What We Need Is Here

Grace

for Gurney Norman, quoting him

The woods is shining this morning.
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
"He moves your bones, and the way is clear."

- Wendell Berry, from Collected Poems 1957-1982

Black Friday

Traditionally "Black Friday" heralds the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. This one was even blacker than usual.  Ugh, it was just sickening to read this. My hero, Sharon Astyk, describes the situation well here - how we are all implicated by our greed and need for more, and what the idea of Thanksgiving could teach us about where our treasure should lie.

Here's an excerpt:

The economy is a game of music chairs, and the chairs are disappearing.  When the music stops for each of us, and our chair is gone, for a time we will rely primarily on the resources we’ve built up now.  Those of us left holding the big screen tvs and the designer handbags will have them - or whatever their resale value is.  And those who have ties - biological or chosen - will have those.  The truth is that our consumer culture needs us to be isolated, fragmented, alone, empty - or advertising wouldn’t work, the nonsensical reasoning that we have to have this year’s big thing wouldn’t work.  The primary project of consumer culture is to drive us apart, to make sure we do not share, we do not combine resources, or even consult on how ridiculous the things we are being told are.  And it has worked magnificently.

How can we change the way we are doing this? How can this season be one of building up and celebrating the real wealth we possess - our human ability and drive to form relationships, to forgive, to innovate and make do, to share and to build hope? This is the year to learn.  

I am so envious

Our housemate, Kendera, was invited by a friend with a ticket to see the Soweto Gospel Choir at the UF Performing Arts Center. I went to see them two years ago, at the invitation of our pediatrician who had an extra ticket. It was right in the middle of Ben's treatment and - to be honest - I only went because the offer was so kind. But, oh my gosh, I was so glad I did. The bright colors, the graceful dance, the lovely voices, the ... vitality of it all; it was so good for me to enter into that beautiful world, just transforming.

I have often felt revitalized by live performances, but I always have a hard time actually going. Tickets are costly, and I put off getting them until they're sold out or way in the back, and I have a hundred other excuses on any given night to do something else. But I often wonder why. We are so fortunate that in a town our size we have so many quality performances coming through. Two tickets once/month would be about $2/day - less than a latte, yet I don't think I go even once a year (about six cents/day?).  And some of the upcoming holiday performances are much less - even free. Check out the Performing Arts schedule. And don't forget the wonderful Hippodrome (more on that soon). Again, it's all about being thoughtful about what you support - and what we allow into our heads. More Soweto Gospel Choir, less Grey's Anatomy!

FESTIVE FOOD: Part 8 - Amazing X-Rated Bread

This last one's not local at all, but it brings a lot to the table. It's a big, fluffy, gorgeous braided loaf that makes a nice centerpiece if you're not doing the turkey thing. And it's elicited some pretty high praise; some have described the satisfaction they feel upon eating it in shockingly sensual terms. Plus it's got a strangely redemptive quality to it. The pecan pie can turn out runny, the cranberries unloved, the green beans scorched... but if you serve the bread, everyone will think it was a wonderful meal. Really, it's amazing. It's also technically Challah, the Jewish bread served at the Sabbath table and at other celebratory meals. 

Challah - 2 large braided loaves

For the braids:

2 tbsp. active dry yeast (I use fast-acting, only one rise)
4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 cup honey
1 3/4 cups very warm tap water
2 cups unbleached white flour (more to come)
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large egggs
5-6 cups more unbleached white flour

For the Glaze:

1 egg
poppy seeds

Measure the yeast,salt, honey, and very warm tap water into the bowl and stir. Mix in the first 2 cups of flour (all egg breads take part of the flour early to give the eggs something to hold onto.) Mix in the oil and 3 large eggs.

Add four more cups of flour gradually. As soon as working with the spoon or whisk becomes heavy going, clean it into the bowl and switch to mixing the flour in with your bare hands. (You've begun kneading right in the bowl.) This dough is easy to knead because it is soft and yielding.

Dump the dough onto a floured board (or counter top) and knead in some of the remaining flour. Don't force in every last bit of flour that you can. The exact amount of flour you will use will vary depending on the moisture in the air. If it's still sticky after 8 cups of flour, go ahead and add a little more. If you've reached a cohesive ball after only 6 1/2 cups, stop! Baking is an inexact science. Knead for 10-15 minutes.

Divide dough in two, then divide each half into three pieces. Roll the pieces into strands and braid. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise in warm place til double in bulk - for 1/2 hour (if very warm) to a couple of hours (if it's cool). I usually place my loaves in an oven that's been warmed at the lowest temperature, then turned off. It takes 30-45 minutes.

After it's risen, preheat the oven to 350. Beat an egg til fairly smooth and brush on loaves gently so they won't fall. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. When oven reaches 350, bake on middle rack for 30-45 minutes, checking bottom to see that it is browned.

Enjoy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

FESTIVE FOOD:Part 7 - Famous Silver Springs Pecan Pie

This recipe was handed down to my mother from my grandmother, and I think I have eaten it at least once a year my entire life. By no means healthy, it is purely delicious. And it is made with a local ingredient - maybe two (pecans, and eggs) - which qualifies it as far as I'm concerned. 

Silver Springs Pecan Pie

1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup (my grandmother writes "Karo")
1 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 (scant) tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar well. Add salt and well beaten eggs, syrup and chopped nut meats. Mix well. Bake in raw, 9"pie crust at 300 for 1 hour.

Traditional Pie Crust (it makes a difference)

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. butter or shortening, softened
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4-5 tablespoons ice water

Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are  pea-size (nothing does this better than an old fashioned pastry cutter). Sprinkle with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until pastry leaves sides of bowl. Form into a ball, then roll out to fit pie pan.

This pie is saturated in tradition (as well as fat). Not only is it from my Nanny, the recipe originated about 30 miles south of here at the once snazzy Silver Springs Restaurant. I have some wonderful home movies taken by my grandfather at the Springs when the two were younger than me.  They drove their little motorboat right up to the shore and they are frolicking in their 50s bathing suits with some friends. They are just beautiful. Make this pie, make some memories, and call your grandparents if you still can.

FESTIVE FOOD: Part 6 - Green Bean Stir-Fry

Oh my. We have had such cold weather for November, I haven't seen a lot of local green beans - a Thanksgiving mainstay at our house.  If you're a little south of here and haven't had a frost yet, here's a very simple and tasty way to cook them.  It should be the last dish you prepare, right before serving. Everyone loves this:

3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
salt and pepper to taste

In a large wok or skillet, heat the oil on medium-high. Add green beans and cook, stirring frequently, for two minutes or so.  Add garlic and continue to stir-fry for 4 or 5 minutes till green beans are tender and slightly shriveled. Serve immediately.

Eight servings.

FESTIVE FOOD:Part 5 - Autumn Salad

It's hard to come across salad greens here in the heat of the summer, when you want them most. The upside is that we have a relatively long lettuce harvest - from October through June. This morning I picked up some lovely bags of "spicy mix" at the farmers market to replenish the many bags we ate and served last week. I'm looking forward to serving them at our Thanksgiving feast. It's the perfect foil for some of the sweeter things on your plate. All of the vegetables (and the fruit) can be purchased locally this time of year.  Honey too.

Autumn Salad

Salad

1/2 lb. spicy mix salad greens
3 peeled and sliced persimmons (or apples if they're available)
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
Small sweet onion, sliced
3/4 cup pecans, sliced
3/4 cup local goat cheese (or sliced boiled eggs)

Honey Mustard Dressing

3 tablespoons local honey
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Mix salad ingredients except for persimmons, shake dressing and pour over salad, then decorate with artfully placed persimmons.

Eight Servings.

FESTIVE FOOD: Part 4 - Cranberries?

Are they really necessary?  Some say yes. At my very southern family Thanksgiving feasts I don't remember ever not having cranberries. From a can, sliced and artfully arranged on a platter.  I'd like to wean you from cranberries, even though I love 'em. Here are a couple recipes with them - and one lovely, traditional Southern fruit substitute.

Whole Cranberry Sauce - the Real Deal

Seriously, you can make this stuff!  It's much better than canned, and it has the addition of one local ingredient: the pecan. Make it the night before to give it a chance to cool and you one less thing to do on Thanksgiving morn. 

One pound bag of fresh cranberries
One bottle maple syrup
One cup chopped pecans

Wash cranberries and place in large pot, cover with maple syrup.  Bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Cranberries will begin to pop open. You can help the process along by crushing some with the spoon. Add chopped pecans and put in lovely dish. Refrigerate till ready to serve.

Cranberry Orange Relish

This traditional recipe introduces our most famous regional fruit, and it's uncooked. Another step out of the Cranberry Kingdom.

One pound bag of cranberries
Three oranges, unpeeled, without seeds
Sugar to taste

You have to use a food processor (or Champion Juicer) for this one. Process cranberries and oranges (peel and all). Add sugar - et voila!

The Realest Deal - Southern Ambrosia aka Fruit Salad

Now we're talking. This is THE fruit concoction for the holidays. I remember as a little girl the delicious smell of a pile of peeled oranges and seeing my dad (who wasn't much for food preparation) stationed at the table, bent over a large pot, carefully removing the white orange pith with his pocket knife. Ambrosia was his job. He did it very well.

Juicy naval oranges (or any sweet orange), peeled, seeds removed, cut into spoon-sized chunks
A few bananas, sliced and a little flaked coconut (not local, but very traditional)
As many chopped pecans as possible
Chopped apples, esp. if you are from the part of the upper south that can grow them well

If it seems like it needs it, add a little orange juice (from extra oranges). Serve in a pretty bowl. It's not quite as tangy as cranberry sauce, but it's awfully good.

You can find local (or at least regional) oranges at the farmers markets and Ward's right now. 'Tis the season for pecans too. Save money and buy them in the shell; invite friends and family to contribute to the meal by cracking and picking. While maple syrup definitely comes from afar, organic, dehydrated cane syrup (sugar) can be purchased at Ward's or a health food store.

Eight servings.

FESTIVE FOOD Part 3: Modestly-Breasted Turkey and Other Main Dishes

Someone wrote to me this week and asked if I knew where to find locally-raised turkeys; she was specific about what she was looking for: "...heritage turkeys, and not those terrifyingly big-breasted supermarket ones." Our family doesn't eat meat for a number of reasons, one of which is the scarcity of humanely raised, justly-processed local meat. But if we did, I would buy it from someplace like this, although they're apparently sold out of turkeys for this season.

As a family, we've traditionally eaten an alternative, yet still festive, main-dish for Thanksgiving. For the most part this has been well-received by the kids (except Ben who, once after a week of drawing turkeys, reading about turkeys, and singing songs about turkeys at his elementary school, announced: "I'm just going to get myself a gun and go kill myself a turkey so we can have a HAM for Thanksgiving!") 

For years, I stuffed acorn squash with my family's recipe for southern-style cornbread recipe. I think all of us (most anyway) craved the stuffing more than the turkey, and it was fairly simple:

Thanksgiving Stuffed Acorn Squash

Use your family’s traditional stuffing/dressing. For southerners, that would be cornbread dressing.

Ingredients:

½ acorn squash per person
Your favorite family recipe for stuffing

Cut acorn squash in half and dig out the seeds. Do not peel. Place on jelly roll pans or other large pans. Pour about ½ - 1” water around squash. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes – one hour, until squash are soft.

Meanwhile, prepare stuffing. When squash are soft, place a rounded scoop of stuffing into hollowed-out center. Put back into oven a few minutes before serving to brown the stuffing. Leftover stuffing can be served as “dressing” if you bake it in a casserole for 15-20 minutes at 350.

A few years ago, though, I started serving roasted autumn veggies on polenta. It has the same "festive flair" as the individual stuffed squash I think. It is delicious and beautiful, and I plan to serve it again this year.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables on Polenta (serves 6)

Marinade for veggies:

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
5 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or sage

Vegetables:

1 large onion, peeled and thickly sliced
medium carrots, cut lengthwise into halves, the crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes, cut into generous bite-size chunks or wedges
3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into two-inch pieces
2 red and/or yellow bell peppers, cut into two-inch squares
6-8 fresh plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to 450. Lightly oil two large baking pans

In a bowl, mix together all of the marinade ingredients. Toss onions and carrots with marinade, place on one of the baking pans and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the rest of the vegetable for roasting. Toss with marinade.

When the onions and carrots have roasted for 30 minutes, stir them and lower the oven temp to 400. Place the newly prepared veggies on the second large pan. If there isn’t enough room, push the onions and carrots to one end of their pan and add the remaining new vegetables to the hot pan.

Roast all the vegetables for 15 minutes, stir well, and continue to roast for another 10 – 15 minutes, until tender and slightly carmelized. Add salt to taste.

While vegetables are roasting, prepare and cook the polenta.

Polenta:

6 cups water
1 tsp. salt
2 cups cornmeal
4 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup grated sharp cheese (optional)

Bring water to a boil in saucepan. Add cornmeal in a thin, steady stream while whisking briskly. Stir in butter and crushed red pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often till thickened. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, and place in large fancy bowl. Top with roasted veggies (or surround polenta with them if your platter is large enough).

Eight servings.

Bon Apetit! If you know of a local source for modestly-breasted turkeys, let us know!

FESTIVE FOOD: Part 2 - Greens

Another reason it's great to be a Southerner! Southern greens - collards, turnip, mustard - love the mild cold weather we have here. Ours are doing fine even after it dipped into the 20s last night. In fact, most growers think a little frost improves their flavor. Greens are ideal for family gatherings since they're a tad labor intensive if you buy them whole from the farmer.  Today at our community center garden, the kids were taking note of both how their collards have grown and how their mamas and grandmas prepare them: Wash, cut out the spine, roll 'em up and cut 'em up and put 'em in a pot with a chicken neck (or ham bone or bacon grease). Because the greens cook down quite a bit, the volume for a family feast can be a little overwhelming; so put the family to work, and start a new generation of happy people who remember how their mamas (and daddies) cooked greens.  

Besides the good old way of cooking greens above, there's the new, slightly more nutritious way of cooking them more quickly and with less meat fat.  Both are delicious.  You've got to serve greens for a true southern Thanksgiving.