The Slaw and the Slow Cooked

My husband and his colleague Edited this book that is a collection of "stories" about BBQ in the Mid-South. They worked on it for a number of years. Finally last December we received our final copies in the mail. It was a really exciting moment when I got to see my best friend realize one of his dreams.

If you are interested in reading about various BBQ traditions and how big a part they play in the lives of folks in the Mid-South I think you'll find this book a great read. It's available directly from the publisher which is Vanderbilt press and is currently featured on the front page.

http://www.vanderbiltuniversitypress.com/

Enjoy!

New Year

Some days I have a lot of thoughts I'd like to share with others. Unfortunately, these thoughts usually crop up when I am in the middle of my son's homeschool lessons, or while I am cooking a meal, or otherwise occupied with something that I cannot stop in the middle of the write it down.




For all those times when I wish I could simply stop what I am doing and tell you what I really think I give you the above photo. In person and until you get to know me well, you might find yourself under the impression that I am a very sweet and amiable person. You might notice that I will go out of my way to to make some things easier for others and I never seem to offer an unsavory opinion. I believe this is a true first impression of me. However, as you get to know me and talk to me one-on-one you might find yourself surprised that I am actually very opinionated and in many ways working quietly and within my means for big social change.

In fact I think I would like to see some real social upheaval in which those with a lot realize they are not separated from those with little. I urge each and every one of us to recognize the part we play or refuse to play in the destruction of this world we plan to leave our children and grandchildren and however many number of generations may come after us.


I believe that our actions do not only have an affect on us, they have long lasting effects that future generations will have to deal with. I put a call out to all the mamas and papas I know to use the main tool we have in this American society of 2012, put your money where your mouth is. Spend responsibly, know what your money ultimately supports when you buy stuff, and make good decisions when you give your money over to someone else.

I make no claim to be amazing in my own habits, but I do claim to be usually aware of where my money is going once I spend it.

Anyway, that's my rant for the new year. I plan to live life to the fullest, love my loved ones faithfully and fiercely, and work for change in ways I know I can. Peace.

Black Friday, bah humbug...and cranberry sauce

The leaves continue to fall from the trees lining Lake Hamilton blanketing the yards and open spaces. On the deck outside, my son has made a pile in hues of red, gold and brown to use as part of his imaginary play. The geese and ducks glide swiftly across the ripples of the lake and fat brown squirrels chase each other up and down the tall oak. I am warm, my belly is still full from yesterday's home cooked meal and a big old dog is curled up on the floor near me while a friendly pool game ensues.

Today is a lovely day to appreciate the plentiful life I have.

In our modern society where so many people are concerned with "keeping up" I am making a conscious effort to simply maintain. In fact, in the past few months (minus the new additions gifted from my mom) I have been making the decision to try and rid myself of "things". One thing I am working to rid myself of is the feeling that I need more when in truth I already have everything I actually need: water, food, a roof over my head, clothing, warmth in winter, a family whom I love, and ever growing community of like-minded folks.

In our country, even those who feel like they have very little, posses greater wealth than people in so many other countries. We take for granted the fact that we have drinkable water delivered directly to our homes and accessible whenever we want and most of us have access to food all the time. Food and water to nourish our bodies is a blessing to be thankful for.

We, as a country also create some of largest amount of waste in world and use more of the world's resources than any other country. The US only makes up 5% of the world population but as a whole we are a consumptive super power wreaking havoc and leaving destruction everywhere we go. Greed and entitlement lead to unhealthy, malnourished spirits.

Today, with this whole Capitalist ploy of Black Friday and consumptive consumerism getting ready to sweep in and take over the holiday season, I want to remind everyone that we are not alone in this world. We live such individualistic lives even though the whole world is connected. When we make a conscious decision to consume to our hearts content, we can be sure that somewhere, someone else is lacking and it may be a direct correlation. This is what I think is one of the main things wrong with our society, lack of regard for other humans' rights to exist with integrity just so that we can have as much as possible. As I have been reminded by some very smart folks from an older generation, "It doesn't matter how much you have, you can't take it with you when you go."

It is my wish this holiday season that as a whole society we can find it in ourselves to come together and stop making a few people monetarily wealthy and work towards creating a wealthy world.

If you are going to be shopping for gifts this year, I know I will be as well, take the time to know your local shopkeeper. Buy from local crafts people or fair trade organizations. Make a gift contribution to a charity organization in someone's name, for instance Heifer International. Find out where items are made and what kind of record the corporation making the product has. Follow your money trail and see where it leads. As a whole, we should have learned by now that our use of our monetary resources speaks loudly. So, I say choose wisely where you spend it.

Let's start now and make changes that help create a healthy, wealthy world for all of the children growing up, being born, and not yet thought of.

As a little gift from me to you to start spreading the sweetness, here is my newest recipe for Cranberry Sauce.

1 bag organic cranberries
2/3 c organic golden raisins (feel free to use less if you want)
1/2c organic maple syrup
1/2c organic brown rice syrup
1/4 organic orange juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg

1/2 tsp organic corn starch mixed with 2 tsp water to make a slurry

Put all of the ingredients except cornstarch slurry into a 2qt pot. Cook over medium heat, mixing occasionally, until all of the cranberries "pop", or about 20-30 minutes. If there are still some whole ones, give them a hand by pressing them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. If your sauce is thick, don't worry about the cornstarch. If your sauce is still very liquidy, make sure it is gently boiling and pour in a small amount of the cornstarch. Stir until completely dissolved and keep adding in small amounts until desired thickness is reached. Cool and serve.

True Farm to Table: Green Toe Ground Farm

My friends Nicole Delcogliano and Gaelan Corozine, along with their daughters have a beautiful farm called Green Toe Ground, located on the South Toe River. As a family and with help from Summer interns they run a small Biodynamic farm supplying local folks and restaurants with fresh, delicious vegetables. They’ve been living, playing and working on their farm for over a decade.

Gaelan was drawn to farming at a young age. When he was a teenager, Gaelan traveled to Italy to visit family and friends. While he was there, he fell in love with the land and the practice of working it. He apprenticed with a farmer and began to craft himself into a person of the land. After he returned to the US, Gaelan’s interest in farming continued to blossom and grow into a way of life. He worked with a local guy that had a CSA, which stands for community sponsored agriculture. The premise behind a CSA is that each member pays for a part of the production cost and in return receives a share of the vegetables. In this way, the farmer and the members are partners sharing equally in abundance (when the crops are good) and in scarcity (when a crop doesn’t make it). Gaelan’s next big move was to the Arthur Morgan School, in Celo, NC. Introduced to the school by a friend, Gaelan took a job as the gardener. By this time Gaelan had met Nicole and they came together from upstate New York to relocate and try out life in the South Toe Valley. It wasn’t long before they were hooked and began to see their future here in a beautiful swath of sandy loam located next to the South Toe River.

After partnering with Robert Tate for a few years, Gaelan and Nicole bought out his share in Green Toe Ground and began to transform it into their dream of a biodynamic farm. With a lot of hard work and dedication from their family, Green Toe Ground is a thriving, brightly colored, nutrient rich farm in full swing. So far this year Green Toe Ground has produced enough vegetables to feed all of it’s members as well as extra that has been bought up by restaurants in Asheville, NC and surrounding area proudly serving locally grown foods. Just the other day one of the interns told me they harvested 500 pounds of tomatoes. Talk about abundance.

Not only do Gaelan and Nicole take pleasure in growing vegetables they also enjoy cooking up the vegetables they nurture into maturity. This includes wonderful Italian feasts which are presented to farm dinner guests under a canopy of stars and twinkle lights by the bank of the South Toe River. The Green Toe Ground farm dinner is an event I have had the good fortune to participate in multiple times. Each time I was impressed with the dedication of my friends to make sure all of their guests had a night to remember.

Over the past two years and with the opening of the Knife & Fork restaurant in Spruce Pine, NC, Gaelan has had the opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen. During the first year of the Knife & Fork, Gaelan worked as the Sous Chef for Nate Allen (owner and chef at the Knife & Fork). Gaelan and Nate worked closely crafting delicious meals made from locally grown vegetables and meats. Gaelan, being a farmer as well as cook contributed to the restaurant in a very direct way. Not only did he give his time and energy to the plants while they were growing in the field, he also gave his time and energy to transform them into wonderful meals to be eaten and enjoyed. So this year when Nate created his team for the WNC Chef Challenge, it was no surprise Gaelan was asked to join the team. With the addition of Brenda Poole, who is the Knife & Fork pastry chef, the team was set for competition.

Fifteen other teams and three feasts later, the team from the Knife & Fork is headed to the finals. They will be going up against the Bistro at Biltmore for the title of Asheville’s top chefs.

I don’t know what the outcome will be, and by that I mean who the judges will choose as the winner. I do know that the meal awaiting the judges will be delectable. I had the opportunity to attend the third round dinner (Knife & Fork vs Posano). I was utterly impressed and pleased by the way the K&F team incorporated the secret ingredient: peaches. It will be interesting to see what the final secret ingredient will be.

While I won’t be able to attend the challenge, I will be waiting to hear the results.

For some of us, there is a deep love affair with food that is a part of our lives. I believe Gaelan is one of these people. He gives of himself utterly to provide clean, pure, fresh food that others can eat. He loves the land where the food grows and appreciates the opportunity to share that love with others. In true farm to table style Gaelan is the complete package of farmer chef.

To learn more about Green Toe Ground Farm , Gaelan and his family visit their website at www.greentoegroundnc.com and check out the farm blog at www.greentoeground.blogspot.com

Farm Party

This past Monday was the Fourth of July, as most of you already know. Last year my friends over at Green Toe Ground started a new tradition. They decided to combine their birthday celebrations and the celebration of the Fourth into one big shindig. It went off without a hitch and this year proved to be even better. I was glad to be here to help with preparations and party down.




Here you can see Nicole sporting her temporary radish tattoo and getting ready to change into a newly silk screened Green Toe Ground t-shirt.


Here you can see Nate Allen working on the spit roasting of Buster the pig. Early in the morning Gaelan and some friends got together and slaughtered the pig. Then Nate stuffed the pig with chickens and lots of fresh thyme. I made a huge batch of Colonel Neff's sauce and brought it over to the farm figuring that we'd serve it up with the finished pig. Nate thought it was delicious and decided to use it in addition to his own hot sauce goodness as a finishing baste.

I decided that I wanted to come up with some activities for the kids to have fun with. Here's Ian with his cork boat getting ready to race it down the rapids. We also had bubble blowing, face/body painting and water balloon throwing.



For the farm fashion show, Ashely who used to work for Sweetheart bakery put her artistic skills to work and painted me a beautiful cornucopia that covered my whole upper back. It was so beautiful and I really appreciated her taking time out from the party to do it.

And here, in purple glory are the t-shirts we screened using the beautiful hand made screen that Tara (and Joe) gifted them last year. The underwear served as 1st prize for the winner of the farm olympics. There was live music, swimming, dancing, laughing, fireworks and a blast had by all.

rhododendron in bloom

All around me the mountains are bursting into colorful splendor, spotted with blooms ranging in hues from deep pink to white and everything in between. It's a treat for the senses to get up close and inspect all of the little details in each flower.

Summer is rolling along.

Delicious nettles

Start with a fresh picked bundle. Handle carefully and remove leaves from base stem.


Place leaves in a shallow pot of boiling water and wilt down until bright green and soft. Eat these healthy, nutrient packed greens. I like mine with just a hint of umeboshi vinegar or simply plain.
After you've eaten all of the greens, then you can pour the leftover cooking liquid, or "pot liquor" into a glass and drink it as a warm nettles tea.

Enjoy!

breakfast in the holler

Little Deer, March 11, 1196-June 12, 2011

A poem by Jim Veteto

Little Deer (March 11, 1996-June 12, 2011)

Never before

had I seen a dog

climb vertical rock mountain walls

run with albino deer

hunt down white possum

and birds out of trees in winter.

You traveled the whole wide country with me

into deep wilderness

numerous Indian reservations

Earth First camps

and rainbow gatherings.

You sensed things

--often before me--

and gave me that look

of awareness and concern

A true pack animal

yet one of a kind

You came to us

when Hale-Bopp was in the sky

a full moon

and the planets aligned.

You left us the eve

of an intense Appalachian lightning storm

gone down to the pond

to end it all.

I always felt

you were an indigenous dog

one left over from the old Indian camps

that may have mixed with more modern breeds.

The way you moved

the way you hunted

more cat-like

than dog

and you crossed your legs in front of you like a proper princess.

Today you are gone back to spirit

and tonight we celebrate your life

around the pyre.

Little Deer Woman

your spirit lives on among us

we will always tell the tale

of your life and times.

Loving the South Toe Valley

It's been one fabulous week here in the South Toe River Valley. We've shared meals with great friends, played and swam in the river, hiked in the woods, said hello to and eaten familiar plants and I even started a new job. Can't wait to see what else will come our way.

Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

These yummy cookies are vegan and gluten free and remind me of a sandy or shortbread cookie.

By:Alena Veteto


Makes 3 dozen
Pre-heat oven to 350

1/2c coconut oil
1/2c spectrum shortening
1c sugar
1T molasses
1/2 banana, mashed
2t vanilla extract
1/2c chocolate chips (njoy life brand)
2c Bob's red mill gluten free baking mix
1t baking soda
2t guar gum
1/2t salt

In a large bowl cream together coconut oil, shortening and sugar. Add molasses, banana and vanilla, stir. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix. Roll into walnut sized balls and press flat, place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Monday Musing 5

I am grateful to be this morning. The sun is shining down and the breeze is blowing gently. A woodpecker knocks against the power pole and calls out for a mate. My son and I take a walk and talk about numbers and salamander-lizard warriors he's currently creating in his mind.




Wildflowers have been popping up in fields all over town spreading cheer and adding bright colors to the landscape. The Indian Blankets glow in bright orange and the Wine Cups call to me in shades of brilliant magenta. The prickly pear cacti have begun to show their softer side with delicate yellow and orange blooms leading me to remember the sweet taste of prickly pear syrup made from the ripe juicy fruits.

This past weekend a visit to Dinosaur Valley State Park. On the bank of the Paluxy River looking into the water, amazed at tracks left by ancient reptiles. Therapod and Sauropod tracks dot the riverscape. I am reminded how small my human size is as I sit in a huge footprint from long long ago. The river is cool and refreshing and the limestone/alkalinity of it leaves its trace on my skin and in my hair. Beautiful.




Rounding out our trip is a visit to Fossil Rim Wildlife Preserve. It's the sort of place you drive though and feed pellet food to the "free" roaming animals preserved therein. Ian thought it was spectacular. Zebras and Giraffes coming right up to your car, the latter eating out of our hands. It was a treat to see so many interesting animals up close.



As I shift to prepare myself for the coming summer, I say "Bring it on," I'm ready for my adventure to continue.

the Slaw and the Slow Cooked

Holy Moly, let me just say WoW! I just stumbled across the first listing for the book my husband co-edited. After a long a greuling process it's amazing to see the project headed into the final phase of actually being a hard-cover book. It won't be out until December, but if you feel the need you may visit the site and pre-order copies. How cool is this?!

Check the link below to read all about it, The Slaw and the Slow Cooked, edited by James R Veteto and Ted Maclin http://www.vanderbiltuniversitypress.com/books/430/the-slaw-and-the-slow-cooked

inspired by color

This past weekend we went to the North Texas Irish Fest in Dallas. There was a lot of good music and crafts. Also there were so many folks wandering around with a lively spirit. We saw medieval maidens, queens and kings, men in armor, steampunk fantasy creations, and of course many kilted men. It was nice to wander among these folks and feel the air of fantasy I so ofteen work to create in my daily life. I am hoping one day to have my own medieval costume complete with corset, large bustling skirt, and ruffled sleeves hanging at the wrists.

Another person creating an air of fantasy was this guy working on a huge chalk drawing in the middle of the fair. I enjoyed watching him work and felt inspired by all of the colorful chalks he had lined up and ready to go.

Monday musing 4

Last week I was in a major winter funk. It's not that I have anything against winter actually, it's just that usually sometime in February I experience an inward shift that can lead me down a bad way quickly. When I say a bad way, I'm not talking about anything drastic like binge drinking or drug use but something that for many people can be much worse. I get into a bad habit of self beratement. My mind begins to constantly pick apart all of the little things in my life that I do not think are going well and rip them to shreds until I am a grouchy, headache having, dark circles, cry in an instant, mean kind of person. At least to the person who is closest to me, my husband. To everyone else I still maintain my "normal" appearance.

When this begins to happen to me, I know that the ebst course of actions would be to tell him that I need a good talk. That I need an hour of his time just to listen and help me process the irrational emotions wreaking havoc on my life schema. Usually I wait until my breaking point hits to actually ask him for help. I don't know why, he has never since I've known him refused to help me when I have needed it.

By the time I am "breaking" as it were, he has most likely spent most of our interactions during the previoous week trying to ligthen the mood and make me laugh, reminding that everything is really ok. That I'm healthy, usually happy and have a wonderful son. I know all of these things but it doesn't help me. When I finally do break down and share the things in my head, he always listens. He is patient with me as I let loose, sometimes being overly critical of him, without telling me I am wrong, or what I am feeling is wrong. He is a good listener. He reassures me. Afterward my mind and heart begin to lighten. Even though this process is painful for me (and for him too) I think I come out better on the other side. It's like that deep internal winter reflection all comes to a head and is shouting to burst forth and into the next season. I emerge more aware of myself, my habits, and who I am, ready to continue my growth for the next year.

This time around, it didn't help that the following day, after my breaking point, the sun began to shine brightly again and the temperatures began to warm up. Last week felt like spring with sun and warmth and flowers beginning to bloom around town. I am hopful, inspired, and lucky to have such a great family.

May your life be blessed by someone who takes you for who you are and is glad of all of your faults. When you reach your dark winter place, may there be someone with a hand outstretched to help you reach the surface and breathe. And may the waves of doubt in your mind that have the ability to wreak chaos help you find a calm shoreline upon which to walk.

I'm looking forward to spring and new beginnings, bright colored flowers blooming, new birds migrating through, and the continuing of my grand life adventure.

Monday musing 3

Once again it's Monday, they start of the proverbial week. I'm glad to report that sun is shining here and that does put a smile on my face. We've had a reprieve from the inablilty to handle winter weather and that was a good thing, being able to get out of the house and drive through town without fear of sliding or colliding due to ice.

I suppose I won't celebrate the sun and warmer temps too much just yet as there is a call for more snow and ice starting tomorrow night and then again later in the week. Oh well, at least being cozy at home with the family is something I truly enjoy.

Well, I'm sure cheese heads everywhere are delighted with the outcome of the superbowl. There were quite a few injuries on the astroturf and more long hairs on the field than I can honestly say I've noticed in a quite a while. I guess the game was considered to be pretty good football. What started out like it might be a shut out of a game turned competitive after half time and was actually pretty entertaining.

However I cannot say the same for the Black Eye Peas performance at half time. Maybe I'm showing my age by admitting that when it comes to seeing/hearing live music at this stage of my life I really perfer to actually see people playing instruments as opposed to just singing and dancing on stage. While the light up costumes were kind of flashy and mildly entertaining as were all of the light up dancers, Slash, lending the sweet guitar chords I've come to know and love as Sweet Child of Mine totally stole the show. And of course gimmicks, which seemed to be what the performance was all about continued throughout even bringing singer Usher down from the rafters and onto the stage.

All in all my superbowl watching experience was fun combined with snacks (none of which were advertised during the game) and good conversation (which often included mocking of things that were advertised during the game).

Now that I've gotten that all out of my brain, will I be able to make the leap into this morning's schooling? I'm sure I will but after spending the week cooped up in the house and neighborhood, I think we're both wanting to play with others, somehting we usually get plenty of.

My stream of consciusness seems to be dwindling out so, I guess that's about all for this morning.

Warm soup for a snowy day

Now, I'll admit that when I moved here to texas in the midst of one hot summer, I could not have forseen the current weather outside. It was 110 degrees in August, a complete extreme opposite from the -10 degree wind chill that's been blowing here this week. Today there is snow falling continuing the essential shut down of the little north Texas town I live in. Under this falling snow, the streets have been covered in a layer of ice for the past week. Of course having lived in cold places in the not too far past, we're well prepared with long johns and wool sweaters, snow pants and heavy coats, and of course wool socks and winter gloves.

I'm not so bothered by the cold weather. It's just come as a surprise. I feel lucky for that we're a homeschool family because snow and winter weather provide great opportunities for both fun and learning. We can measure how deep the snow is in the middle of the yard compared to how deep it is in the drifts. We can see how much water is left in a glass after the snow melts. And we can make snow cream!!!

This week I've been making a lot of hearty warm meals to keep our insides from chilling. Last night I made a delicious potato soup and thought I'd share the basic recipe with you.

Creamy Potato and Vegetable soup (vegan)

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 rapunzel brand bouillion cubes, sea salt and herbs
4 cups of water (maybe more)

4 cups of fresh washed spinach
8 oz mushrooms sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic
2T olive oil

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Place the cubed potatoes, veggie bouillion and water in a large pot. You want enough water to be a good 3 inches over the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and cook potatoes until they are completely done, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and sautee for about a minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Then add spinach, bell pepper, and a pich of salt and sautee until all vegetables are cooked and soft. Add enough salt, pepper and garlic powder to give a good flavor.

When the potatoes are done cooking, use and immersion blender to turn them and the cooking liquid into a puree. Add the cooked vegetables mixture and season to taste. Enjoy!

progression of a cake

Monday musing 1

The spiced pumpkin scented candle is burning nearby, it's sweet aroma contributes to my calmness. Peter Gabriel's "In your eyes" is playing on my Pandora radio quickmix, surley to be replaced any moment by some random pick of hte program. I have a decaf coffeelike beverage in a hand thrown ceramic mug and my boy is fast asleep. Today I have made a concsious effort to change the routine I have gotten into, more of a rut in many ways.

The change comes swiftly on the heels of a visit from old friends. Without even knowing it, they brought with them a forward motion, an energy that I am harnessing and hoping to use to continue to propel me forward out of the reluctant space I have been in. The visit with them was so good, no great, it left me wanting to be a better me again. I think there's something about spending time with folks who know you well that offers a chance to shed secrets and inhibitions enough to let go of crutches and stand on one's own. At least I feel it is like that for me.

One of the things we did during their visit was take a hike on the Greenbelt. It's a corridor of land outside of Denton that has trails along the Trinity river and stretches up to Lake Ray Roberts. I think it is the most green I have found in one place that close to Denton. Of course there is more green actually at lake Ray Roberts. Anyway, all 7 of us, headed out and walked. It was a crisp cool day with the sun shing bright and reflecting on the water. We saw a passing flock of Cedar Waxwing, which as of last year, are one of my favorite migrating birds. I just think they are beautiful. We also saw many lovely sycamore, which until last month I had never knowingly seen. You can see in the pic above how the bark changes as the tree grows taller. It changes from brown and textured to white and very smooth. Beautiful. I have been introduced to a number of new trees here including the Blackjack Oak, Bluejack Oak, Post Oak, and Winged Elm with more to still learn.

Tonight I'm posting this pic of our old girl because I am thinking of her a lot lately. Little Deer is approximately 15 years old. She has aged tremendously in the past year having regular seizures, hearing loss and cataract growth, to add to her old ACL injuries. She has been a great dog, hiking partner, fellow traveler, and a member of my family for almost 12 of htose 15 years. We noticed over the past few years that the winters realy take their toll on her and so far this one no different. I know that when she finally leaves us in this life, she will be missed.

fresh juice