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Soup Simmering - Party 2009.07.11

Cream of Chantrell Soup

1/2 Gallon half and half coffee creamer

2 qts Chicken Broth

2 Cups chopped Chives

10 lbs Chantherellus Cibarius

Salt and Pepper to taste

Simmer low heat for two hours

About Cast Iron Cookware

Since I was in the cookware business for many years and I am an avid cook I feel I have an informed opinion about cookware. I have stainless steel, stainless steel clad cast iron pans, aluminum cookware, and yes a few Teflon pieces that I seldom use but the cookware I use most is my cast iron pans.

Stainless steel pans do not cook evenly and produce burned product so often that I hate using them. They are easy to clean and for soups and recipes with a lot of water they work quite well. The stainless clad cast iron pans are better but they still have a tendency to burn. They do however cook vegetables with a small amount of water if kept tightly covered.

Aluminum is chemically active and making something like tomato sauce in aluminum will cause your sauce to have a high level of aluminum in the final product.

Teflon pans are being withdrawn from the market due to recent research into Teflon toxicity.

For these reasons I use my cast iron pans most of the time. They cook evenly and once properly seasoned have very little iron flavor. They are cleaned easily provided they are washed immediately after use. The most difficult part of my love affair with cast iron is acquisition. I have not found a modern manufacturer of cast iron that I am satisfied with and my supply of them has been acquired at auctions and yard sales.

The ultimate cast iron pan is the “Griswold” and it is highly prized by collectors selling for $40-120 at auction. Griswold went out of business in 1956. Most modern manufacturers and many imitation pans do not have a milled interior and the inside of the pan has a pebbled surface rendering them undesirable. I have pans from many manufacturers that have smooth interior surfaces but they are all quite old. Most modern manufacturers sand blast the surface of their castings and do not polish the interior.

Upon acquisition of a new (old) pan it is often very dirty, and rusty so it requires cleaning prior to seasoning. In most case SOS pads will remove most of the dirt and rust but sometimes it will be necessary to use a fine grade of emery paper to remove stubborn rust. This will be the only time the pan will be cleaned this agressivly. Once all the dirt and rust has been removed from the inside of the pan it should be washed in soap and water, rinsed and thoroughly dried. The exterior of the pan will season with age. I then coat the pan with Crisco and put the pan on a low flame for several hours re coating the pan with Crisco frequently. The first couple times I use the pan I like to deep fry something as this will further season the pan. In normal use I wash the pan immediately after each use cleaning any food particles off in soapy water very quickly and then rinsing and drying. In the case where there is a considerable amount of stuck food on the surface I fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil and then wash and dry. If after this the inside of the pan looks dry (no oil) a thin coat of vegetable oil applied with a paper towel will prevent rust until the next use.

I recently mentioned my appreciation of cast iron cookware to someone and they said they couldn't use it because of their need to limit iron intake. If thats the case they better stop drinking their well water as this contains much more iron than will ever be acquired from a well seasoned cast iron pan.

George

Putting Food By

Putting food by is one of the most important aspects of country living. In season there is usually such an abundance of cheap and free food that one needs to purchase little. The important thing is to insure that you take advantage of this abundance to supply your needs when there is little or none.

Many types of food are very easy to put by as all they require is some planning to supply food for winter.

During apple season I can inexpensively buy or forage apples and store them for the winter. All they require is a cold location that does not freeze. I am still working on my supply of apples from last fall and it is now March.

Each year I put by vegetables and fruit for the winter. I tell people that I am still eating last years apples and they don't believe me. Well here is proof this is the last of my apple supply for this year. Friend George brought me a bushel of Northern Spies last October and it is March and I am just finishing the last of them.

Although the peels are somewhat shriveled this time of year you can see the flesh is just as fresh as it was in October.

Dry frost free storage:

Each year I grow Butternut Winter Squash because I find that this variety stores very well in a cool dry location. I usually have to concentrate on using the last of them because I still have some left from the previous year when the new crop is ripening. Living near the Schoharie Valley where many vegetable crops are grown allows me to get many vegetables at low cost or free and they are easy to put by as all they require is a cool dry storage location with rodent protection. I store root crops in feed bags hung from the ceiling in my cellar which is colder than most. Black Walnuts and Hickory nuts are free for anyone that takes the time to pick them up and they keep for years without any special handling other than keeping them dry.

Dehydrated - Dried Foods

I dry many things because dried food keeps for years. Dried food is very important consideration in rural survival because even if the power goes off or if there is some kind of natural disaster your dried food does not spoil. During the summer season when I have more money I buy extra rice, macaroni, flour, sugar, etc. I have many 1 gal glass jars that I have local restaurants save for me and by fall every year I try to have all my jars full. I like to store these on open shelves in the kitchen because they look so nice. I buy dried peas, beans, because my small garden does not yield enough for my yearly use. I store these also in the glass jugs and I find that I have a preference for some just because they look so nice sitting on the shelf. Cranberry beans, Roma beans, Scarlet Runner Beans, and Split Peas are not only delicious and nutritious but pretty sitting on the shelf.

I dry my own wild mushrooms and store them also in jugs but for those that are not so adventurous go to your Oriental food supplier and you will find many varieties of dried mushrooms at reasonable prices.

From late June until September "Chantrells" ar available for picking. They are gormet and one of my favorite foods.

I am horrified when I look at the prices of herbs in the supermarket and since most herbs are literally pernicious weeds I would not think of buying them. They are very easy to dry and I always feel good when I save a pretty container and fill it with dried herbs. An instant coffee jar when emptied and filled with herbs is worth more than the price you paid for the coffee. In fact I buy my brand of instant coffee based upon who has the nicest jar. I like to dry apples, tomatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli, leeks, carrots, and many other vegetables which is good survival food as well as excellent as additions to soups and stews. Again these are really pretty sitting on the shelf.

Freezing

The freezer is also an important rural survival tool but unfortunately in order to preserve your food supply you must also own a generator to guarantee your food supply. There are many foods that are very convenient to freeze. Harvest season is a very busy time of year for me so the freezer provides temporary storage for many crops that I would prefer to "can" when I have more time. As tomatoes ripen I place them in the freezer so that I can make sauce in winter when I have more time. This is surely the easiest way to peel tomatoes as you can literally wash the peel off in warm water when they come out of the freezer. Corn is very reasonably priced in season and I usually buy a bag (52 ears) just for the freezer. I trim the ends and peel off some of the outer husk, place the ears in zip lock bags, and put them in the freezer. No blanching is necessary and in fact I used to blanch and did not like the final product as much. I have eaten corn stored like this for two years in the freezer and it was still excellent. Peppers are another crop that can be frozen easily and no blanching is necessary. Just cut them and remove the seeds place them in sealed plastic bags and freeze. Spinach freezes without blanching I just stuff as much as I can in plastic bags seal and freeze. Broccoli and string beans require blanching by thrusting them in boiling water for a couple of minutes before bagging and freezing. Of course meat is the primary thing stored in the freezer as meat that is dried just does not compare to frozen and canning meat is a difficult process as it requires pressure canning. All meat should be wrapped in both plastic and paper for long term storage. If I have bought meat at the market that I am going to freeze I place an over wrap of newspaper over the markets plastic wrap for long term storage otherwise the meat will become freezer burned. For meat that I have butchered I use ZIP lock bags with an over wrap of newspaper. Be sure you label all meat so you know whats in the package as it is not visible.

One final note on freezing for survival in case of disaster where it will be impossible to keep your freezer running you will have to cook everything in the freezer within days to preserve your food. For this reason you must have a non-electric cooking method available for survival in case of power outage. An electric stove is useless in this event. Many gas stoves have an electrically powered thermo-coupling that prevents the gas flow when there is no electricity. Some gas stoves the burners will work with no electricity but the oven has an electric igniter and thermo-coupling so it cannot be used. I have a small four burner camper stove and an outdoor wood fired barbecue which I could use in the event of a long term disaster. Some thought should be devoted to this problem if one is to be a survivor.

Canning and Pressure Canning

Canning is another major method of putting food by. In order to "can" one has to understand the acidity of foods. Tomatoes for example are relatively acidic therefore they are easy to can because the acidity inhibits the growth of bacteria. While beets, beans, carrots, cucumbers, and many others have low acidity and require pressure canning to ensure preservation. The main danger in canning is botulism which is an anaerobic bacteria that can grow inside a sealed canning jar. In years past the housewife in a home would die of botulism while the rest of the family would be unharmed. This is explained by the fact the the homemaker in a desire to safeguard her family would taste the contents of a canning jar before cooking and serving the food to the family. In the case of botulism the toxin created by the bacteria is driven off by the cooking process therefore Mom was the only one that died. There are other types of food poisonings that could result from poor canning procedures but botulism is the only one that I know of that is usually fatal. The botuloid bacteria does not flourish in an acid environment therefore much canning is accompanied by the "pickling" process in which vinegar, citrus, or ascorbic acid is added to increase the acidity of the food and suppress the growth of bacteria. All meats and low acid vegetables must be pressure canned. In pressure canning the temperature of the food is taken higher than the boiling point of water by the 15lbs of pressure inside pressure canner and this high temperature guarantees that all bacteria are killed.

About Meat:

I have raised and slaughtered many types of animals for food in my life. I have also hunted and eaten many wild animals and fish. I get really aggravated when people become sanctimonious about killing animals while feeling guilt free because they get their meat in poly wrapped packages in the super market. In truth wild animals are cleaner, healthier, and not polluted with antibiotics and hormones. Yes, I eat Bambi but I do not eat veal because of the animal cruelty that is involved in the commercial raising of veal calves. I have raised animals and slaughtered them for food. I have always become emotionally attached to the animals I have raised and there is an element of reverence in the slaughtering and eating of your own animals that most people have never experienced. If the animal rights activists really want to stop cruelty to animals I would suggest they take their activities to the kill floor of the slaughter houses.

Some of the best beef I ever ate.

It is interesting to note that I seldom have to hunt for deer as road kills are so frequent that I can keep the freezer full without having to hunt. I have never enjoyed hunting as a sport but I do hunt to supply food. I have raised chickens, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, geese, horses and I have slaughtered and eaten all from time to time. On the farm a non productive dairy cow is a liability, meat in the freezer is an asset. A horse that broke its leg was some of the most delicious meat I have ever eaten. We had guests to the house for dinner and they loved it never guessing it was horse and my mother never said a word.

I used to like snapping turtle soup, wild geese, and wild ducks but I have not eaten any of these in the past 20 years. Since these animals are all migratory you can not be sure of where they have been. I do not want to eat anything that has been in the Hudson River or Chesapeake Bay for example. I still like woodchuck as I feel that they are very clean animals and herbivores. I have eaten coon and possum but I do not consider them choice as they are omnivores. Wild squirrel and rabbits are low fat, nutritious, and delicious.

I love fish and since I live near the Gilboa reservoir ( New York City's Water Supply ) I am often given many types of fish. I don't have the patience to fish myself. Walleye Pike I consider to be the finest food fish that I have ever eaten. I love both Rainbow, and Brown trout as long as they were not raised on a fish farm. Fish from a fish farm do not have the delicate flavor and pink color of trout from their natural environment. Brook Trout which are not really a trout, but a Char, is gourmet. Last year we had a 6.5 lbs Brown trout that we cooked on the Barbecue with wine, chives, fresh tarragon, and Chantrell mushrooms. I get hungry just thinking about it. Perch and Bass are also good food since they have no lateral bones and can be filleted which is the way I like most fish other than trout.

About Nuts:

Recent Archeology: Has verified a Viking presence in Newfoundland circa 1000 AD. There is a verified and confirmed dig in northern Newfoundland at (L'anse Aux Meadows) and another site (Port Rosee) in southern Newfoundland were evidence of iron smelting have been found. Iron smelting is an integral part of Viking life as it was the key to nails and boat building Another significant find was Butternut shells, in Turf building digs, a species not found in Labrador that had to be imported by man.

About Vikings and butternut evidence of N. American settlements

My mothers side of my family is Norwegian with genealogy going back almost 1000 years. I have been interested in the Viking settlements in North America and have noted that excavation sites in Newfoundland have revealed butternut shells that have been carbon 14 dated to the year of 1000. Since Newfoundland is too far north for this species these nuts must have been gathered from further south. My botany for Juglans (Walnut, Butternut,Hickory) suggest a range starting in southern New Brunswick. My range information however is not very accurate. I would be interested to know if Juglans species grow, for example, near Moncton as this would indicate the possibility of Viking activities near there. The Shediak would be a natural harbor point for mariners exploring the waterways between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. From the Shediak to Moncton by land is less than 20 miles. The Vikings in Labrador would have made frequent trips to acquire food and lumber as New Foundland is quite barren and rocky. Circumnavigation of Prince Edward Island would have been a piece of cake for these experienced mariners. The nearest location by water from Newfoundland with a diverse flora is New Brunswick . It is interesting to note the Vikings referred to New Brunswick as Vinland as they obviously had discovered wild grapes there.

Perhaps someone has specific knowledge of occurrences of Juglans or Wild Grapes in the New Brunswick area could report their observations.

Juglans Species:

Range: These are species I have seen in our area which is Zone 3-4 and we have some very severe winters here in the Catskills. I would suspect these species should have a northern range into New Brunswick.

Juglans Nigra - "Black Walnut" - This species is valued for its distinctive wood. It's nuts are gourmet with a distinctive rum like aroma. One year we made a concerted effort to collect and process black walnuts. After they were dried we processed them in a tumbling mill with stones to remove the hulls and polish the exterior similar to English Walnuts bought from the store. Our product however had the distinctive black walnut color. When collecting this species be sure to wear gloves or your hands will get stained. For small batches we "Stomp Em" to remove the exterior husk and dry. Black walnut fetches over $3/bd.ft presently as logs and $10/bd.ft for lumber. I have some footage seasoned for three years now.

Juglans Cinerea - "Butternut" This was a common food crop for native Americans and early settlers. Shells of these nuts have been found in excavations of Viking settlements in Nova Scotia dating to the year of 1000. They have a thinner shell and are easier to crack than black walnuts. This species has recently suffered great losses due to disease and is now threatened as a species. Also Butternut trees grow quite fast and become top heavy as they have a very small root mass and are often the victim of wind storms. Presently the wood fetches a premium price on the market $20+/bd.ft. I have some footage seasoned for three years now.

Juglans Porcina - "Pig Nut Hickory" During one winter I worked logging "Pignut" and "Shagbark" Hickories which we shippped to a Sanley Tool plant in PA. The "Shagbark" was favored and garnered a higher price due to its darkwood heart. I had the good fortune to be given all the tops and at one time I had several years of seasoned hickory in reserve. The nuts of the "Pignut" are slightly larger but not as numerous as the "Shagbark".

Juglans Carya - "Shag Bark Hickory" This tree is easily identifiable by the long hanging shags of bark on the trunk. These bark peices can be soaked in water and used on top of a charcoal fire to impart Hickory flavor. The nuts have a hull that is segmented and easily removable. Just be sure to get them before the squirrels do.

The meat was removed from this nut by an expert

Foraging for food:

I love to forage for food and many times each year I put the pack basket on my back and head out never knowing what I will return with. I can assure you that I seldom return empty handed. I usually have some idea of what I am hunting for depending on season but often what I come back with is a surprise. Since I am not foraging for survival there are many plants that I know I could eat but my primary interest is in those things that I consider to be gourmet.

In the spring I have several wild asparagus patches that I tell no one about. Ostrich fern "Matteuccia struthiopteris" is another favorite vegetable. In pursuit of these I might find some morels "Morchella Esculanta" or collect some young dandelion greens for a salad. If I was really hard up I could pick some knot weed shoots "Polyganum Cuspidatum" but I don't really like them. Elm trees sometimes have spring fruitings of winter mushrooms "Flammulina Velutipes" which I consider gourmet. Sometimes spring rains bring on fruitings of meadow mushrooms "Agaricus compestris" on lawns and pastures. Day Lilly "Hemericalis" shoots are excellent and can be eaten raw or lightly steamed. The roots of these are also edible. In summer strawberries, blackberries, rasberrries, elderberries, chantrels, are all available for free. Fall is harvest season and there is an abundance of free food. Fruit trees are laden with food.

Nuts: Some years black walnut and hickory trees produce an abundant quantity of nuts. When this happens I usually make sure I collect enough to last several years as they keep very well and improve with age.

Making Whole Wheat Bread

I make whole wheat bread weekly as I do not eat store bought bread. I am asked for my recipe but I do not actually use a recipe I just throw it together but here is how I do it. Each week I make 2 loaves and the only thing I measure is the water.

Place 1 qt of warm water in large mixing bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons sugar.

Stir in 1 package of yeast

Let sit for 20 minutes during this period you will see the yeast come alive and make bubbles. If the yeast does not become active do not continue. This is known as “proofing” the yeast and saves you from wasting ingredients if the yeast is not good.

Add 2 teaspoons salt.

Add Whole Wheat flower gradually while stirring until the mixture becomes the consistency of a thick pancake batter.

Now add “King Arthur Bread Flour” use anything else at your own risk. Start by adding a couple of cups and stir with a strong spoon in the center of the bowl. Keep stirring and adding more flower until the mix pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes elastic.

Turn out ingredients onto a well floured counter top and knead. I like to keep folding the edges into the center while incorporating more flour. During this step you are developing the gluten strands in the flour and after doing it a lot you develop a feel for the process. The final product will be elastic and consistent. This is a learning process and the more you do it the better you get. Bread is alive and you develop a rapport with this process, which you have to experience.

Place the dough ball bottom side up in the mixing bowl. That is with the folds from kneading down. It is not necessary to wash the bowl as the remaining flour in the bowl makes no difference. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. This can also be done by cold rising in the refrigerator over night.

Turn out dough on floured counter again and knead again edges into center until CO2 bubbles are broken. Now cut the dough ball into two equal pieces. Knead each one of these pieces, edges into center, while making them long and narrow. All folds will be on the bottom.

Place the dough in a greased loaf pan with the folds facing down.

Place a towel over the loaves and place in a warm place until the dough doubles in size.

Beat an egg with 2 tablespoons of water and brush tops of loaves with this “Wash”. Try not to let wash run down sides of loaves, as this will cause the loaves to stick.

Garnish the “wash” with sesame, poppy seed, onions, garlic, as you desire.

Place in preheated oven set at 350 degrees. Cooking time approximately 1 hour.

Remove from oven and turn loaves out of pans to cool.

George's 33rd annual barbecue sauce

Through the years I have been asked what was in my barbeque sauce and I had to answer I didn’t know as I didn’t keep track just added until it tasted right. This year for the first time I measured and wrote it down.

In 2006 I did a whole pork loin I guess it was good because I didn't get to taste it

In a blender combine and liquefy

1 Large Onion

A Hand full of fresh Sage

4 dried Habanerro Peppers

2 cups water

Place in 8qt sauce pan and add

72 oz Ketchup

16 oz Lemon juice concentrate

16 oz Fresh Orange juice

Cup Sugar

Mix 2 tablespoons corn Starch

4 oz cold water

Add to sauce pan

Heat till boiling and simmer for 20 min.

Place in jars and refrigerate until use

Dinner At OteSaga 2007.10.15

Friend George recently insisted that I accompany him to Coopers Town for the brunch at the OteSaga Hotel. For those of you not familiar with Cooperstown it is a quaint little metropolis located on the southern shore of Otsgo Lake in Central New York. The towns main claim to fame is the Baseball Museum, Farmers Museum and the James Fenemore Cooper house none of which would have enticed me to adventure there but the promise of a great meal now you have my attention. Especially when casual attire is allowed.

Otsego Lake is nine miles long and often called "Lake Glimmerglass" as it is quite beautiful

The town of Cooperstown is located on the Southern most shore of the lake

The view looking North from the town boat dock

There are many quaint little shops and historic buildings in the town.

The hotel OteSaga was built in 1904 and it is an impressive edifice.

This is the main portico with George trying to hide from having his picture taken.

The East portico overlooking the lake.

Doesn't look like this Hippie will be staying here for the night. I wonder if they have a cot in the basement with meals included. The dinner buffet for $23 I feel was a real bargain especially because George paid.

Many thanks George for giving me one of the finest eating experiences of my life.

First course - Baked Salmon, great potato salad, a pile of shrimp, seafood Newburg, peas with pearl onions, nice light white rice, turkey and dressing.

Before I even finished my first plate George had made another trip to the buffet and returned with cherries on a pastry topped with whipcream and blue berries with a side of candied apples.

The seafood was so good I returned and got another plate of seafood. Locks, shrimp and swordfish with a side of excellent coleslaw and a grilled tomato on mozzarella.

All this was capped off with a serving of chocolate moose and cheesecake.

I highly recommend the Sunday brunch at the OteSaga. Reservations are necessary.

Banana Bread 2 loaves

Banana Bread 2 loaves

I make banana bread frequently and here is my quick and easy method.

In a blender

6 Medium Bananas I have substituted 4cups of apple sauce, steamed Zucchini, or steamed winter squash with good results

4 eggs

3 Table spoons Vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup EVOO

1/2 cup Milk

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Blend until smooth and pour above in mixing bowl add nuts and dried fruit as desired

add flour White and whole Wheat equal parts until a heavy batter is achieved. Thicker than pancake batter. The batter should be too thick to pour. Using all whole wheat makes a courser final product.

Divide equally into two 5x9 loaf pans greased and floured

or

I use PAM

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven about 1hr test with knife for doneness until knife comes out clean.

Pancakes with Candied Apples

One of my favorite breakfasts is candied apples with bacon and pancake.

Three apples peeled and sliced.

A thickened sugar syrup. 1 Tblsp sugar, 2tblsp water, 1tblsp butter, dash of cinnamon. Boiled until thick.

Yeah I have to have bacon!

Cook apples in the syrup until carmelized.

Pancake - 1 Cup Whole Wheat flour, 1/4 teas baking powder, dash of salt, 1 egg, and milk to make batter pourable.

MMMMM Good!