Monthly Archives: April 2012

White Asparagus Anyone? Right Out of Your Yard?

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White Asparagus. What comes up deep under the mulch if you don’t move it out of the way.

Wild asparagus grows many places in this area. The best way to find out is to look for the plants that aren’t harvested and that become small trees. This is how we found ours.

At the base of one of the crepe myrtles there are thin wispy fronds that have fallen over. They are what sprouts from the crown if you don’t harvest the plant. You can find them if you really look carefully. We found ours while mulching one year. It seems this plant was some sort of volunteer that comingles with the base of the crepe myrtle.

Today I went out looking and first saw this.

If you look very closely, you can find one spear in the upper left, and one in the lower right. We had lots of mulch built up around the crepe myrtle this spring so the rest of the spears were fully covered. Careful moving of the mulch revealed the rest.

Then I started uncovering the white ones.

White because of lack of exposure to sunlight. I also found this one hidden on the other side of the bush.

Now there are five spears coming up in total. Hopefully in two or three days, I will have enough to cut and make pancetta wrapped grilled asparagus. Foraged food. Right out of the backyard.

Do a little looking around in parks and on roadways in the area. See if you can find a source of asparagus. Don’t tell anyone you found it. Just harvest and enjoy.

hocofood@@@

Terroir

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It really makes a difference. The earth. The soil. Are you partial to fruits and vegetables grown in your area?

Are you, like me, someone who craves Eastern Shore tomatoes, ‘lopes and watermelons, because they taste the way they do?

And, even though hydroponically grown tomatoes have flavor, it doesn’t pick up terroir, because there is no soil.

It is interesting that Glen Manor changed their web site this week. They have always featured the term “a sense of place”, which is what terroir roughly translates to mean. Their new web site has more detail on what that means to them.

Last Thursday night, I blogged about my pizza with a 2002 Linden Cabernet Franc. Full of fruit, hint of smoke.

Friday we drove to Front Royal to pick up our 2009 Hodder Hill allocation from Glen Manor. we had to get it quickly as it had just won the VA Governor’s Cup and was already in short supply.

We tasted the 2010 Cabernet Franc, and surprise, the same hint of smoke. Why? Because in 2002 the Linden Cabernet Franc consisted largely of Glen Manor’s grapes.

Terroir!

Jeff worked at Linden before going out on his own. He learned from one of the best in VA. His wines reflect that same commitment to using what nature gives you.

You can’t go wrong with either one of these vineyards. If you talk to either one of them, they will tell you first and foremost they are farmers. They grow grapes. They make amazing wines from those grapes.

I may sit down with friends this weekend if it stays warm and decide whose dry Rose is my favorite for a summer time wine. They both make great reds, but their style of Rose isn’t bad either.

If you want to visit two beautiful wineries and taste some of the best of VA, you can’t go wrong at either site. I love the fact, no limos, no large groups, no party people. Just simple folk who love wine.

Glen Manor

Linden Vineyards

Stopping at Frank’s to Grab Strawberries

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I couldn’t resist, nor could I wait until next month. I just wanted some strawberries.

I have spinach from the CSA, and chevre from a visit to VA. I have balsamic too. Can’t figure if I should make strawberries with balsamic and pepper, or add them to a salad, or both.

The strawberries are from Carolina. Still not ready here. Two or more weeks until Larriland.

If you have never been to Frank’s produce, they are located at the end of Lark Brown, past Costco and Trader Joe’s entrance. Keep going and turn right at the stop sign. Go about 150 yards. The greenhouses are full of plants right now and the place is hopping.

We went to Costco to fill up on staple stuff like printer cartridges, TP and allergy tablets. I did pick up my favorite organic broth that I use in so many ways. I love when they have it there.

As for the salsa in the picture above, I will be taking it to a meeting in a few nights. Needed something good to take. got some blue corn chips, and I am good to go.

I am also now a fan of using McCutcheon’s tomato preserves on toast as breakfast. Ran out a while back, and remembered that Frank’s sells McCutcheon’s products.

All in all, a good day to be out and about. As for eating locally, lunch today was leftovers and a salad from the CSA. I wasn’t going to blog about it, but my husband said, take a picture of my salad. It looks like something you would get at a restaurant.

CSA beef sausages with onions and peppers. CSA spinach, radishes and orange. Tomatoes from Boarman’s (not local). Firefly Farms chevre. Still avoiding those grocery stores and supporting Howard County businesses as much as I can.

hocofood@@@

Brighton Dam Azalea Gardens

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The perfect place to spend Sunday afternoon. The azaleas are peaking early this year. There may not be much left in May.

We headed out to grab some food at Boarman’s including a couple of pulled pork sandwiches and iced tea to have a picnic and walk the gardens. Took along the cooler to put the rest of the groceries in, so we were consolidating shopping, dining and exercising.

The gardens were established when I was a very little girl. My parents brought us out here countless times to walk the five acres of gardens.

They are located on the Montgomery County side of the reservoir, and besides the gardens there is a rec area with picnic tables. On the rec area side is the only place you can have food, drink and pets. Most were just strolling, enjoying, taking pics like me, and just taking in the beauty of a spring day.

We found a few of our pollinating friends enjoying it too.

There are some very lovely specimens in colors other than the normal ones you see in azaleas, like this one, almost an apricot.

A few side paths were squeezed by the sheer size of the bushes, some of which are more than 50 years old.

We wandered for about an hour before returning to the car, just as things were beginning to get crowded. Go early or go during the week to avoid crowds.

This is one of our area’s best spring traditions and a fun day you can spend without paying anything. Take a picnic, wear your sneakers, bring your camera, and enjoy the flowers.

hocoblogs@@@

It’s Sunday Morning and Everybody’s Dining Locally

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The bunnies are.

So are the finches.

So is my red bellied, but he decided to run up the tree when he saw the glint of the camera. Can you find him up there?

He also decided a little later to sit higher and make enough noise to let me know I was interrupting his meal. Once I went inside he came back down to his nuts and seeds. The little woodpeckers won’t run when I come out, but the red bellied is still skittish enough that he hides in the trees.

As for us, a true local delight for a leisurely breakfast.

My CSA eggs, sunny side up, from Zahradka Farm, made with Trickling Springs butter, and served with buttered Atwater’s olive bread toasted. You can get Trickling Springs butter all over the place now, the organic markets as well as at Atwater’s in Catonsville. I thought I still had sourdough bread in the freezer but only olive bread left. Time for a trip to Catonsville to get a few more loaves to freeze. They work great that way. Get them sliced and put them away wrapped in foil. Pop in the toaster and enjoy.

I have perfected my sunny side up skills by using the trick of putting a lid above them to just set the yolks without them getting hard.

With yolks this orange and the eggs so fresh, it would be a crime to overcook them. Although I did break one putting it in the pan, and my husband graciously chose that one. He likes his over easy anyway.

Gradually working our way through the eggs in the fridge. Time to make some egg salad for sandwiches this week, or a frittata with that spinach from the CSA last Friday. Two more weeks of home delivery.

hocofood@@@

An Exhausting But Fun Day at Greenfest

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Every year, it seems to get bigger and better. Greenfest at HCC was the place to have fun for young and old alike, with indoor and outdoor activities, booths, classes and with live animals in one of the areas. The Conservancy was out in the main corridor this year, since we left the owl home. Crowds and other animals aren’t Ranger’s favorites.

But, we did bring some interesting things for the kids to touch, like a coyote pelt and a black snake’s discarded skin.

The children were fascinated with the snake skin and loved to touch the softness of the coyote pelt. It did seem to escape the notice of the County Executive who we saw stopping at booth after booth and conversing with the exhibitors.

Just kidding. It was nice to meet Ken Ulman, and we are glad that the county sponsors events like this one. After my volunteering time at the Conservancy booth, we spent time wandering, learning and just having fun, so I couldn’t believe how quickly the day went.

We purchased some cheese from Bowling Green Farms, and brisket from TLV Tree Farms. Thanks to both Howard County Farms for providing the mini farmer’s market. Their web sites are linked on my local resources page.

I will be stopping out at TLV since they are open on Saturdays to add some new herbs to my garden. They had a wonderful array of plants and herbs there today. They will be at the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday markets, I believe.

The list on the farmer’s market web site of vendors is slated to come out this week. Kathy Zimmerman of the HCEDA office confirmed that. The Howard County Farmer’s Markets open three weeks from Wednesday, the first market at the new Miller Library in Ellicott City. I think it is great we have so many young farmers here. Supporting them and helping them succeed makes the county a better place.

My husband did the circuit of the vendors, took a few classes and thankfully restrained himself from bringing home dozens of samples and giveaways. After all, we are retired and trying to rightsize. I do like the notepad with a cover from recycled cardboard.

We were very proud to see that HoLLIE and Ann Strozyk received Robinson Foundation awards. I worked with Ann on curriculum ideas as part of my HoLLIE internship last year.

What I love most about Robinson and the Conservancy? Anne Robinson donated to start the Foundation, and the Nature Center is a tribute to a Howard County woman who believed in giving something that our children and their children will enjoy. Just like Ruth and Frances Brown donated their land to the Conservancy to connect people with nature. The children seemed to have fun today, too.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love living here. I think Money Magazine had it close but not quite correct. Maybe to them we were number two in the best places to live, but to me, the whole county is special and we are the best place to live. Call me Pollyanna, but being here for 38 years is a testament to how much this county means to me.

Not that I didn’t come home today and collapse for a nap, after all day out and running around. At least, being retired, I can excuse the two hour nap before dinner.

hocoblogs@@@

So Busy I Almost Forgot About CSA

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It was way too beautiful to stay home today. We took a drive to pick up the VA award winning Governor’s Cup wine, down in Front Royal, VA. Sometime when we have enough time to breathe, there will be a post about the great wines we tasted, and the lovely cheeses we bought.

Almost forgot that the CSA (Week 16) was coming today, but at the last minute threw ice packs out in the cooler and left for about six hours. Came home to find two packs of meat, still in good shape and a boatload of spinach, among other things.

The haul (a half share, remember):

1 Large root onion
2 large leeks
asparagus (happy days, my wild asparagus is not putting out much)
red potatoes (1 1/4 pounds)
radishes
the boatload of spinach

As for meat: Angus ground beef and Angus Italian sausages

It looks like tomorrow night will be grilling night, if the weather holds. Italian sausages, potatoes and asparagus on the grill. What could be better?

As for that boatload of spinach, the small leaves are going to become salads. The bigger ones maybe a spinach and cheese pie, if I can get time to do some pastry crust. I have some really nice runny cheeses around here, and lots of herbs growing. And, still lots of eggs from last week. Hmmm, quiche?

Plus, who knows what I may find if I get to Baltimore for the market on Sunday or what I may find tomorrow at Greenfest in the mini farmer’s market there. I am hoping someone has mushrooms, but may have to run off to Roots and get some.

Two more weeks of winter CSA, then a week before the Sandy Spring CSA starts up and I really drown (happily) in veggies again. I hope to be in garlic scape heaven soon.

hocofood@@@

Too Much To Do This Weekend

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Like everyone else around here in the Howard County area, I am seeing lots of things to do every weekend now that spring has arrived.

It is funny how all the big events start clustering together in April and May and cluttering our calendars.

What to do? What to do?

Greenfest is where I will be, since I volunteered to spend three hours manning a booth for the Conservancy. The hike to the river is where I’d like to be, but can’t navigate treacherous hills until I have more mobility in my neck.

The Housing Fair is happening, but since we aren’t in that market, it didn’t make my short list.

HoCoConnect did a really good summary of what is going on at Greenfest, and I will add what I want to see. He also highlights two other events I missed.

Well & Wise has a list of upcoming events, too. They include the announcements of the Conservancy events this week and next.

At Greenfest, I will be attending at least two workshops, one on stormwater management in your yard, and one on backyard composting. We do compost some, but I can always use more tips and tricks. I wish I could do the watershed walks, but they conflict. Hubby is going to hear Cathy Hudson talk about raising chickens in the morning at 11am, while I am working at our table. And, just walking around talking to vendors is interesting. I applied last year for the lottery for a free energy audit, and won. We now know what we need to do to finish the weather proofing of our house, making it more energy efficient. As I said above, what to do, what to do?

Don’t forget, there will be a mini farmer’s market there too.

Sunday morning I may make the trek into Baltimore to check out the market for some herbs from Knopps Farm, one of my old favorite vendors when I went to visit family in Severn. If you have never taken a Sunday morning drive to this market, you are missing one of the largest and craziest markets around here. Worth the drive up I-95. There are 45 vendors registered for this year, some with crafts, some with food products, others with produce, meat and dairy, and we love the excitement.

Go early if you do want to find things. It is just an amazing array of food, people and good times. South Mountain Creamery and Zahradka Farms are there. My source of dairy most of the time, and my winter CSA. Both of these vendors will be at Glenwood in four weeks, but until then Baltimore is a good place to get their products, particularly for Elkridge and East Columbia Hoco residents. The market is set up under the Jones Falls Expressway.

And, then of course, I get to come home and file income tax. Not letting MD get those few dimes of mine until the very last minute. At least we broke even and get a few bucks back from the Feds. Hmm, I didn’t check, do we get an extra day or two? Yes, google my friend, says we have until Tuesday, so if the weather is nice, we can spend more time downtown.

I love spring!

hocoblogs@@@

That Whole Grocery Store Avoidance Thing

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Who knew you could put together a pizza this good looking without setting foot in a chain grocery store? Or by eating out.

A while back, I evaluated how much better I was doing by moving from processed to whole foods and declared an avoidance strategy when it comes to shopping the easy way at grocery stores.

I called it my GGSAC and only posted twice about it. So, how am I doing at avoiding the Giant Food and Safeway stores? For the past two weeks since I started, pretty well with an exception for Harris Teeter when I didn’t feel like running across the county to Costco or up to H Mart for fish.

I have spent more time and money in Boarman’s, Roots and David’s so far this month. I have been using up pantry items bought last fall, and have also put together a bag full of stuff to take to the Food Bank. If it makes me sneeze, it is out of here. If it has a long list of additives, same thing.

Thanks to Nicole at Hoco Loco for commenting that she saw Meyer Lemons at David’s. Yesterday we made it there to do some shopping that included locally made sausages and the aforementioned lemons. Looks like National Boh Brats on the grill this weekend maybe. Made in Baltimore.

I got a few things necessary as well to make a killer pizza tonight. The cheese, oh, the cheese. My favorite Mountain Top Bleu from Firefly Farms, bought at the Silver Spring Market.

Pancetta, bought at David’s Natural Market. The pizza crust came from Roots. The fig butter was in the fridge, and from Trader Joe’s.

The greens, from my garden, the asparagus, the first delicate spear from that wild plant under the crepe myrtles. Finished with a drizzle of Ariston olive oil bought at Casual Gourmet, this pizza is so satisfying.

Dinner was served with a 2002 Linden Cabernet Franc, still hanging in there after ten years. Full of fruit, a hint of smoke, not tired or fading. No bell pepper taste that Virginia francs sometimes exhibit. This lovely wine balanced the sweetness of the fig butter, the saltiness of the pancetta, the earthiness of the cheese, and the tang of the greens. What a great combination and a satisfying meal, NOT courtesy of boxed supermarket pizza.

hocofood@@@

Choosing Community in Howard County

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Last night’s bloggers party in Second Chance Saloon in Columbia reminded me of why I love living here, and wouldn’t change it without serious thoughts on what could possibly be better. I moved out here in 1975 to find a sense of community. In those early days, it was really small here, and felt like a small town with that sense of community. I mean, I still have my original ADC map from 1976, back when there were just a fraction of the number of people in Howard Couny than today. In 1975, less people lived in the entire county than there are now in the city of Columbia.

The Choose Civility bumper stickers miss the point, I believe. Civility isn’t enough. Community is.

The bloggers here are incredibly welcoming, friendly, willing to assist new bloggers, welcome readers and bloggers equally, and so much more. If you read hocoblogs, you can see that. Until you attend your first get together and are welcomed as if “Everybody knows your name”, you won’t understand the power of that community.

My hubby came with me last night. He was a bit worried that he would be bored by all of us talking blog stuff. He didn’t need to be. He came home and told me he had a great time. Everyone was friendly. Talkative. Mixed and mingled. No cliques. No awkward silences or sense of exclusion anywhere.

Ask Nicole of HoCo Loco, our newest blogger, who has been welcomed just like I was at my first party in February.

When I first contacted HowChow and got linked into his blog roll, the welcome was amazing. We exchange emails, and do pingbacks to each other’s blog. He told me he was helped immensely in the beginning by bloggers like Jessie Newburn who is behind the curtain at hocoblogs. Jessie helps all of us by keeping us out there, keeping us motivated. And for organizing the bloggers parties over how many years now?

So, last night I met Marshmallow Man, Sarah and Julia, who cohosted this party, Duane of HoCo Connect, Matt of the newly restored Lost in Columbia blog, Anne from Annethologie, Jeff from Green Floss, Frank from FrankHecker, and others whose names escape me at the moment. Ginger Breadgirl was there as well. Love the pic tweeted last night.

I missed talking to LisaBMrsS, I think I saw Dennis of To2C fame pop in but never got to say Hi, and I was surprised at how many people I remembered from February. As you can see, there are dozens of active bloggers in Howard County who turned out for this event.

One by one, we are losing papers and magazines around here. More and more, we turn to social media to stay in touch, but we don’t always connect. I think this community of bloggers here, connects. In a good way.

Hoping to attend many more get togethers and keep Howard County as great as I personally think it is today.

hocoblogs@@@