The Liebster Blog Award

Thank You Nichole!

I'm pleased to announce that recently I was honored with The Liebster Blog Award!  

"Liebster" is a German word which can be translated as "beloved" or "dearest" in English. This award is given by one blogster to another to acknowledge the excellence, beauty, funniness or "sparkliness" of their blog.

Thanks to my fellow blogger Nichole at Born in the Wrong Century for choosing my blog!! The timing of this award could not have been better!!

I was feeling a bit under appreciated this week because my painting, "Nichole in the Poppies" had been rejected...excuse me...declined from a juried art show.

But to follow my train of thought, you must hear the back story:  Nichole Joyce, along with her mom, owns and runs All Things Italian, an Italian specialty store in Bozeman, Montana.  We met online.  Not only did I love her blog, there was a photo of Nichole in a field of poppies that really appealed to me. 

Now, one of my vocations is that of an artist...an oil painter to be specific.  And I never tire of painting my favorite flower: the poppy.

Long story short: Nichole sent me a jpeg of her profile pic on facebook along with her permission to interpret it as an oil painting. Here it is: "Nichole in the Poppies."

Do you see where I'm going with this?? First Nichole gifts me with the inspiration for a painting.  Which I happen to like, but the jury doesn't. 

Then she gifts me with the Liebster  Blog Award, a sign of appreciation!  Today I feel appreciated... the heck with the art show!!

I'll be making a THANK YOU card of the painting to send to Nichole in Bozeman, Montana.  And then I'll be presenting the award to some other bloggers.

For the rules to the Liebster Award are as follows:

• Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
• Link back to the blogger that presented said award to you.
• Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
• Present this award to 3 to 5 blogs with under 200 followers that are beautiful, funny, good, and or sparkly. (See?  Sparkly. I bet you thought I made that up.)
• Let them know they have won by commenting on their blogs.

I admit that many of the blogs I follow have large subscription bases. Though I'm not sure of their sizes, here are three that I follow that I think are on the smaller side.

My first award goes to Sandi and her blog The Dirt.  Sandi is a Master Gardener, but humbly assures the reader that she is still learning!  Sandi gardens in Moorhead, Minnesota and offers a wealth of gardening and cooking advice. I think you'll find that she is plenty knowledgeable, and I love it that she gets so excited about the color of her vegetables and that she can't wait to photograph them!!

My second presentation goes to City Sister, Country Sister, an informative and well written blog about cooking, gardening, and home centered life, both in and out of town.
I fell in love with this blog when I found City Sister's tutorial on making tomato sauce without having to peel the tomatoes...just bake them and go at them with the stick blender!

Another blog I thoroughly enjoy and admire is The Gardener's Table. Here experienced cook and gardener Linda Ziedrich shares her enthusiasm for gardening, and for cooking and preserving the bounty of the land.

If you have any blogs you think I'd enjoy reading please link to them in the comments.  You can also check out other blogs I follow on the list on the right side of my page.

Leek and Spinach Pie in a Savory Herbal Crust

                                                           This savory pie makes use of frozen leeks and dried tomatoes, and the herbal pie crust shown in a previous post. In the summer months, by all means use fresh vegetables, but in the dead of winter you can rely on your frozen foods. The colors and aromas of this pie will warm your heart!

I begin by pouring out about 3/4 cup of frozen leeks and 1/2 cup of frozen dried tomatoes into a colander to thaw. If I am using a frozen pie shell, that comes out to thaw at this point as well.  While these things are thawing, I will prepare my other vegetables.   

 We grow spicy greens in our solar greenhouse all winter, so I will chop some of them to add to the pie. Feel free to substitute whatever colorful vegetables you have on hand. 

Since I'm using frozen foods, I begin by putting them in a pan with no oil, because the oil and water will splatter when heated. I will watch very closely while I heat the vegetables on medium heat: I want to complete the thawing process and evaporate all excess water. 

When vegetables are all looking soft, and water is nearly gone, I will add some butter or cooking oil and throw in the chopped greens and some chopped garlic. Stand back, stir constantly, and watch out for splatters.  This is a good time to season with salt and pepper and any favorite herb, such as basil or oregano. 

 When the greens are wilted, I'll add all the vegetables to my freshly made or thawed pie crust.  To make the filling, beat 4 eggs with 1/2 to one cup milk or half and half.  Pour the filling over the vegetables and sprinkle with one cup of grated Jack or cheddar cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg or paprika over all and bake at 350 degrees  for 45 minutes.  Bake right on a cookie sheet, to make it easier to handle and to catch any drips.When fully cooked, the center of the pie should look solid, not runny.  If you're not sure if it's done, put it back in for another 10 minutes.

 Crust should be lightly browned.  Allow to cool a bit before serving.

As usual in my tutorials, this is a basic framework for how to build a vegetable pie.  I encourage you to use what you have on hand and have fun.  I recently read a quote about quiche pie: that it was not invented to be a measure of one's manhood.  It was invented to use up leftovers  :-)

Kimchi

While researching ways to make sauerkraut, I came across a compelling book by Sandor Katz.  In his book Wild Fermentation, he espouses the health benefits of fermented foods.  He claims that the beneficial bacteria in these "ferments," as he calls them, are highly beneficial for our digestion and for the absorption of vital nutrients from our food.  I encourage you to read his book.

My sauerkraut was such a raving success that I became inspired to make some kimchi.  Kimchi is a cabbage pickle that is a mainstay in the Korean diet.  Besides its probiotic qualities, it is also loaded with vitamin C.

This recipe is adapted from the one in Wild Fermentation. Kimchi is crunchy and delicious and we eat it at almost every meal.

To make one quart, you will need:

sea salt

1 pound napa cabbage (also called Chinese Cabbage)

1 daikon radish

2 carrots

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

3 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger root

1 chili pepper if you so choose (I chose not to)

 

Begin by slicing the napa as thin as possible, and placing it in a large bowl.

We use napa rather than conventional cabbage, because the napa has a thinner leaf, giving a lighter texture to the finished product. 


This is a daikon radish that I purchased at my local food co-op.
It was grown right here in Northeastern Connecticut.
(Sorry about the ruler, it's the only one I could find.)
You can see that the radish is a hefty 13 inches long!



Use a box grater to grate the daikon radish.   A root vegetable such as this reaches deep into the earth to provide you with minerals and nutrients. 

Grate the carrots and mix the radish and carrots into the cabbage. I find that it's easier to mix the vegetables in the large bowl than in the crock itself.

Mix a brine of 4 cups (1 liter) water and 4 Tablespoons (60 milliliters) salt. Stir until salt is thoroughly dissolved.

Place the brine and the vegetables in a crock or food-grade plastic bucket.

Cover with a plate and add a clean jar of water to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine for several hours, until soft, or overnight. 

Drain the brine off the vegetables, reserving the brine.

Now chop your onion and garlic very fine and grate the ginger root with a spice grater. 

If you have a mortar and pestle, you can grind the aromatics together in that.  Having none, I mashed the onions, garlic, artichoke, and ginger with a fork.

Add the spice mixture to the drained vegetables, and mix well. 

Pack into one or two quart sized jars. Tamp down firmly so the brine rises to cover the vegetable mix and all air is squeezed out of cabbage mix.  If necessary, add some of the reserved brine so the vegetables are well covered.

Use a smaller jar or a small plastic bag filled with brine to press down on the vegetables, keeping them under the brine and away from contact with the air.  



Allow the kimchi to ferment in a warm place for up to a week,

checking every day:

• Remove any foam that forms.
• Taste the kimchi to see if it is to your liking. 
• Keep tamping it down to be sure no air bubbles are in there. 
• Be sure veggies are well covered with brine. 

When the ferment has reached the desired tanginess, remove the smaller jar or baggie and replace with a conventional lid. Store the kimchi in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.  Enjoy as a condiment with meals, or pack right into a sandwich or wrap!