Yes, we know, we disappeared and were gone for a long while. It was the winter. It was so sad and drab and uninspiring, plus The Farmhouse made hermits out of us.
BUT…we’re coming back, we swear. Cait and I took a couple of trips downtown in the last few days, in order to do the touristy thing for my baby sis, and we’ve realized how much we’ve just missed it. We’ve missed the weekly farmer’s market trips, the sitting down the night before and figuring out recipes, the sudden flashes of inspiration and the curiosity for untried dishes and cuisines, and the feeding of hungry, hungry souls! Our brunches were beautiful: cooking in the early morning summer heat, joined by sleepy friends, eating and talking into the afternoon, and drinking mimosas until we all drowse off. The potlucks were a different animal altogether: Sunday afternoon cooking, late evening conversations about careers and classes and information science, and complete surprises when it came to food – one time, we all accidentally made soup!!
We lost our inspiration at the end there, and the potlucks tapered off as the winter progressed. But we’re getting it back! I can’t speak for Cait wrt what inspires her, but I’m looking forward to delving further into Indian cooking with the help of this book. I’ve signed up to share a CSA farm share with Elaine, one of our potluck regulars, and I’m anticipating the challenge of figuring out what to do with all that produce. Last summer, my culinary challenges were homemade bread, homemade gluten-free pasta, and tomato sauce made from scratch – although I’m far from a master of these, I’m looking forward to trying other difficult kitchen challenges. Homemade yogurt and cheese are a tempting thought right now, I’ve begun messing around with stirfries (so fun and easy), and I’m hoping that this year I’ll have enough cash to actually do some proper canning and pickling. Cait and I also have some big plans for this blog – it’ll be all her work, of course, and I look forward to seeing what we make of this.
Here’s to the forthcoming messy disasters, unexpected successes, and new adventures!
We took a week off. It was a crazy week, with Justin traveling to Toronto, Angelina away in Georgia to see her sister get married, and myself overloaded with work (there’s a pattern to this 
). Just one week, but I had no idea how much I would miss these nights.
And we certainly came back with a bang – a very loud bang at that, with the room so overflowing with conversation and excitement that it was hard to hear! We had a larger turnout than ever (we are growing!!) and this was the first week we genuinely ran out of food (and it is a food event! Terrible!), so next week Angelina and I are going to start working making sure we have quick and easy extra side dishes.
Kevin’s chili was an absolute highlight for me – as he said, the soul of his garden was present in the dish. My cheesecake needed about ten more minutes in the oven, but the flavor was totally on and the recipe will definitely be done again. Angelina has found these amazing Indian curry packets that cook up a delicious meal quickly ( and gluten free!) and are becoming one of my favorite meals. Elaine’s pumpkin bread was a huge hit, and Michael just keeps sharing new and delicious ways to cook daikon!
I am already looking forward to next week. What should we make?
So, I had this fabulous idea about how I would write something amazing for my first blog post for the wonderful potluck dinners we do at a little farmhouse in southeast Michigan. I figured it should be spontaneously relevant and specific and yet subtly hinting at epic and universal principles. Perhaps I could refer to organically linked themes of sustenance, survival, and the Earth’s environment, while slyly relating the recipe for stir-fried lotus root…
Tuesday Stew
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 apple chicken sausages
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 stick celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tspn dried parsley
- 2 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 1 tspn cumin
- 1 tspn coriander
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/2 tspn nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tspn cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In large pot, sauté chicken sausages in oil and 1/4 cup water until cooked or, if pre-cooked, until heated through. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf and parsley to the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent.
- Add the 8 cups of water and lentils to the pot. Season with the herbs and spices. Bring to a boil, and skim the foam from the top as it cooks.
- Let cook for 30-45 minutes until the lentils are soft and have begun to disintegrate. Serve warm and with a smile!
- Recipe by Angelina Zaytsev.
“Tembleque is a creamy pudding that ‘trembles’ wonderfully when turned out of the mold. It is similar in texture to Vanilla Pudding but different in taste because it is made with coconut milk rather than cow’s milk. (This also makes it a good choice for anyone who is lactose-intolerant.) Canned unsweetened coconut milk is not to be confused with the heavily sweetened ‘cream of coconut’ used in mixed drinks. Don’t be afraid if the milk looks lumpy. The lumps are simply solidified coconut cream and will quickly melt as the pudding heats.”
Tembleque
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk, divided
Instructions
- Oil a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish or mold.
- Thoroughly mix together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy saucepan.
- Gradually stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk, making a smooth, runny paste. Then stir in the remainder of the coconut milk.
- Stirring constantly, heat over medium heat until the mixtures begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low; stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour the pudding into the prepared dish, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Invert onto a plate to unmold.
- This recipe is from the 1997 Joy of Cooking, p.1019-1020.
- Note: I was inspired to sprinkle ground almonds on top and to serve this with a chocolate sauce (made simply of chocolate and cream), so that it was rather like eating Mon Cheri candies. :)
Creamy rice pudding
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cups milk, divided
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2/3 cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.
- This recipe is from allrecipes.com.
- Note: Best served and eaten immediately after cooking. I've found that leftovers of this pudding tend to be dry after being chilled.
Butterscotch Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Have ready a 3-cup bowl or mold or four 5-6 ounce cups or ramekins. If unmolding the pudding, oil the mold.
- Melt the butter over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar. Cook, stirring, until melted and bubbly. Gradually stir in the heavy cream.
- Stir over low heat until the butterscotch is dissolved. Add the whole milk and the salt and stir until blended. Remove from the heat and let cool to barely lukewarm.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir it into the milk mixture. Cook, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low. Stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, then stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the pudding into the bowl or cups, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with whipped cream.
My Mother
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 small cabbage
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1-2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1-2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1-2 medium beets, shredded
- 5-7 oz tomato paste or 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes or 1 fresh tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 can of red kidney beans
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- sour cream (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat the broth in a large pot. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into small rectangles. Add the potatoes to the boiling broth.
- Cut the cabbage into small strips and add to the broth once it has come to a boil again. Decrease the heat to medium and let the vegetables simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the carrots and beets. Sauté the vegetables together for about 3-5 minutes. Add the tomato product to the skillet, and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add vinegar, and cook for 1 minute.
- Do a taste check to see if the potatoes and cabbage are ready, then increase the temperature of the soup to high. Add the sautéed vegetables. Open the can of beans, drain them in a colander and rinse under cold water. Add to the soup and cook for a few minutes more. Add the parsley.
- Serve hot, adding 1/2-1 tablespoon of sour cream to each serving, according to each person's taste. ????????? ????????!
… have been the few which I have past at home in the bosom of my family.” –Thomas Jefferson
Figuring out why I love our weekly Food with Friends events… It’s not just about community. I love that, I need that. But the need for community could have taken a different form. Why food? Why feeding people?
In my family, we celebrate each other with food. If we’re too broke to buy gifts, we bake. As a thank you, we cook. And as a celebration of a holiday, we have massive feasts and days (weeks, around Christmas) of baking. It’s a way of expressing affection in a family that does not know how to verbally say, “I love you.” It’s a gesture that provides for one’s physical well-being and, hopefully, inspires confidences and discussions over the skeletal remains of the meal.
This need to feed people became ingrained in me. It was the way that I made friends in undergrad. Artisan bread and cheese parties in the dorm hallway? Yes, please. When it comes to romance, cooking together is a pivotal moment in a new relationship — it’s an intimate moment of creation and sharing, despite the (maybe because of) the fumbles and mishaps.
And the recipes that I make that are handed down to me from my mother, recipes of dishes that have fed my family for years…like the borscht that I made this last Sunday. These recipes are the ultimate comfort food, delicious and recalling a time in the past when this dish was shared at the family table. I love being able to make these dishes for our community — especially when they turn out delicious! — and being able to continue the tradition of sharing love and inspiration over food. 
We took a little hiatus there. Apologies for that — life got a little crazy. Among other things, we moved houses, out to this wonderful, gorgeous 19th century farmhouse. At the time of the move, we also unofficially ended our brunches and, after some pointed questions from dear friends, began a new weekly Food With Friends event, Sunday Suppers. Sunday Suppers are a potluck event at 7 in the evening.
We’re about three — four? — suppers in now. It’s been wonderful watching our friends get inspired and trying new dishes for our weekly events. Last weekend was amazing. Michael brought his equipment and put together this elegant miso soup. Elaine grilled eggplant to perfection and combined it with tomato, mozzarella and this dressing. Kayla stir fried some rice, and Alexis brought lovely risotto. Exciting, fun culinary adventures.
TWEETING AS WE GO:
"Great article about the troubles of 'translating' cookbooks between American and British English! http://t.co/FOxoHak1"217 days ago"Short days at work means still having energy to be inspired in the kitchen. Today: lentil soup & playing with spices I rarely use. Mmmm..."227 days ago"Souffle is on! Time to embark on the massive amount of chopping that is this potato au gratin..."230 days ago"@alexisan75 Sounds amazing! Can't wait - and yes, feel free to bring stuff over here!"230 days ago"First up this afternoon, lemon soufflé!"230 days ago
