The three frontiers

Today I returned to Maravilha where I rested from my travels to the place where three countries, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, meet. From Maravilha, we drove to Argentina, stayed in Wanda and explored the area of Itiapu and Iguaçu Falls.

The last picture is near one of the larger falls close to the top; the beauty was spectucular and overwhelming. Just below this section of the falls, there is a walk way to the middle where you get misted. Immediately, you want to throw your hands up in the air, close your eyes and feel the power of nature. Unfortunately, I was only able to get one perspective of the falls, that being the Brazilian side. Brazilians say it´s more beautiful than the Argentinian side, while people from Argentina say their side is better. I guess I will have to go back and decide for myself when the weather is more cooperative.

Being American in Brazil

Another day has come and gone, while I think back to what happened in only one day. It was such a hectic, fun, overwhelming, and interesting day. Why not start from the beginning? I met a new friend Daniella from the salon and visited her high school, but this was no ordinary day. It was their last day of class before summer vacation. There was a talent show to wrap up the year and they were all so excited a native English speaker from America was there to share it with. All the students were curious while Daniella and Daniel introduced me to each class. Then, at the beginning of the show in the gymnasium, the administrator of the school had everyone give me a warm welcome where I then stood up and said in my best Portuguese Bom dia, good morning.

It has been a real pleasure getting to know the people of Maravilha, who are so kind and friendly. I don´t think I have ever given so many hugs and kisses in three hours, let alone in one day. Every time a boy was google-eyed, Daniella would tell me, ´Very much teenagers´, and then laugh. After my visit, I went back to Elzira´s home to eat lunch, marrow, rice, black beans, lettuce, mandioca, and chuchu. With no time to waste, we then went back into the city to go to another school, only this one was private. Headway is its name. However, school was canceled to go to the movies. Instead, five of the teenagers took me out to ice cream. They love, absolutely love to eat sweet things, no question about that. In fact, Paula told me they, the kids, prefer to eat American like foods, fried and sweet. Once my new friends found out I cook, they immediately took me to the grocery store to buy ingredients for cookies. [I believe they think I only cook sweet things].

This was such a long, tiring day, so I´ll keep it short.

After the walking around the neighborhood, they brought me to Paula´s house to try new foods, see her home and dog, meet her family and then take pictures. What strikes me as funny is that they all think I´m 18, maybe 19! Wow, never has anyone thought so young of me. Perhaps it´s because my bust is not as big in comparison.

Once we took note of the time, we quickly scampered off to my massage appointment. It was just what I needed, alone time and relaxation.

Then back to Elzira´s home where her friend waited. He´s a pastor who is going to America to preach, so he wants to know if he could practice conversing in English. Tomorrow I will meet his wife for lunch, and afterwards, start planning a trip to Iguacu Falls. How exciting!!!

To finish off my evening, we ate fresh beef liver from the slaughter with onions! I cleansed my palate with fresh pomegranate from the tree only but 30 feet away from the house. Yummy.

...and today, going to the swimming pool with Paula.
[I also helped portion the remaining fresh beef cuts, got my yellow fever shot, and had fresh papaya.]

Tchau

Arriving in Brazil

I have only just arrived in Brazil, and I´m having quite the experience. After visiting in Chicago, I felt fatigue and needed rest, so I found myself asleep on every flight to Maravilha. It took four flights and an hour car ride to get where I am today. It´s beautiful and warm, not sunny though. Today it rained off and on the entire day, but that did not discourage me from exploring. My host Elzira showed me around her living quarters, talk about amazing. They grow and raise most of their own provisions. There are mandarins, pomegranates [but are different than the large red variety you see in America; they are smaller, have soft, pink seeds, and dry the skins to cure stomach aches], figs, peaches, chayote [chuchu in Portuguese], lettuce [various sorts], arugula, oranges, limes, cinnamon, mint, corn, beans, and tapioca, amongst several other things, which can be picked and eaten right here on their property. In addition, there are goats, horses, cows, chickens, goose, dogs, and bees [for honey]. There is a lake in the back yard with rolling hills and farms to gaze at while I attempt to take in Brazil. Breath by breath, I think of Brazil and how lucky I am to experience such a rich culture. These next two months are going to fly by, and I cannot wait to learn and explore what this beautiful country has to offer.

Earlier today, I met a young girl named Daniella at a salon. She invited me to her high school where she learns English. We spoke and decided that I will be her special guest for tomorrow at the school. Ahhh, I´m just so excited. It will be quite the experience.

....
Tchau

Eating Local

Everyone has a different definition and meaning of what eating local means, so what does it mean to you? Does it mean eating strictly from Minnesota, the Midwest, or within a particular radius of, oh, let's say 100 miles? I guarantee the restaurants and foods you see with the label 'Local' all have their own idea of what it means as well. It seems everyday I hear this particular word being thrown around in the food biz and am frankly tired of hearing it abused. At what percentage of total foods sold at a restaurant gives the right to make clams of being 'Local'? There isn't one. The next time you see the term 'Local', I want you to think about this and ask about the ingredients origin. You have a right to know, especially if you are paying with the impression that the food is local.

Within this last summer, and in particular over these last few days, I have been speaking with local farmers, friends and Chefs like Scott Pampuch from Corner Table about their definitions of 'Local'. Overall, each seemed to have a similar definition. However, each practices 'local' to different degrees. Just because a restaurant claims to be 'local' does not imply all ingredients are grown, raised or produced within a particular 100 mile radius. Perhaps, only 80, 40 or even 15 % is within that abstract radius. Every restaurant should provide such information, and perhaps we, the customers, should be asking for information concerning each food with the origin listed. Is this too much to ask? Frankly, I would feel more comfortable in my purchases and would possibly eat out a bit more often if given more information.

There are endless reasons to eat local, two of which relate to cost and nutrition. Eating local is not too expensive; stop complaining about food prices. We, as a nation spend 12.4 % of our money on food and only 7% of that on food prepared at home [http://www.visualeconomics.com/how-the-average-us-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/]. In comparison, the worlds average income spent on food is 35.68% [according to the USDA from March 2010]. Perhaps we should spend less on entertainment, alcohol, and technology [I mean, come on. Do we really need to be connected to the internet 24 hours/7 days a week?]. It all boils down to what's important to each individual. Your health should be just that. In fact, you would only be doing your body justice by consuming whole, seasonal foods, which provide proper nutrition. Eating local and seasonally forces a varied diet providing higher nutritional value. The research on nutritional value related to the seasons is quite extensive and supports my point that there is more dietary value when eating locally and seasonally [Carbonaro M, Mattera M, Nicoli S, Bergamo P, Cappelloni M. Modulation of antioxidant compounds in organic vs conventional fruit (peach, Prunus persica L., and pear, Pyrus communis L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5458-62.]. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to delve into the subject a little bit more; however, I will be sure to continue within the next week. To be brief, it is important to understand what eating 'local' means, so speak up and ask questions.

.....let us not forget that it's also tastier

Pictures!!!

Alright, here are some pictures to hold you over until I get back to writing/posting more recipes....enjoy

1 of 2 wagons of winter squash

'Nature Hike'

The spotted acorn

Digging for sweet potatoes, so much work

Romanescu

EmRo picking wild hops

Milkweed

Sweet Pots

What a wicked looking moth; just look at that eye

Rainbow carrots

What a cock

Season Finale

leaves beginning to turn, 1 week ago

The last of the Pase Tomatoes, who knew their

fishy scent could be so potent

Well, the season is wrapping up with little left to harvest. Today was our fellow friend and co-worker Brandon, Basil Killer Wiarda's last day on Riverbend. Ah, he will be missed. The following week another worker, John, will be seeing the last of the farm as well. From then on, there will be three, perhaps four. There is not much to do on the farm besides prep for next year and clean up. Yesterday four of us farmhands plus Greg picked up the squash in the fields, only to find a third of the fruit expected. Apparently, the squash blossoms didn't pollinate, which directly affected the yield of fruit. Not good in this case. Nevertheless, we still managed to fill two wagons full of winter squash. We hauled it from the fields back to the greenhouse where we dusted off the vegetable washer and put it to use for the first time this season. I wonder why we were never told of this earlier in the year...huh. Anyway, we ran through half the harvested squash into the washer. It was quite the job with three nozzles spraying water every which way. Everyone was soaked within the first 10/15 minutes. Tomorrow we will be finish cleaning and curing the squash for storage. Some squash like Blue Hubbard and Blue Kabocha will develop a better, sweeter flavor once stored for months on end. I will have to do a little more research as to why that it is, but for now, I will trust farmer Greg.

Until next time.....

Eat your veggies!

Apologies

Well, as you all know, I have not posted anything new for quite some time. Unfortunately, I am one of those people where I cannot say no when a person asks for help, so I have been quite busy with various events. Let's begin with the Garlic Festival in Hutchinson, then Tour de Farm at Riverbend, and then Picnic Operetta, and catering, and and and working on the farm. I had my longest day yet, 15 plus hours; It was exactly one week to the date. However, now that the season hit it's peak, everything remains to be downhill from here. Slowly, I see the plants die off, harvesting less and less every time. It's sad really. However, Autumn is my favorite time of year for both the weather and food. Now is the season for canning those remaining veggies and move into the hearty goods like squash and brussels sprouts, yummmmmmy! In the past month of my spare time, I have been on a canning streak. Oh, there's heaps left to do, but I have made a decent amount thus far. Those items include: pickled okra, carrots, beets, and kohlrabi; canned tomatoes, peppers, and.....Maybe that's all?

I've also had my fun baking breads. Yesterday was Challah, another was Cinnamon Walnut, and tomorrow will be.....Who's to know? All I know is it's soup season, and what goes better with a warm bowl of soup than freshly baked breads?

Anyway, enjoy the recipes to follow from weeks past:

Sweet Corn Relish

Here’s an alternative way to eat corn, especially if you have heaps of it lying around and don’t know what to do with it. This recipe can easily be multiplied if you have more corn on hand. You can either enjoy this immediately after preparation or jar it and save it for a cold rainy autumn day.

6 ears of corn

1 Tbsp. oil

1 ½ cup red onion

1 1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 cup vinegar

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. mustard

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. celery salt

½ tsp. hot pepper, big bomb variety recommended

Heat a pan with oil and add the onions when hot. Once translucent, add corn and bell pepper. Cook until soft and add remaining ingredients. Adjust seasons as desired.

Process the relish: Sterilize 3 1-pint jars and keep hot. Pour the hot corn relish into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, securely cap each jar, and process using the boiling-water canning method (see Related Links) for 15 minutes. Cool jars, check for proper seals, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Borscht

4-5 beets, boiled, being sure to save the beet juice leftover

1 stalk celery, diced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup onion, small dice

1 tsp. caraway seed

1 cup cabbage shredded

4 potatoes, cubed and boiled

Salt and pepper

In a sauté pan, heat oil in a pan, add the onions and caraway seeds. Once the onions are translucent, add the celery and cook for another 3 minutes. When tender, pulse in a food processor with the cooked beats adding the beet water until desired consistency is reached. Salt and pepper or add oil for a varied flavor. Pour in a serving dish, bowl or cup. Saute cabbage in oil, 3 minutes and add in conjunction with the cubed, cooked potato. Season to taste.

Panzanella Salad

For a slight variation, replace the tomato with musk mellon. It's unbelievable!

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 small French bread, baguette or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 teaspoon koshersalt

1 large ripe tomato

¼ red onion

1/8 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped

½ cup fresh mozzarella balls

Vinaigrette

2 cloves

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Toss in the bread and salt cooking over low to medium heat until nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add more oil if necessary.

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together and drizzle over chopped tomatoes, onion, basil and cheese in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes once finished and season with salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to wait for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.

Curried Eggplant

Earlier last week, we were fortunate to have Alma, one of the best restaurants in Minnesota, come to the farm to prepare us lunch. Brian, the Sous Chef, brought his crew to prepare for us an extravagant dinner. It was his main course, which inspired me to create such a dish. Never would I have thought to add cucumber in a cooked meal, until now that is.

4 cups eggplant, medium dice

2 medium cucumbers, matchstick length

1 cup yellow onion, medium dice

1 red pepper, small dice

1 Hungarian hot pepper, optional, small dice

3 Tbsp. curry powder

2 pinches sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups brown rice

¼ cup wild rice

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

½ cup milk

First things first, cook your brown rice and wild rice in separate pots. While that is cooking, heat a sauté pan and add the butter. Once hot, add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the peppers and eggplant, cooking until soft. Stir in the curry, sugar, cucumbers, salt and pepper. Once everything is mixed well, add the milk and keep on low heat, simmer until the rice is finished cooking. When the rice is soft, combine both varieties of rice and add the walnuts. Either combine the curry eggplant mixture with the rice or serve separately.

Until next time, happy cooking!