Lights, Camera...

Coming soon, thanks to Lex Powell and the meerkats at meerkatmedia.com: a lovely film about birds. It's impossible to be as good as nature when it comes down to making beautiful things, but it's fun to try!

Also, hurrah, in the springtime future, a longer film about our favorite subjects: farms and food! Whet your appetite with this small short (link to follow soon)...

Breakfast!

Oh wow, some days food just arrives like a Zeusian shower of gold onto the waiting Danae of your appetite. This morning, craving oatmeal but without any in the house, I made what I shall herafter refer to as "The Best Day Ever Breakfast Mush".

In a pot with a lid, combine

1 cup lentils, washed and drained
1/2 quart water
4 small lovely locally-grown carrots, diced
1 lovely round locally grown onion
...bring to a boil, then simmer about 35 minutes. Don't be turned off that it gets all mushy. If it doesn't, you did a better job than I did. I'm infamous for bad bean-and-rice making.

Now, the goodies. In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Then add:
1 teaspoon each of
cinnamon
coriander
cumin
and
1/2 teaspoon cayanne and nutmeg.
Toast this delcious spices until the smell is amazing (about 3 minutes). Stir in your eagerly awaiting lentil mush. Eat it warm right away! You can also add salt, pepper and lemon juice, toast some pita slices, and eat it as a dip.

I'm eating it right now, this minute, and I couldn't be happier and more full of yum-yum-yum sounds.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This morning I got to the Greenmarket around 9am. All the farmstands were packed with beautiful produce--and extra hands to help! Despite the chilling wind, everyone seemed really cheerful. Thanksgiving is a popular Greenmarket holiday--there's nothing like picking up a new vegetable you've never cooked before, and getting the farmer's favorite recipe to try it on your family! I picked up parsnips for the first time, and substituted them in for potatoes in the following recipe. Personally, I think potatoes get way too much attention as it is during Thanksgiving--I wanted to give other root crops a chance to shine.

"Lasagne" of Fall Vegetables
...and Mushroom Broth Topping

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced
1 pound parsnips, thinly sliced
1 pound turnips, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced shallots
1/2 cup sliced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 325*F. Double layer butternut squash in greased, salted/peppered 12x9x2" baking pan. Top with 2 tablespoons of

shallots, garlic & thyme mixture. Layer remaining veggies. Season with extra shallot, garlic & thyme mix. Dot with butter. Bake 1 1/2-2 hours, or until tender. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Mushroom Broth

3 tablespoons white button mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauted in 1 tablespoon butter and 3 ounces of honey until lightly colored. Combine with 5 cups water. Bring to a boil; let simmer 30 minutes, stirring. Strain into a bowl. Add: 4 ounces sherry vinegar and 3 ounces soy sauce. Melt 3 tablespoons of cold butter into a saucepan and add all broth ingredients. Wisk. Pour over lasagne.