It’s hard to believe that I’ve been blogging for three years. When I started, I had just quit my job working for “the man” to start a consulting practice. The blog was a way to give my days focus until the consulting practice took off.
As you may have surmised by the drop in post-frequency, business is going well. I haven’t marked a blogiversary before, but it’s been such an exciting year, filled with lots of fun, interesting and diverse projects, that I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect. Some of the things I’ve worked on include:
- Writing business plans for farms and restaurants around Massachusetts - Conducting operational audits for cafes, bakeries, taverns and markets. - Writing and self publishing cookbooks for small farms, including one for Potomac Vegetable Farms in Vienna, VA. - Writing and self-publishing my own cookbook - Recipe Development for several restaurants. I was especially pleased with the success of the gluten-free bread rolls recipe I created for The Elephant Walk Restaurant. - Feasibility Studies, including one for B Street Restaurant and Bar.
So what does the bottle of 1982 Lafite Rothschild have to do with anniversaries? I recently shared another anniversary with some friends, and we indulged in this fine bottle along with a truffle roasted chicken, celery root puree, seared foie gras and roast carrots.
Barton Seaver’s new cookbook hits shelves on May 3rd. What? You’ve never heard of him? Neither had I until 3 weeks ago, when at the last minute I decided to attend a lecture on sustainable seafood at Harvard. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the issues surrounding sustainable seafood, and this seemed like the perfect venue to learn more.
First, let me say, if you ever have a chance to hear Barton Seaver speak, DO! A former chef and fellow at National Geographic, he is an incredible story teller: seamlessly weaving together the issues affecting the oceans and sea-life through the globally shared experience of enjoying dinner. And for the first time, I have a better grasp about why farmed fish is not always better than wild, and why some fish make better choices than others.
Overfishing has been a consistent concern of sustainable advocates. Cod used to be a good choice. But then itspopularity rose, leading to overfishing and diminishing stocks. But to look at the issue a little differently, consider the reproduction of the fish. A shark produces one pup every 2 years. For each shark that is harvested for dinner, the overall shark population is also reduced. On the other hand, herrings produce 10,000 fish twice a year. They make a good choice because they can maintain their population size more easily.
As a result of overfishing, many advocates and consumers have turned to farmed seafood. But this too poses problems. First, farmed fish can spread their unique bacteria (which is fine in the farmed environment, but disease spreading in the natural habitat) when they escape into the “wild” waters.
Second, farmed salmon and tuna require more inputs than food they produce. For every pound of farmed tuna, for example, 25 pounds of wild fish food is required.
It should be noted, however, that farmed oysters, scallops and clams, act as water filters in the ocean; and a beneficial to the ecosystem. They clarify the water, reducing red tide and other toxins (including toxic run-off from commercial farms). They promote a healthy balance of phytoplankton.
There are certainly more issues to understand, but I’m definitely getting a stronger grasp.
My friend Lydia asked if I would lead a lasagna cooking class as a fundraiser for her non-profit Drop In and Decorate. Though it doesn’t fit into my usual style of teaching cooking of preparing more refined recipes, I love the idea of building lasagna from scratch. Lasagna from scratch can seem like an overwhelming task, but each of its components is pretty straightforward – pasta, ricotta, mozzarella and Bolognese sauce.
This is a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Even with 45 minutes of baking, the fresh pasta retains its toothsome texture. Homemade ricotta with fresh basil brightens each bit with its lemony tang. And the mozzarella adds creaminess. The rich Bolognese sauce lends a surprising lightness to the dish, perhaps from the minimal tomato product.
The net result is much lighter than the lasagnas I’ve been served in the past; satisfying without being heavy.
Totally From Scratch Lasagna I have previously posted recipes for each of the components on my blog. Click on the links for more details.
2 cups ricotta 1 egg 2 tbs. plus ½ cup parmesan 1 tbs. fresh basil pinch fresh nutmeg 3 tbs. butter 3-6 Sheets Fresh Pasta (use equal parts semolina and flour) Bolognese Sauce Fresh Mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated Olive Oil Salt and Pepper
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta sheets for 2 minutes. Drain well, and toss with olive oil 2. Mix ricotta with egg, 2 tbs. parmesan, basil, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste 3. Brush the bottom of lasagna pan with butter 4. Spoon about 1/3 cup sauce on the bottom of pan. 5. Cover with a layer of pasta, overlapping slightly. Spread a heaping 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture evenly over noodles. Spread ¾ cup sauce evenly over cheese. Spread a layer of mozzarella over this. Layer pasta and then repeat process 2 or 3 more times. 6. Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Chick Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Ceci Beans…. The names vary, but the way they’re sold rarely does – dried; dried and then rehydrated in cans; or dried, rehydrated and pureed for hummus. For a few weeks every year, they are available fresh – slightly shriveled green peas encased in an almond shaped pod. Inspired by a lovely dish of scallops and fresh garbanzo beans at Lineage, I bought a pound to experiment at home.
Given the short season of availability of these little treats, the amount of information on the web is relatively limited. Most often (or so it seems) they are steamed or roasted and eaten like edamame at sushi bars. A few websites suggested eating them raw. Raw, they had a crunchy, starchy taste that suggested a brief cooking would enhance their flavor.
As I looked for culinary inspiration, I considered their prevalence in Mexican, MiddleEastern, Indian and North African Cuisine: warm climates around the globe. I opted for Moroccan flavors – riffing on a favorite Harrira Stew; further inspiration coming from the ramps that also looked beautiful.
Have you ever cooked with fresh chick peas?
Seared Sea Scallops with Fresh Chick Peas and Ramp Chermoula
1 pound fresh chick peas, shelled 2 tablespoons butter 1 bunch ramps ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon paprika Pinch of saffron 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound sea scallops 1 tablespoon canola oil Lemon juice 1 blood orange, sectioned Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, sauté the chick peas in the butter for 3 – 4 minutes, until they are bright green. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Chop the stems of the ramps; set aside the leaves. Mix the ramp stems with the parsley, cilantro, cinnamon, paprika, saffron and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Remove and discard the tough, small muscle that’s attached to the side of the scallop. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Sear the scallops for 3 – 4 minutes until they turn a crispy golden brown. Turn over, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from pan. To the pan, add the ramp leaves and cook just for a minute until they wilt slightly.
Just before serving, season the chermoula with lemon juice.
Serve the scallops with the chermoula, blood orange ramps and chick peas.
Bringing in appropriate design consultation early in the planning process of a new restaurant is an important step that will save you time and money.
Here are five things to consider when planning/designing your space that are too often overlooked.
1. Before Signing a Lease, evaluate Existing Building Conditions: When you are looking at potential spaces, have an experienced architect/designer look at it with you. You will get invaluable insight on how the future space can be used and how much work will be involved in getting it up and running. Many times things have been "grandfathered in" for previous owners but will need to be upgrade to meet the current building code.
2. How Much Space Do You Need? Programming/Schematic Design: Early in the design process it is critical to determine everything you will need and how much sq. footage will be required for each item. We've all witnessed a chef's office space being allocated to a closet because it was not properly planned for. A large open space is very deceiving but your architect/designer will be able to show you multiple layout options to make sure it all fits prior to signing a lease. In addition to 2D drawings, designers now have the capability to show you 3D views and even video walkthroughs making it very easy to understand a whole space. There are many code restrictions to be aware of that your designer will bring to your attention which could greatly affect the layout of your space such as the size and number of bathrooms needed per your occupancy, the distance between tables for ADA clearances, required corridor widths and the placement of egress doors etc…
3. Use Specialists: Usually it is necessary to bring in outside consultants for the best project results. Consultants across the industry have experience that can save you time and money later. They can help you avoid purchasing tables, for example, that don't meet ADA standards. They can also get wholesale discounts and rebates. To ensure for the most successful outcome you want an architect/designer who will use their strong network of contacts in the industry to bring together the right team of financial planners, food service consultants, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, lighting consultants, kitchen equipment vendors, graphic/signage/menu designers, AV/music providers and PR/marketing executives, Green (LEED) specialist, etc…
4. Understand the Regulatory Boards and Permits: Opening a restaurant is no easy task especially when there are so many different regulatory boards to deal with including the building department, health inspector, fire inspector, liquor license board, historical society, neighborhood boards, signage permits, ADA etc… Finding a designer who already has relationships with the powers that be and the process of dealing with them will save you endless time and aggravation.
5. Budgeting/Purchasing: Your design team will create a Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment Budget commonly referred to as (FF&E). This is often a cost many restaurant owners greatly underestimate which usually gets them into trouble or without a budget for appropriate artwork at the end of the project. Bringing in a designer early in the process will ensure that you have properly allocated funds for these items.
Are you planning a new restaurant? Feel free to call (857.205.3177) for an initial consultation.
This article was written by Nichole Carroll, President of Carroll Design, an interior design firm that specializes in restaurants and interior design.
By the time the second pig is in the scalder, the butchers are well on their way to figuring out the anatomy of the animal. The head is removed, and Jeff cuts out the tongue and cheeks, and trims the jowls. Karen holds the legs apart so that Rusty can deftly saw the animal in half with a butcher saw. Tal and I stand ready, each to receive a half. I initially grab the animal tentatively, so as not to bloody my coat, but I quickly realize that I must brace the 150 lb. side with my whole body in order to carry it the final 10 feet to the butcher table. Rusty demonstrates on the first half, and I follow along on the second half: I remove the tenderloin from the ribs. The ham and picnic (the front and back leg quarters) are cut off. The ribs are separated from the loin chops and the belly.
The second pig is brought into the barn, and we relax a bit. People with clean hands open beers or serve bourbon-soaked cherries. It’s cold in the barn and the propane heaters aren’t enough to take the chill out of the air. But the music on the radio is lively, and the spirit is good.
Before confronting the second pig, we break down the first one further: The skin and its underlying layer of fat (“back fat”) are removed for salt pork. The bellies are trimmed into bacons, and rubbed with salt and brown sugar to begin the curing process (in three weeks, when the curing is complete, they will be smoked to finish them off). Meat from the picnics are trimmed for sausages. Pork chops are cut to a generous 2” thickness.
By five o’clock the animals are all butchered. The bacons have begun to cure. The scrap meat has been set aside for sausage, as has the lard. The back fat has been salted.
Back at the house, Jeff has been busily preparing dinner: cleaning the kidneys to sauté, poaching the fresh tongues, making sauces. Drea is putting the final glazes on a chocolate cake. A stuffed turkey, the main dish, is already roasting in the oven.
We do a preliminary clean up of the barn and then take our much needed showers. Tal brings in the wines, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Pinot Noir, a perfect pairing for our dinner:
Sautéed Pork Tongue with a mustard-apple sauce Sautéed Pork Kidney with a Tarragon Reduction Turkey stuffed with Peachy-Mamas and Glutinous Rice Fresh Mesclun Salad Chocolate Torte with Rosemary Crème Anglaise
The next day, there is still much work ahead: processing the meat for sausages and prosciutto. But now we can add to the breakfast menu: Fried Pork Nuggets (Chicharrones) with Creamy-Cheesy Corn Grits and homemade, smoked chile salsa.
After breakfast, we divvy up the tasks for making sausage. Karen and I are appointed the official grinders. Brett seasons, and Jeff cooks-up tasters. For each of the recipes, we pass around samples to see if we like the recipe… a little more salt? a little more spice? a touch of vinegar? When we finally get it just right, Bob and Ron stuff the sausages into pre-soaked casings. Jeff pricks and twists them, and hangs them out to dry. Once they are dry, Brett, Drea and Chris package them.
We start with Chorizo, utilizing the hearts, some meat and 30% fat. We season with chilies, fennel, cumin, onions, garlic and oregano. Next comes Sicilian Sausage laden with garlic and freshly dried fennel seeds, then Classic Italian Sausage, Liverwurst, and then the dried sausages: Soppreseto and Pepperoni.
The day has its challenges: The non-commercial grade meat grinders overheat, we run out of sausage casings. Our tempo slows… my mood sours a little as I grind five gallons of liver for the liverwurst, the liver turning into liquid mush as it oozes out of the grinder. Jeff offers to finish the liver for me. But it sours him as well.
Bob drives off in search of more natural casings. (We don’t use the pigs’ intestines because cleaning them is not only very laborious but also very smelly!) We wrapped the grinders with ice-packs, and made a round of cleaning the kitchen. Even the bourbon-soaked cherries do not enliven our spirits.
Three hundred pounds of sausage is an ambitious task without proper equipment. (It wasn’t until the grinders overheated that we realized we did not have the proper tools).
By seven o’clock, we have ground and stuffed all we could. We are mostly done. The soppresetos are in the basement drying, and we begin to clean up. Shareholders pack their cars with sausages and chops; they will return to the farm later for the cured meats.
We are tired, but energized by our accomplishments.
As Bob is packing his truck he notices deer prancing in the fields. Bob and Rusty shoot a deer… but that’s another story.
The phone rang… Brett was on the other end of the line telling me it was time. The weather forecast for the weekend was chilly and the pigs had finally reached their finishing weight. Did I want to come down to help with the pig matanza?
As a chef, I like to be as close to the source of my food as possible. I grab every opportunity to visit Brett’s farm to cook with tomatoes that are still warm from the sun, eggs that are only hours old, and chickens that actually have taste and texture. When Brett invited me to join the matanza (Spanish for slaughter, perhaps a euphemism for the rest of us) I knew I had to attend. Having experienced the hard physical labor, along with blood, guts and stench of a turkey matanza the previous autumn, I was a bit squeamish about pigs: Larger animals, larger gore-factor. Because I had not purchased a share in the animals, I had no obligation to attend. But with the hope of taking home some nonpareil pork, I eagerly accepted the invitation.
The pigs arrived on the farm in July when they were just 3 weeks old, and no more than 50 pounds, about the size of a basset hound. They lived in an old chicken coup. By mid-August, they were quickly outgrowing their home. Brett and his friend Bob built their new home: a pen the size of a football field that would house the pigs until the matanza, scheduled for the end of January, 5 months later. I helped drive stakes into the ground that would brace the fencing and electric wire. The pen was completed with a shaded area to escape the summer sun and a mud pit to cool off in.
By late January, the pigs reached their desired “slaughter weight” of about 500 pounds. And the outside air temperature was cool enough so that no additional refrigeration was needed to preserve the more than 1000 pounds of meat and sausage that would be generated.
Twelve of us arrive for the weekend. Most are shareholders, owners in a portion of the pigs, and all are Brett’s friends. Bob, Brett’s closest friend, who runs a pet store in southern Maryland, owns 2 pigs. Bob has been helping to care for the pigs: building the larger pen in August, feeding them and regularly hosing the mudpit, to ensure the drought did not dry it up. Ron, another local, owns one pig. Rusty and Karen who had been Brett and Chris’s neighbors in Arlington, are kindred spirits. Despite their urban home, they often come to the bay to hunt, fish and garden. Jeff is a chef in Bethesda, MD, and like me has become addicted to the quality of Brett’s product. Even though he cannot sell the Pig at his restaurant, he could not resist buying a share of one, and participating in the experience. His girlfriend, vegetarian and pastry chef, Drea, joins him. And finally, Tal arrives, a wine merchant to the DC area restaurants.
My Friday responsibility is to provide the evening meal. Brett suggests I cook chickens: he has too many. Of course, when I arrive on the farm at 1pm, they are still in their freshest state – squawking around the farm. By 6 o’clock, the chickens have been slaughtered, plucked and cleaned, and are happily braising in the oven.
At 5 a.m. Saturday morning, Brett heads out to the field next to the barn to set up the scalding pot. A large black cauldron sits atop a wood pit-fire . It will take about two hours for the water to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal temperature for soaking the slaughtered pigs so that the hair can be removed. About ten feet from the scalder, tables are set up for the initial cleaning of the animal. The pig will then be carried into the barn for further “processing”.
By 7a.m. the rest of us begin to stir. We feast on a true farm breakfast — fresh cream biscuits and fried farm eggs, washed down with coffee.
Then to work: The first pig to be slaughtered is always a challenge. The systems have not yet been tested and standardized. Several shareholders go down to the pig pen to lure the pigs to the edge of the fencing with donuts (really!). When the pig approaches, he’s shot in the head with a handgun rifle. It is swift, and he dies quickly (and happy that his last meal was a Krispy Kreme). The remaining pigs are knee deep in their insouciance and mud, and follow the same lure of donuts when it is their turn.
The first pig’s hooves are tied together with rope and then hoisted onto the tractor. Brett drives the tractor to the scalder, with the pig dangling by its hooves. After a quick hosing to rinse off excess dirt, it is rigged onto an A-frame pulley, then lowered into the scalding water for one and a half minutes, and moved over to the work table. The hair easily shaves off with a metal scraper.
Only the gutting is truly smelly. The pig must be cut carefully with a sharp knife down the underside of the belly, taking care not to rupture the bladder or intestines, which would taint the meat. Once cut, Brett reaches into the belly and pulls out the innards, tying off the bladder and intestines before dumping them into a wheelbarrow from which they are discarded into the fields, mulching the ground and providing a meal for the vultures overhead. The liver, kidneys and heart are saved.
Several work-hands then move the pig into a wheelbarrow, and precariously push their load into the barn. The animal is hung on several hooks, rinsed again with a hose, and the butchery begins.
Then the whole process is repeated with the other five pigs…..
“If you were cooped up in a bottle for twenty years, you’d need to breathe a little too.”
I first heard this adage in culinary school during a wine affinity class, and lived by these words for many years. When opening up an old wine, let it breathe for a few hours – the astringent tannins that help to preserve the wine, need a little softening. And aerating the wine also lets the flavors develop.
My uncle Janusz similarly follows this rule on his impressive collection of first growth Bordeauxs. Whenever I visit him, we plan our day so that we are home at the right moment to open the evening’s wine. He insists that some wines, such as the 1982 Chateau Cos d’Estrournel, needs several hours. So at 2pm we open the wine we will serve at 7pm.
On one visit we experimented with wine aerators – the gadget that funnels wine into a glass or decanter through a special tube that amplifies the breathing process. After pouring many bottles of wine through the aerator many times, tasting and taking copious notes, we were a little giddy. Not just from the buzz of alcohol (I’m not very good at spitting), but from the discovery that each pass through the aerator simulated about 1 hour of breathing.
Most of our experiments involved $10 – $20 bottles of red wine and not the more expensive ($200+ per bottle) Bordeauxs. We did experiment with one of the more refined bottles and this killed the wine, sending it downhill faster than Lindsey Vonn.
Why is it that some wines benefit from the aerator but others do not? Is that some wines need to breathe, where as others need to age?
I’m not a scientist, and my head spins a little trying to wrap my mind around the difference between aging and breathing, between softening tannins and flavors blooming. And this time, it’s not the wine causing the spin.
I just returned from another visit… we drank amazingly well: 1982 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1978 Chateau Montrose 1971 Chateau Latour 1982 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1986 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
This time, we didn’t rearrange our schedules for the wines… we went out on hikes and horseback riding. When we returned to the house around 5pm, we opened wines for dinner. Amazingly, the wines drank beautifully straight from the bottle. Especially, the 1982 Pichon and the 1971 Latour. The tannins were soft, the fruit flavors were full and the leathery oak and spice were perfectly balanced.
So it would seem, perfectly aged wines require no breathing to soften tannins, just a few swirls in the glass to let the flavors envelop the palate.
Last month, we offered an overview of marketing plans and their value in increasing sales. This month, we offer tips to get you started.
The key to writing a great marketing plan is asking the right questions. The discovery process will help you reveal:
Important market trends
What your competition is doing
Where you fill a gap in the marketplace
Who your most profitable customers are
Here are 12 questions to ask yourself as your plan your marketing strategy:
1. What are my marketing goals? Are they Clear, Quantified, Achievable, Realistic, Timely, and Measurable goals?
Examples may be to increase weeknight sales, or drive more traffic to your farm-stand.
2. Did I reach last year's marketing goals? If not, do I know why?
3. Am I investing in marketing/advertising activities that can be measured in terms of performance?
If you send out a newsletter to your customers, can you track how many read it?
When you make special offers or discounts, do you ensure there is a way to track responses?
Examples could be numbered distribution flyers or specific coupon codes used at checkout for delivery services. If you participated in Groupon, did you notice an uptick in sales after the initial surge of business
4. What industry and consumer trends might shape my plan?
An interesting article about specific consumer trends is here.
The Griffin Report shares interesting trends specific to the food industry 2011 Consumer Marketing Trends, such as using iPads instead of 'Specials Boards'.
5. What is my budget for marketing in 2011?
In general, restaurants should allocate 3% – 5% of sales.
I recently reviewed a marketing plan for a customer, and she listed dozens of great ideas. But with limited time and budget, she did not have the resources to execute all of them. If you're not sure where to focus, put resources toward marketing to the 20% of your customer base/target audience that will generate 80% of your revenue.
6. Who are my competitors? What are their weaknesses? Who has entered the market in the last year? Who has left?
As a restaurant, your competitors can be restaurants with similar cuisine, other restaurants in the same neighborhood, and even with customers cooking at home.
7. What is special about my restaurant or farm? Do my customers know about my unique qualities? Why should a customer visit my farm or restaurant instead of the other options?
Example: A farm I'm working with offers "pick-your-own" sunflowers in August. While many farms offer PYO, none offers this flower specialty.
8. Can I accurately describe each of my customer segments? Who is my most profitable customer segment?
Your customers can be the lunch/work crowd or the stay-at-home moms who need a healthy alternative to home meals. These customers should be directly targeted with offerings specific to their interests.
If your customers work in a different location than your farm or restaurant, then you will need to figure out to reach them creatively.
(Still need help defining your customer base? See the Calendar of Events for information on a business demographics workshop!)
9. What am I doing to maintain and deepen relationships with my existing customers? What am I going to do to "wow" customers to stay memorable? What are some low-cost, high-impact strategies I can use?
Remember, it is cheaper to maintain existing customers than to attract new ones.
This could be as simple as offering a small amuse-bouche when diners sit down or remembering your customers' favorite wines.
10. What feedback do I have from customers that can shape my marketing plan?
Customers are usually happy to tell you what they want… you need to be conscientious to ask and listen.
11. How have behaviors of my target audience changed? Am I using the right media to communicate to my audience?
If your customer base is young then the more social media tools the better.
If you are targeting an older base, then more traditional print media may be better.
Remember, it is cheaper to maintain existing customers than to attract new ones.
12. Have I taken advantage of the many "free" marketing tools available online to build my marketing program?
After you have spent time pondering these questions and answers, organize your thoughts into a cohesive plan.
Spending the time now to plan and make strategic decisions can save you a lot of money and missed opportunities this year as well improve your results significantly.
If you struggle with these questions it would make sense to talk with a marketing consultant to help you, rather than put to the side and think that, 'my marketing will just fall into place later' because it won't.
This article was co-authored by Doug Betensky, President of Upside Business Consultants, a marketing consulting and internet marketing firm that helps companies grow.
The first day of spring might as well be April Fool’s day here in New England. As if on cue, it snowed here yesterday, Mother Nature’s reminder that we won’t get spring-like weather for another few weeks.
That did not stop me from cleaning up the garden and getting ready for the spring crops. Though things did not go quite as planned (more on that in a minute), I should get the seeds in the ground by the end of the week.
You may recall, I started indoor composting in November. It takes the worms about 3 months to munch through my food scraps and turn what would ordinarily be trash into rich soil. If I was strategic about my composting, I would have plenty for the start of the spring gardening season. Everything was going really well for about three months. And then a few weeks ago, when a friend was visiting, he very gently commented, “Um, sweetie, your house, um, kinda smells like poop.”
As embarrassing as it was to admit, he was right. My house did smell bad. And maybe because the odor was a slow development, I hadn’t noticed how bad it was. I checked in on the compost bin, and only a few worms were left: mass genocide! I had not given the bin enough aeration and dry matter. The combination of the two meant too much water in the bin, not enough drainage, and really bad smells.
The bin moved quickly outdoors, and with a few hard frosts all the worms were completely dead. This final step was good as the red-wigglers, which are great for indoor vermiculture, wreack havoc in outdoor gardens. The food scraps were mostly composted, but not completely. I will let the pile continue its thing outside. In the meantime, I needed some compost, which I purchased at the local hardware store.
I spent the weekend in the garden, raking up the dead leaves and turning the soil with compost. Worms (of the outdoor variety) crawled around in the newly turned soil – a good sign that I had healthy soil.
I will wait until Friday to plant my seeds – lettuces, peas and radishes.
Asparagus screams spring to me and primes my palate for better (read: warmer) days to come.
Asapagus with Sesame Dressing Recipe adapted from my new book, The Farmer’s Kitchen
1. Put sesame seeds in a small skillet. Toast seeds over medium heat, stirring continuously, until seeds turn lightly brown. Immediately remove seeds from pan.
2. Combine sesame seeds with remaining ingredients, except asparagus and salt, in a blender. Purée until smooth.
3. Put a large skillet on the stovetop with 1 cup of water and salt. Bring to a boil, add asparagus, and cook for 5 minutes, or until bright green.
4. Remove asparagus from heat and toss with sesame dressing
