; be safe and see a professional.

*DISCLOSURE: I am NOT a medical professional. Those with specific dietary or health issues and concerns should follow the recommendations of their physician or dietician, and consult with him/her prior to making changes to their eating and exercise habits.

As a workshare receiving produce for volunteer work at a CSA-based farm in my city, I find it hard to tell anyone to NOT join a CSA, an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture (a business model in which shareholders pay in advance for a produce “share” they receive in installments over the growing season or selected season). But like any other investment, there are many factors to consider before making the commitment, and some aren’t as obvious as others. February and March are BIG months for most CSA programs up here in the Northeast; this is the time when farms are beginning to offer shares, assuming their program isn’t already booked! Here I outline how to find farms in your area offering CSA programming and what to think about before registering as a shareholder at a local farm.

Find a Farm with a CSA Program

If you do not know of any farms in your area, are not sure which local farms in your area offer CSA shares, or simply want to examine your programmatic options to ensure the most reasonable choice for you, a few easy Internet searches will help steer you towards some viable options. The following resources are great for finding CSA and non-CSA farms alike, using information regarding your approximate location and product preferences to best match you with local farms you may want to check out. Their search optimization tools are particularly helpful when trying to differentiate between those farms offering seasonal shares and those only selling items at a farmers market or as a farm stand.

• MA Department of Agricultural Resources / MassGrown
• Local Harvest
• The Eat Well Guide
• ATTRA / National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
• AgMap
• Wilson College, Robyn Van En Center CSA Farm Database

For Your Consideration

PAST & PRESENT

A catchall category, these are some of the most basic details concerning the farm and CSA program you are scoping out. How has the land been used in the past, and what practices are being used now? Who owns the property, and is it open to use by the public? How is the farm generally received within the community? Are there specific sustainability or land preservation initiatives? How experienced are the growers and what is the track record of the business?  You’ll be hard pressed to find a privately-owned farm that releases its financial records, but non-profits are required to. Look for information regarding these subjects on official farm websites first, if possible. If the farm does not have an active website displaying such information, call, email, or stop by and ask someone.

OFFERINGS, TWO WAYS

Much like the details concerning the history of the farm’s land, staff, and business, most farms offering CSA shares have product information already posted on their website. Even so, most farms are more than happy to clarify any details, to the best of their ability, regarding the expected contents of an upcoming season’s share in addition to other goods or services offered by the organization.

{ CSA }

First, consider the essentials, including: what types and amounts of products are typically or expected to be available during the program’s season; distribution dates, times, and locations; pick-up frequency (most farms are once per week during the selected season); distribution style (some CSA programs only offer pre-sorted boxes while others let you pick from a selection of available crops each week); pick-your-own crop availability (often includes: berries, beans, peas, flowers, and/or herbs); and retail products made available through partnerships with other farms or vendors (last year at Waltham Fields, this included items like local cheeses, meats, eggs, maple syrup, raw honey, baked goods, seed oils, sauces, and dried goods like beans, whole grains, and flours).

{ non-CSA }

Then think about other goods or services you might also want: accessibility to other local foodshare programs (local meat, fish, raw dairy, orchard fruit programs); field or administrative volunteer opportunities; educational workshops for children or adults; special fundraising or charitable events; seed or seedling products; and community-based initiatives, like farm site compost or yard waste dumping.

PRICE

Depending on how you ordinarily shop for food, the price of a typical “summer” CSA share (often June – October in the Northeast) may or may not overwhelm you. In my experience, it seems that the up front cost is one of the biggest deterrents preventing people from joining a CSA. While there are sometimes workshare opportunities, in which you trade volunteer hours for a share, those looking to register as a paying shareholder should check in with the CSA(s) of interest to get information about seasonal or weekly estimated share values based off of previous harvests and crop plans. Established farms and CSAs often have this type of information already posted on their websites, though newer farms and new CSA programs may only have rough estimates of future produce availability and share valuation for prospective clients.

EQUITABLE FOOD ACCESS

One of the less obvious but incredibly important aspects of local agriculture and its future in social entrepreneurship is its equitability. A friend all the way up in Fairbanks, AK shared this article about the perceived and sometimes very-real exclusivity of yoga programs, which I then immediately, in my mind, related to the local food movement. I think most of us can agree that eating healthy and buying local isn’t always as easy as health gurus tend to make it seem, though that argument splinters off into all sorts of discussions concerning why people eat what they eat. Don’t have a car or license? You are instantly incapable of accessing many CSAs. Un- or underemployed? Paying for food that doesn’t yet exist probably seems down-right crazy, and rightfully so if you are experiencing economic hardship or are adjusting to eating a vegetable-rich diet. Many non-profit farms have equitable food access initiatives and programs, like Waltham Fields’ low-income market, farm-to-school program, reduced-cost or workshare CSA shares, food donations, and gleaning opportunities for organizations like Boston Area Gleaners, who donate their harvests to nearby food access organizations. So while it may not be a top priority for you when selecting a CSA, recognizing that local food CAN be more equitably distributed and supporting organizations who contribute to these efforts is certainly something to consider.

ALL OF THE ABOVE

What does being part of a farm or CSA mean to you? Local food does not start and end at the CSA distribution, nor do most people seeking out a CSA share want it to. Because of the oft-added inconvenience (subjectively defined, of course) or initial cost of becoming a CSA shareholder, those looking to eat local foods are more likely invested in the idea of local food and farms as the greater part of a healthy and balanced diet lifestyle. Identify what kind of experience you want when joining a local farm and select the CSA that best aligns with your needs, preferences, and schedule when possible to avoid a regretful investment.

MY FINAL TWO CENTS:

Paying up-front for a season’s worth of produce is risky… but intentionally so; it is the underlying purpose of the CSA model, helping to cover input costs and spreading the inherent risk of farming across all shareholders and the organization. Things can go wrong, whether a result of nature or poor farming practices; however, if the farm you’ve set your eye on is well-established and already known to be successful, it’s not usually worth dwelling on the potential negatives.

Being an active part of a local farm and its CSA program has quite literally changed my life. I know my farmers and the practices they use. I know the incredible amount of time and effort they give to make the farm successful. I have a little nature sanctuary that I visit multiple times a week for a majority of the year. And to top it all off, I get organically-grown foods that were JUST PICKED, and right across town, no less. I can say with complete sincerity that since experiencing community agriculture firsthand, I can’t imagine my life without local food and farms.

My first 2013 canned preserve will likely be my last at my current residence. Bittersweet, I know… just like this beauty of a fruit spread. The lower-sugar mandarin orange marmalade utilizes the whole fruit for its hidden pectin, incredible flavor, and bright hue.

Honeyed Mandarin Orange Marmalade

Yields about 7 half-pints

Ingredients:

• about 4 lbs mandarin oranges, scrubbed, halved, stem ends and seeds (if any) removed, and thinly sliced (stubborn bits can be finely chopped)
• 2 cups water
• about a 1/2 cup local honey
• 2 1/2 cups (or more to achieve desired set) white sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

DAY ONE: Prepare the oranges and transfer to a non-reactive pot; add the water. Bring the mixture rapidly to a boil, letting it simmer for a few minutes. Remove the mixture from heat, cover, and refrigerate overnight, or anywhere between 12-24 hours.

DAY TWO: Over high heat, add the sugars and lemon juice and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and scorching. Continue to rapidly cook the marmalade to approximately 220 degrees F, or until the marmalade is set (the classic frozen plate or spoon “sheeting” test are pretty standard if you don’t own a thermometer); add more white sugar, in increments of no more than a 1/2 cup, until you reach the desired set if needed (the amount of sugars indicated above makes for a very-spreadable marm, and I say the less sugar, the better). Turn off the heat and immediately transfer hot marmalade to sterilized half-pint or quarter-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

2013 brought about some unsavory circumstances around these here parts. First my monthly student loan debt payment doubled (bye, bye grace period). Then I had the pleasure of dealing with credit card fraud for the first time. And then I found out the house I live in had been sold, without any prior notice to its tenants, and that I would have to move out of my cherished, albeit dilapidated, century-old apartment in the coming months.

But then something magical happened. After roughly three years of integrating myself into this area’s growing community of local food and farm advocates, I am overwhelmingly excited to announce that I will be joining Wright-Locke Farm next month as their farm education coordinator. That said, my posts here on Little Miss Cruciferous will likely take a back seat to the job / moving juggling act now coming to dominant my winter. Good thing I’m an active girl.

My Johnny’s catalog came in the mail the other day and got my brain stuck on plants. Per usual, my growing plans are still far from finalized, though I will definitely continue to tend that tiny GROW garden plot I was allotted last spring in addition to continuing as Learning Garden facilitator at Waltham Fields Community Farm (with the assistance of increased programmatic maintenance).

While I can’t speak to plans for the LG quite yet (though I will say this: PLOW and FENCE), I’m thinking that I will mostly dedicate my 15 x 15′ sanctuary to perennial flowers and herbs that I cannot typically purchase at my local farmers market as well as a few exotic fruits or vegetables like last year’s bitter melon and Chinese broccoli. This “three brothers” garden, a perennial take on the better-known “three sisters” garden, is high on my to-do list, and I’ve even suggested it for use in the Learning Garden at Waltham Fields. I may not be a farmer, but my hunger to learn about and actively participate in local food cultivation and distribution cannot be satiated if I’m standing on the sidelines. I’d rather have a schedule filled to the brim than the free time to wonder about what I’m missing. Speaking of loaded schedules…

Before the madness of February and March consumes my life, I want to bust out my preliminary preservation plans for this year. I will create a more detailed post with relevant links once I’ve really figured out specific recipes I wish to use; for now, I have laid out the following list of preserves I intend to put up this growing season.

2013 PRE-PLAN CAN PLAN

Much like my 2012 Can Plan, I have listed items as chronologically as possible (some items, available in both the spring and fall, I have listed last because I plan to put them up in the fall). For example, I have listed strawberry preserves before blueberry preserves since strawberries are available in June and blueberries in July. For more general information on how to safely put up just about any fruit or vegetable you can think of, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website. I’m just starting to consider how I will cook up many of these preserves as I enjoy the ones I put up in 2012.

LAST EDITED: Monday, June 10, 2013

Canning { Boiling-Water Bath } : high-heat water processing of high-acid foods for shelf stability

• NEW, honeyed mandarin orange marmalade
• NEW, honeyed rhubarb jam
• strawberry jam
• strawberry-rhubarb jam
• tart cherry jam OR preserves
• red raspberry jam OR red raspberry and plum jam
• blackberry OR black raspberry jam
• blueberry preserves
• honeyed apricot butter
• plum jam
• savory plum sauce
• peaches, halved
• bread and butter cucumber pickles
• dill cucumber pickles
• tomatoes, chopped
• tomato sauce
• tomato soup
• tomato salsa
• Indian-style onion chutney
• corn salsa
• roasted red bell peppers
• pickled hot peppers
• giardiniera (pickled cauliflower, carrots, hot peppers)
• tomatillo – hot pepper sauce
• honey-sweetened BBQ sauce
• grape jelly
• apple butter
• apple sauce (different flavors including vanilla star anise and cranberry)
• quince butter
• cranberry-orange preserves (may do a different recipe but I really like this one I did last fall)

Canning { Pressurized } : higher-heat steam processing of low-acid foods for shelf stability

• corn cob stock
• vegetable stock
• baked beans

Dehydrating : low-heat processing for minimal nutrient loss and shelf stability

• Italian plums OR apricots
• plum tomatoes
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• rose hips (for herbal tea blends)
• marinated eggplant “jerky” (sans seeds for less bitterness)
• herbs / flowers (specific types TBD)
• fruit leather (not sure on which fruits yet!)
• apples
• beef or venison jerky (two flavors)
• cranberries (BIG maybe)

Fermenting : the use of live cultures and lacto-fermentation for nutrients, healthy gut bacteria, and long-term storage

• kombucha
• sauerkraut
• kohlrabi pickle
• dill cucumber pickles
• mixed vegetable pickle
• hot pepper sauce
• apple cider
• apple cider vinegar
• ginger beer

Freezing : blanching* and freezing for nutrient preservation and long-term storage

• berries (definitely including: strawbs, bluebs, raspbs for smoothies and granola)
• peaches and/or nectarines, quartered (more fruit for yogurt smoothies!)
• green beans*
• corn*
• pesto cubes
• kale*
• broccoli*
• snap peas or sweet peas*

I know it’s been several weeks since I’ve written out a recipe. Picking up my food pantry coordinator job is partially to blame (in the BEST of ways) for this, but the bigger reason is that… I’ve got nothing. Right now, at least. All food growing and preservation has come to a stand still at this residence, and many of my meals are sauteed/stir-fried on the fly or prepared to last several days (to then be cooked up on the fly). Much like the partially-eaten meal above.

Still, my mind is never far from the farm or local food, and my penchant for list-making renders it silly to NOT think about and plan for spring activities. I’ll soon be posting my “pre-plan” can plan for 2013, but first it’s time to prime the blog pump with some off-the-canning-shelf recipes I have yet to share with you. I put up several apple products this past fall, and apple butter was at the figurative top of my 2012 can plan. I started things off with a low-sugar slow-cooker maple apple butter that was well-received by coworkers, but I also wanted to make a version that was darker, richer, and spicier. An apple butter that upon first taste would take you back to the days of old New England. I think I hit the mark with this recipe.

Small Batch Apple Butter

Yields about 3 pints total (I used quarter-pint jars)

Ingredients:

• about 9 lbs apples, washed, cored, peeled, and chopped (I used a combo of Cortland and Macintosh)
• 4 cups pure apple cider
• 1 cup pure maple syrup (great way to use the more mineral-rich dark or Grade B syrup!)
• 2 tbsp unsulfured molasses
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp whole allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Combine the apples and cider in a large, non-reactive pot over medium-high heat and cover; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the apples have melted down to the consistency of chunky applesauce. For a smooth butter, turn off the heat and “buzz” this mixture with an immersion blender right in the pot or run it through a food mill. Return the mixture to the stove, add the sugars (maple and molasses) and spices (the whole spices can be tied in cheesecloth for easy removal just prior to canning), and simmer the puree until reduced by about half; be sure to stir the mixture occasionally to ensure the butter isn’t sticking or scorching. A spoonful of finished butter held away from the steamy pot should remain mounded; if it rounds up onto the spoon but falls flat after several seconds, you’ve still got applesauce and should continue to carefully cook the butter down. Adjust the butter with additional sugar or spices and puree again with an immersion blender for a super-smooth product, if desired. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe rims and adjust two-piece caps. Process in a boiling-water bath canner for 15 minutes.

Well, we made it to the end of 2012, folks. No zombies or other apocalyptic beings to be tamed, just copious amounts of buttery cookies, smoked and slow-cooked meats, stinky cheeses, red wine… and the widening waistlines that follow. I can deal with those things. With pleasure.

The end of the year has brought about a strange energy to my apartment. I believe some people call it “motivation.” While we tend to edge on the hibernation side of living come December, my boyfriend and I have been eerily busy between work, home, and personal projects. So though we all but spent Christmas Day cooking, eating, and relaxing by the glow of our Charlie Brown tree, I sense that this January and February will be loaded to the brim with work of all sorts, to which we say, “BRING IT.”

My day-to-day at the food pantry, where I’ve been working since the end of October, is really starting to settle out now. The past several weeks have been a bit crazy between my transition into the position, a complete floor-to-ceiling renovation of the kitchen I use as the pantry, account issues with my most important volunteer recruitment intermediary, and holiday-related food drives with local businesses. As a result of all these things, my schedule has been flip-flopping and I’ve been working more hours than I initially expected, which is all good! Admittedly, I am quite excited for my EPH workload to return to its more regular Monday / Wednesday schedule so that I have more time to work on other things. Like this blog.

In the spirit of New Year’s and the tradition of goal-setting (not to mention my preoccupation with list making), I’ve decided to write out my own resolutions- big and small- for 2013.

1. Eat, breath, and sleep this motto: (even) less is (even) more. The past five years have been a test in frugality for me. Needless to say, there have been some woeful moments (tuition payments were always a blast), but I am improving my checkbook balancing skills and loving a life with less fluff and junk. In the coming year, I aim to further decrease my spending on convenience / non-essential products and sharpen my thriftiness when it comes to finding and buying durable goods.
2. Pre-plan my can plan. I’m proud of my 2012 larder, no doubt there. I tallied up more than two-hundred jars this year, and that’s only the canned stuff, not the dehydrated, fermented, or frozen items. Due to either time constraints or less-than-desirable turnouts, several preservation recipes I tried out did not get published here. For the upcoming growing season, I aim to start planning and sampling for my 2013 preserves NOW, as opposed to March like last year, so that I already have an arsenal of decidedly-appropriate recipes from which to work come late spring and summer.
3. Maximize my use of social networks. I often joke that my new job requires me to create something out of nothing (all kidding aside, there is a system to getting “free” food, and I do get paid a wage for my work). In successfully doing said task, you gotta know people! And lots of them. Thanks to social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, it’s easier than ever to stay connected to people, for free. I’m so often positively affected by people whom I’ve met when they post about their work through these technologies. I keep them in my online circle, if you will, because they are a part of the reason I have chosen to go head-first after work that is meaningful to me. As they continue to impress and inspire me, I hope I might do the same. Isn’t that what it’s all about? In the coming year, I hope to better utilize the social networks I currently use while also joining other relevant networks.
4. Make art happen. I am probably the last person on earth who would ever refer to myself as an artist. But that’s not to say I don’t like to make art or crafts. In fact, that is precisely what I intend to do in the coming year. Expect to see more original works on LMC, including but not limited to the realms of graphic design and digital photography / video. Hell, you might even get a hands-on tutorial of some sort if you’re lucky.
5. Be open to new ranges. I gave my heart and soul to a boy five years ago, and I am ever-grateful that he and I are still journeying through this life together. Though we both absolutely love this area of the country and find it hard to even imagine living any where else, we recently reminded ourselves that nothing is preventing us from packing up and finding a new spot to call home. So while I have no steadfast plans of leaving Greater Boston this year or the next, the idea is seriously being considered for the first time in a LONG time.

I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. See you in 2013!

Rebekah