Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Big porch plans and food thoughts

So I really want a hammock for the back yard or the front porch.

I saw these: Hammocks

And I think the price and everything would be suitable.

I just want our house to be relaxing.

I worked hard last summer to make a garden, plant flowers, create a porch garden. A place for Chris and I to come and enjoy the weather.

I am planning on getting a straw bale and making it into a waist high herb garden. I had tried before in old underbed storage containers. My friend has his back yard all in straw bale and its no weeds, waist high and easy and cheap to set up.

I just will use the free mulch from the dPW, some fertilizer, and water that I mix crumbled nori into.(cheaper than buying the liquid from the manufacturer and works as well) Besides we eat Nori all the time in this house when we make sashimi or Nori brittle.

It comes in a little shaker and we frequently use it when we make tofu salad with eggs (to lower the cholesterol) we feed the cooked yolk to the dog, only use 2 eggs and 1/2 brick firm tofu with light miracle whip, onions, celery, pink and black pepper and Kelp sprinkles. Sometimes I make the eggs and tofu into a mousse and then add the veggies and we eat it like pate on crackers, or other times just on farm bread.

Either way its good.

We were fortunate to have ham for easter. They also make Lamb. But Lamb, Goat, and chicken I find take a deft hand to cook well. So the last time they cooked a turkey I actually went over early and brought over one of my vintage cookbooks that i collect that had a old tried and true recipe for Rosemary Citris Turkey Cruet.

Now I though they being gay would have a submergeable cruet which is like a clay cooking oven that you soak in water s when you are cooking a bird or dry piece of meat, the water keeps it moist.

They did not.

They DID have a large french casserole big enough for the turkey which I was amazed, and oven bags.

So I brought one of the guys to the store and picked up sweet onions, sausage, rosemary, day old french bread and farmers wheat, Basil, LAVENDER SEA SALT, which I reccomend everyne tries to make or buy once in their life. Finally a case of Sweet Valencia oranges, and some raw agave nectar.

I went with him home where the other partner was cleaning the bird. I cut the oranges (there were 13) all into 1/2's and the onions into 1/8s 2/3 of the oranges were tossed in a bowl with 1/4 agave, 4 springs rosemary and a handful of onions. Then this was places in the cavaty.

Outside the bird was rubbed with agave, sprinkled with olive oil, then the remaining oragnes and rosemary and onions went beside the bird nestled in.

Finally cracked Lavender salt and Tri color pepper was dusted over it and the bag was shut and the lid put on.

hours later.

Fragrant, perfectly cooked, falling off the bone, moist, flavorful turkey.

Seriously not a difficult recipe and I have used it for making chicken but I don't eat fowl very often unless I shoot it or help process it myself.

When I am going to be eating something that I feel some sadness that id died, or that I know its meat costs a lot of money, I want to make sure that the preparation doesn't outdo the taste of the meat.

My cousin taught me the best way to eat a steak is cowboy style, thick cut, over a grill, rare as you dare with a bit of sea sat and cracked black pepper.

THe only thing I can tell him now after having m mind blown by vegetables all over the world? try that steak with Sesame soy marinated cucumbers. The coolness of the cucumbers with the bits of the soy and vinegar mixed with the sweetness of the sugar in the sauce actually adds so much to grilled meats.

I am putting it below and I hope to all my friends and family who read this you become curious and exploratory with your palette.

SESAME CUCUMBERS

2 cucumbers chopped and seeded
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce

Skin, de-seed and chop cucumbers, cover with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Press and drain excess liquid. Coat frying pan with a thin sheen of oil. Sprinkle one layer of sesame seeds into pan. Cook over medium flame until brown. Place seeds in a Mortar and pestle or a clean coffee Grinder. Grind until fluffy. Add sugar, vinegar and soy sauce, and mix together until thoroughly encorperated.

Pour over cucumbers. Chill 1 hour before serving.

This is great with Red meat, fish,BBQ chicken, almost anything off the grill.

Go try something new tonight.

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