During this past week I have been transplanting many tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings. They seem to be quite happy after their move and I am happy with their size. I also planted some new seeds during the last few days: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard and several varieties of lettuce and some sunflowers for color.
The misty dome covers are taking in the warm sunlight and most of the brassicas which I planted a few days ago have already sprouted. I expect the seeds I sowed today will sprout in another few days. It is at this time every Spring that I plan on the new expansion of my garden. It just gets bigger every year! This year Matt and I will add one more raised bed, measuring 4' x 16' with plans to grow more root vegetables. This year I am growing rutabagas and turnips for the first time. The extra bed will also open up more room for greens which we can never seem to get enough of. Now if only the snow would melt once and for all on the ground (we still have 2 feet!) I would be able to get out there in a couple of weeks and start feeding the soil in preparation for potatoes, peas and root veggies!
Today I ordered 20 Delaware chicks that will arrive on June 1st. This is ten more meat birds than we had last year! I also ordered six Turkeys! I am excited about the Bourbon Reds that will be gobbling around outside our house this year.
Matt and I began the search for a heritage breed meat chicken last year after we were turned off by the common Cornish x Rock cross that has come to dominate the broiler industry. We figure if we are raising our own meat birds, why support the industry standard? After researching Heritage meat birds we came up with the Delaware.
Delawares, originally called "Indian Rivers," were developed by George Ellis of Delaware in 1940 and were used for the production of broilers. It was once of relative importance to the U.S. chicken industry, but today is critically endangered. It is primarily suited to meat production but also lays reasonably well. Perhaps if we get attached to a hen or two we'll keep some as layers to keep the other girls warm in the winter.
May 10th: Here is an article I just came across that spotlights the Delaware Chicken. I found the link while reading the Slow Food USA blog on Heritage Chickens.
It is a beautiful sunny Spring day outside and I am watching the snow melt away bit by bit as Ubu the rooster crows with delight to his ladies in the outdoor yard of the coop that they have not seen since October. Last week several items came into my possession that I have been meaning to post about but did not have the time until now.
Some of my favorite things to collect are vintage recipes and cookbooks. My mother-in-law, Lyn, seems to unearth treasures every once and awhile that she sends to me in the mail. I wanted to share the most recent. I think old, dirty, used, loved recipes and pages in cookbooks are beautiful things. Above is a recipe for Matt's Great Grandmother's Fruitcake. Yes, quite a classic! I will definitely make it one day. Another fruitcake can't hurt anyone right? Lyn also sent along some pickle and relish recipes that will help to use the abundance of garden veggies in late summer in response to my earlier post on Dilly Green Tomatoes.
This brings to mind that I also have a Blackie's relish recipe that my mother was sure to pass along to me some time ago. I have yet to make it but I clearly remember eating it as a child. The Blackie's I speak of is Blackie's Hot Dog Stand in Chesire, CT...you must go if you like hot dogs! It has been there since 1928 and their relish is delicious. Oh and you can buy the relish from their online store! And so, I look ahead to a summer of delicious relish-making from favorite recipes.
I received a call at work last week from someone who was referred to me by our local bookstore. She was looking for someone to help repair her 80-year-old mother's favorite cookbook. It is The American Woman's Cookbook by Ruth Berolzheimer, 1938.
While I am not a trained in book conservation, I did agree to the job as I do know how to repair and bind a book. Luckily, it does not need complete restoration. She only want it to be usable without falling apart in her hands. I am happy to work on this project. It will be quite a task as you can see but I am up for it.
It is the greatest cookbook I have seen in a long time! The photos inside are amazing. I am a bit infatuated by the wonderful and slightly wacky images in vintage cookbooks. Did anyone ever really cook like that? I wish I could have seen an entire buffet in person of these complex, embellished, colorful, and gaudy dishes. Next, I will be searching for my own copy of this cookbook, preferably an edition from the same year. I am sure there must be one or two out there!
I covet the bacon scarf. I think this scarf is absolutely brilliant! So much that I feel as though only Tamara Shopsin, the daughter of the eccentric Kenny Shopsin could come up with such a design. Growing up immersed in Shopsin's at its original location at 63 Bedford Street could only mean a world of eternal inspiration for an artist. The home of the mac-and-cheese pancake, slutty-cakes and blisters on my sisters, Shopsin's will always be of my favorite restaurants. I only had the pleasure of eating at the original location twice, both times indulging in their version of the drink Morir Soñando, "to die in a dream", alongside a heaping plate of food...I ate at their second location once. Now it is time try their new location at Stall No. 16, 120 Essex Street which I plan on doing in January 2010 when I visit the city with Matt. One must plan these things in advance when you live so far away! If you would like to learn more about Shopsin's, I recommend watching I Like Killing Flies, reading this article, perusing the over 900-item menu (I'll bet you've never seen anything like it!), or of course visiting the place yourself! Be prepared for the most memorable dining experience and be open to listening to profanity while you eat. Follow up with a purchase of Kenny Shopsin's cookbook, Eat Me, another item I really must get my hands on!
During this past week I have been transplanting many tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings. They seem to be quite happy after their move and I am happy with their size. I also planted some new seeds during the last few days: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard and several varieties of lettuce and some sunflowers for color.
The misty dome covers are taking in the warm sunlight and most of the brassicas which I planted a few days ago have already sprouted. I expect the seeds I sowed today will sprout in another few days. It is at this time every Spring that I plan on the new expansion of my garden. It just gets bigger every year! This year Matt and I will add one more raised bed, measuring 4' x 16' with plans to grow more root vegetables. This year I am growing rutabagas and turnips for the first time. The extra bed will also open up more room for greens which we can never seem to get enough of. Now if only the snow would melt once and for all on the ground (we still have 2 feet!) I would be able to get out there in a couple of weeks and start feeding the soil in preparation for potatoes, peas and root veggies!
