Green Options » picnic

Farmers Market Fare 12

Beth Bader — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:48:40 +0000

Midsummer is upon us. How did that happen? Our CSA bag yielded fresh corn. While many folks have vilified corn because of it’s tainted connections to HFCS, livestock feed and corn ethanol and just about everything subsidized in foods, well, fresh corn on the cob is still one of my favorites of summer. This soup makes the best of simple ingredients and the fresh corn flavor.

Fresh Corn Soup
8 ears of corn, shucked, and kernels cut from the cob
1 cup water
4 tbs. butter
1 low sodium vegetable bouillon cube
2 cups milk
1 2 oz. can of roasted mild green chiles (or roast your own poblano and chop)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup half and half
4 oz. Cotija cheese (or queso fresco)
Cilantro for garnish

Put corn kernels and 1 cup water in food processor. Pulse until almost smooth. Heat butter in soup pot. Add corn and water puree. Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer, stirring frequently for five minutes. Add 2 cups milk and the bouillon and the green chiles. Whisk to combine. Heat to boil, then reduce to simmer. Stir occasionally. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Before serving, whisk in the half and half. Add the salt, taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve warm with Cotija cheese sprinkled on top and cilantro garnish.

After the jump, this week’s links and posts.

Weekend

serenity_ii — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:26:32 +0000

So I wouldn’t say we were incredibly green this weekend, but we were relatively green.

The dude who lives on the other side of Mr. Obsessively Mowing hadn’t mowed in a long time–longer than it had been for us. So on the weekend, he mowed his yard. . .with a riding mower. . .then used a weedwhacker. . .then used a leafblower. . .then mowed again. . .while smoking. Way to cancel out your lack of pollution, dude.

Bill mowed too–with our reel mower, of course. He is much faster at that than I am. It’s nice to have all the leaves to enrich our soil.

We drove about 40 miles in an old pickup to go on a bike/trike ride. The colors were beautiful, we got to see some cool stuff, and it was a blast! In the beginning I was pulling the kiddo and was having trouble keeping up with Bill, but on the way back he pulled the kiddo and I got up in the 20 MPH range three times (I wouldn’t be utterly shocked to learn I was going 30 the first time, although it was probably more like 25).

We had a picnic. It wasn’t completely environmentally friendly, but we did pretty well. I used baby food containers to hold the pumpkin seeds we scooped out of our pumpkins when we made jack-o’-lanterns. We have two kinds of seeds–salted and sugar & spice. We took pudding (containers are recyclable), applesauce (organic, again in a baby food container), sandwiches (reusable containers), juice (in reused juice bottles), tap water (in Klean Kanteens), baby food (recyclable containers), organic chocolate, not-so-organic chocolate, fruit strips, granola bites, and I don’t know what all. It was an awesome feast, if I do say so myself. I did take a Ziploc bag to hold the silverware so it wouldn’t get the picnic bag messy. We used one recycled napkin.

I gave my son one of my old toys this weekend. Well, really it’s more like four of my old toys that are compatible.

We went to Goodwill to donate a whole bunch of stuff. Clothes, chairs, cookware, drinkware. . .so now there’s more space for the stuff we’ll actually use, which is nice. . .especially in the cookware department. Led to some interesting discussion:

Bill: Why did we get rid of the silicone brownie pan?

Karen: Because we have two glass ones now, so we don’t need to use something that gives off a smell when I use it.

Bill: But we kept our silicone muffin pan.

Karen: That’s because that’s the only one we have left, so if we give it away and I have a cupcake emergency, I’m in trouble. Don’t worry, there’s an iron one on my Christmas list.

Bill: That sounds light.

Karen: But good for us!

Bill: Until somebody drops it on a toe.

Karen: Well, would you rather have a broken toe or cancer?!

Bill: Well. . .either one would take a long time to heal. . .

He does raise a good point. Our gorgeous stainless steel pots and pans are pretty lightweight, but the other stuff we’re converting to is all pretty heavy. I have trouble holding my terra cotta roasting pan steady in one hand (it weighs about nine pounds), which makes it hard to scrape stuff out of it into a container. The glass stuff isn’t too bad, but the iron stuff is heavy and slightly complicated to take care of, since it can’t go in the dishwasher and has to be seasoned. Still, I’m sure it’s worth it. I’ve been smiling a lot in the kitchen lately.

Weekend Grub: A Labor-Free Labor Day Dish — Pesto Pasta Toss

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:14:37 +0000

The name pesto derives from tradition of making this sauce in a mortar with a pestle. The following recipe, which I encourage you to use a food processor for, unless you have a few spare hours, proves that you absolutely don’t need cheese to make a fantastic pesto. Purchase fresh basil (or grow it yourself!), and find a nice fruity olive oil.

Advance Preparation: Pesto freezes very well. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about 20 minutes. To reinvigorate frozen or refrigerated pesto, add a drizzle of olive oil and stir.

Ingredients - Pesto
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
6+ tablespoons pine nuts
2-4 cloves garlic
1-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Ingredients - Pasta and Veggies
1 pound penne pasta (or any pasta of your choice)
Bunch of chopped spinach, raw or blanched
Fresh, seasonal tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped

Directions
Combine the basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor, and blend until the ingredients are finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add salt, to taste.

Add the oil slowly and a little at a time, and process until smooth and creamy. (You don’t need a lot of oil – just add enough to smooth it out a little, but very little is needed.)

Prepare your favorite pasta according to the package directions (penne works great!). Drain. Toss the pasta with the pesto and remaining ingredients.

Serving suggestions and variations:

Toss the pesto with roasted vegetables.
Use walnuts instead of pine nuts.
Add ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed.
Replace half of the basil with parsley.
Add a squeeze of lemon while you’re grinding all the ingredients together.
Make a pesto pizza, spreading a layer of pesto on your dough and adding some fresh tomatoes and minced fresh herbs.
Use as a cracker spread. Add non-dairy cream cheese and use as a spread for bread and crackers.
Prepare it as a dip for chips or raw veggies. Just add it to non-dairy sour cream (Tofutti or Wildwood brands are great.)
Make garlic pesto bread. Spread pesto on bread and bake like you would garlic bread.
Grill it. Coat polenta squares, vegetables, or tofu with pesto and grill.
If you’re not using it immediately, you can store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or place in ice cube trays (or a regular container), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the freezer (for no longer than one month for the best flavor).
To make extra, for every cup of loosely packed basil leaves, add the following to the above recipe: 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 clove garlic (or to taste), ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste), and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
For an oil-free version, eliminate the oil and replace it with 1-2 tablespoons light miso. Add a little water to thin it out a little.

Tip o’ the Day: Picnic in Style

Amy Stodghill — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:56:26 +0000

With the weather warming up, folks are flocking outside and picnickers abound. But where there's a picnic there's usually overflowing garbage cans.

When taking your picnic to the park or the beach try to reduce the amount of waste you leave there.

For the table, bring a cloth tablecloth instead of a paper or plastic one. It will be more durable and you can throw it in the washer when you get home.

Bring reusable utensils, plates and cups (they'll make your neighboring picnickers envious).

Instead of buying prepackaged food, make your own fare and pack it in reusable containers rather than foil or plastic wrap.

Or use recycled paper plates and napkins, and biodegradable and compostable cutlery and cups. (Treecycle has a variety of options).

You don't need a pricey picnic basket to tote your lunch; however, they are very cute! Take your things in a backpack or canvas bag that you already have around the house.

Be sure to take out what you bring in. Take leftover food (and compostable ware) home for your compost pile. If your picnic area doesn't have recycling bins available be sure to take out any bottles or cans to recycle at home.

Amy says: When I go picnicking we take an old futon cover to spread out on the ground. It's double sided for an added layer of cushion and moisture protection if the grass is damp.