It’s hard to believe that August is almost over.  For those of us who are attuned to the seasons via our gardens, this is the harvest time of the year.  In our corner of California, it’s also the time when the summer vegetables are winding down and the time has arrived to plant our winter crops.  I’m planting Kale, Beets, Carrots, and probably some Broccoli as a start.

But today’s harvest screams for some bread….some yummy, nutty, sweet bread.

Summer Squash, Apple, Hazelnut Bread

The garden supplied the squash and apples.

Our summer squash is at the end of the road but I found two hidden under the leaves.

And, I picked Gravenstein apples from the tree (a Baker’s Dozen – 13 – this year) from our little tree.

A short trip down the Google road and I found a great recipe for Zucchini Apple Bread.  Most sweet bread recipes are a variation on the same theme, so I was looking for a recipe that had less oil and sugar and incorporated whole wheat flour.  I’m in love with the taste and texture of whole wheat pastry flour. I tossed in hazelnuts because that’s what I had in the pantry

Just a little bit of time in the kitchen while the day was still cool and we had this loaf of goodness to share with friends when they drop over.  I know my meeting with a new business partner went so much better with a cup of tea and a slice of bread!

My last post about our passion for supporting our local ranchers and the value of grassfed meat made me hungry.  Mr. Hensongs said it made him REALLY, REALLY HUNGRY and reminded him of my mom’s yummy recipes. Now, for Mom, “recipe” was a loosely used term.  She was a farm girl, single mom (my dad died when I was young) and a flat-out magician at making food fit for royalty from whatever was in the pantry and fridge.

In the days before slow cookers, my mom was a master at putting a stew on to cook in the morning so it would be ready for dinner that evening.  That’s what I want to share with you today – more of a set of instructions than a recipe, so put aside your panic and just let creativity take over.  It’s not a fancy recipe; it’s a family dinner.

Libby’s Busy Day Stew

All you need is some sort of protein, some sort of liquid,  some basic vegetables, whatever other vegetables are in the refrigerator, and a bit of herbs, salt and pepper. Here is my mom’s basic set of instructions.

Ingredients

• A good, heavy stew pot with a lid that can go into the oven
• An oven – preheated to 225 degrees
• 1 pound of pastured stew meat (ours is from Morris Grassfed, of course!)
• A  soup spoonful of flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of fat (I love to use the fat from some bacon like Prather Ranch  from the farmer’s market but any oil will do)
• 1 onion, cut in chunks
• A couple of cloves of garlic, smashed
• A few carrots, cut in 1 inch chunks
• A couple of parsnips, cut in 1 inch chunks  (quit wrinkling your noses…this is the secret ingredient)
• A pound or so of potatoes, cut in quarters  (Yukon Gold hold up well to the slow cooking)
• Some broth (bonus if you have your own homemade beef broth)
• Some red wine  (a bottle that’s good enough to drink.  Don’t use that corked bottle you opened and can’t make yourself pour down the drain)
• A couple of bay leaves
• A tablespoon of your favorite dried herbs (my favorite mix is Bavarian Seasoning from Penzey’s Spices)

If I have some wilting celery, I’ll lay it on top of the stew – just for flavor.

You can also add other vegetables you have that make sense in stew.  Cut them large enough that they don’t melt away while cooking.  We like to add a big handful of green peas during the 30 minutes of cooking. If you’re coming home from work, toss them in the pot the minute you walk in the door.

Putting It All Together

Here are the ingredients I always use.

The basics

Getting Down To Business

1. Put the flour, salt and pepper in a bag or bowl.  Add the meat and shake or stir until it’s all coated.
2. Heat the bacon fat or oil in the heavy pan.
3. Put in the meat and any extra flour mix that’s in the bag or bowl.  Brown the meat.
4. Add all of the vegetables (except the celery and peas), herbs, and bay leaves.  Stir.
5. Add a cup or so of the broth.
6. Add a big glug of red wine (that’s probably 1/2 cup).
7. Stir.
8. Lay the celery on top, put the lid on, slide the pot into the oven.

About 30 minutes before you want to dive into dinner, throw the peas into the pot.  Leave the lid off for the last bit of cooking.

I did go all “California” on you today and added a loaf of Artichoke Garlic Herb Bread from one of our favorite markets.  It goes in the oven for 10 minutes to warm up.  I do believe you can order it via mail….sorry in advance for starting the addiction in your  family.

We rounded out tonight’s dinner with a couple of little apple crisps made from 4 windfall apples from the backyard.  Those stay in the oven at 350 degrees while we eat dinner.

Dinner Is Served

Here it is; our simple family dinner.   Put this on your menu and try it out on your family – let me know how it goes!

Caution – this post may  be unsettling for vegetarians and vegans. You may want to read this post instead

Yes, We Are Omnivores

In addition to growing as much of our own food as we can in our urban garden and tending our hens for eggs, our family has a commitment to supporting our local ranchers.  We are so fortunate that, in Northern California, when I say “local” I really mean LOCAL.

As we moved towards being responsible stewards, it became important for us to acknowledge that the meat we eat didn’t magically arrive in ready-to-cook little shapes; wrapped in plastic at the supermarket or chosen from the meat counter of our local grocery store. We should not forget that a steak comes from a cow and to take responsibility for how that cow is raised.  All we have to do is drive down the center of our state past crowded, smelly feed lots to know what is the right and wrong way to take care of animals.

Many of our friends have asked why we think it is more important to care about where our meat comes from than shopping for the cheapest sale.  I finally decided that the easiest way to share our philosophy is simply to introduce you to the two ranches that have become a part of our lives.

Our First Experience With Grass Fed Meat

Photo Courtesy of Richard Morgenstein

For several years we have purchased the beef our family eats from Joe and Julie Morris who own and run a sustainable ranch in Central California, a few hours drive from our home.  The Morris family introduced us to a model for ranching that respects both animals and the land.  Learning about responsible land management has been fascinating.

Photo Courtesy of Richard Morgenstein

We remember to give thanks each year when we hear from Julie that it’s time to fill out an order form for our portion of beef, to thank Joe when we meet his delivery truck to pick up our order, and to give thanks at our dinner table.  It’s so much easier to remember when you have a direct tie to the source of your food.

Expanding Our Horizons

Photo by Jerry Dodrill

Last year we met Abigail Myers Killey of Bodega Pastures.  We were looking for a local source for lamb and Bodega Pastures popped up in our search.  This ranch is about an hour from our home in some of the most beautiful countryside you can imagine.  We contacted Abigail to talk with her about ranching practices and the details of ordering from Bodega Pastures.  What we didn’t anticipate was the amazing education we would receive in animal husbandry and a real look at what it takes to put meat on our family table.

As with the Morris family, Abigail calls us to ask if we’re interested in placing and order, then carefully and respectfully walks me through the order process.  This year, we talked more about what how our family eats; are we people who like to cook?  I learned how to make choices about butchering that I had not experienced before.  Thank you to Bud’s Custom Meats for completing our order. Again, we are brought closer to the source of our food and closer to our responsibilities.

We remember to give thanks for Abigail, as well as Juanita and Dolly Llama who guard the flock.

Photo by Lorene Warwic

Photo by Eli Bynum

…Then There’s The Wool

In addition to beautifully raised lambs, Bodega Pastures also provides wool for spinning and knitting.  I am on yarn restriction right now (I could open an entire shop with the stash I have in my studio) but I look forward to the day when I can add wool to my order.  Knitting something wonderful and warm out of wool from “up the road” will be quite a treat!

This Is Our “Why”

Being serious is not in my writing nature.  It’s so much easier for words to flow with a sense of humor and fun.  But this is important.  My hope is that our family philosophy will help you think about the choices you make about the food you put on your table.  I hope you’ll take some time to follow the links to Morris Grassfed and Bodega Pastures.  Get to know the people and the animals (you may be pleasantly surprised to find that supporting your local rancher is not out of reach for your budget). It’s important to be educated, grateful, and give thanks.