Tag Archives: local businesses

Tuesday Tidbits

Posted on November 12, 2013 by AnnieRie

Odds and ends about food and wine.

Like the grand opening of Petite Cellars.

Owned by the former owners of Perfect Pour, the store in Turf Valley has been completed and the ribbon cutting ceremony was this afternoon. Courtney Watson was on hand to cut the ribbon, along with Chamber of Commerce representation. We enjoyed the event, wishing them well and picking up a “local” gin, from Loudoun County VA (Catoctin Creek). Love having a specialty liquor around to use for entertaining, and finding locally produced items complements what is important to me.

Two days in a row, we have been out and about. Last night we attended the opening session of “Iron Bridge University”, this time the first of six tastings featuring the wines of Italy. Vince does a great job of leading the educational series. This one highlighted Tuscany.

The events are hugely popular. All 36 seats were taken, and there was a waiting list of dozens of people. The entire six event series is a sell out. Good to see another family owned local business doing well.

I also was impressed with the local farms providing the Bridge with meat and vegetables. Farms like Clark’s and Valley Haven, in Howard County.

At home today for lunch, we enjoyed locally sourced items, paired with a few new finds. Like these wonderful crackers we found at COSTCO.

These crackers are perfect with our ajvar, and my newest spread I made. I used the Bulgarian recipe as inspiration, but then just went off in my own direction.

The eggplant spread is in the small bowl. I used two eggplant and four green peppers, roasted and peeled. A few cloves of garlic, some lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Processed in the “food pro” until the right consistency. Sharper in taste than the red pepper spreads I make, but still very tasty.

The salad on the plate was made with the Tuscan kale in our CSA box. Some scallions, pecorino, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and avocados I picked up at Boarman’s when I was ordering our Maple Lawn Thanksgiving turkey. None of it measured. Whatever looks good, is the way I make salads.

All in all, a very pleasant Monday and Tuesday to start our week. Crossing my fingers that it warms up a bit, so I can plant garlic.

Hmmm, food and wine and cooking. I need to find some other hobbies. Nah, I don’t think so. These keep us busy enough.

hocofood@@@

Free??? Energy Audit

Posted on November 11, 2013 by AnnieRie

Remember GreenFest in Howard County? Where you could put in your name and “win” a free energy audit? Free, being a relative term.

Because if you won, and they came out and showed you all the bad things in your house, you could either ignore them or address them.

Those pictures showing energy loss through doors, windows, ducts and telling you how bad your old appliances are.

Slowly we have been addressing what was identified as deficient in our almost 30 year old home. I can honestly say that today I really feel the difference from replacing doors and windows on the first floor of the house. It has taken us two years to get this far.

Just a bit at a time. This time, though, it was dramatic.

The view from the dining room was enhanced with no window. Let’s not talk about the dozen or so flies I keep having to kill in the kitchen. So far, they did finish the outside of living room, dining room, and garage. And, there is a new door from garage to mud room. Our garage faces northwest. The front of the house faces west. Drapes would move when the cold fronts moved in. Now, there is a huge improvement. Although they aren’t done yet.

Caulking was done. Trim work remains. And, the kitchen window will be replaced. Hallelujah! I will have windows that open! Current kitchen windows are on their last legs, so to speak.

Of course, Thursday it is supposed to be quite cold. No cooking that day, and who knows where I will be able to take my CSA pictures.

I have to admit, I truly appreciate the changes once they are done. It’s just that the mess associated with renovations, and the frustrations with how long they take, taxes my patience.

But, a word to the wise. If you ever “win” that free energy audit, you may want to decline. Unless you want to spend what would have been vacation money to fix everything they find.

I know it ‘s the right thing to do here. But, it still drives me up a wall to deal with all the upheaval.

I just keep thinking about the good parts, like the view.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Commentary, Howard County, Local Businesses, Renovations, Weather, West HoCo and tagged commentary, Howard County, local businesses, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Chicken Little

Posted on November 10, 2013 by AnnieRie

The sky isn’t falling. Just a large amount of chicken in the house. We are now getting chickens from our CSA, and I have been cooking them this weekend.

These are “Freedom Rangers”, a heritage breed of chickens, raised to free range in Amish country.

I put the little one in the crock pot last night. Spatchcocked it. After four hours on high, I took it out and harvested the breast meat and the thighs. Put the bones, plus all those lovely innards back to make chicken stock.

Saturday morning I stopped at Breezy Willow after our hike. I needed carrots, onions and celery to make soup. And to make stock.

I left the bones and the innards in the crock pot all night. With a large amount of celery, a chopped up carrot and two onions. Some herbs. Four cups of water.

I got a quart of rich stock, which is now frozen for future use. We had the thighs for dinner tonight. The chicken breast will become a salad for lunch this week. The rest of the meat, along with those soup ingredients will become soup Tuesday night for dinner.

Three or four meals from a four pound chicken. Worth the time and effort to cook it.

There are quite a few farms in the area where you can get free range chicken. They are so flavorful, you should check them out.

Sources:
Breezy Willow
Clark’s Farm
TLV Tree Farm
England Acres Farm

We are coming to the end of chicken season, so if you want to purchase any, you need to be quick about it.

Or, you could be Turkey Lurkey and make turkey stock with a Maple Lawn Turkey.

hocofood@@@

3 Comments

Posted in Farms, Food, Local Businesses and tagged cooking, crock pot cooking, farms, Food, Howard County, local businesses. Bookmark the permalink.

Wazzup in West County

Posted on November 8, 2013 by AnnieRie

Friday with lots of options of things to do coming up, as well as just the best time of year to live out here.

My day started out leading a field trip at the Howard County Conservancy. Teaching second graders about soil (as compared to dirt). I will be back there tomorrow for the Hike to the River at 10 am. Volunteers will lead groups on a long hike down to the Patapsco River using trails at the conservancy and through Patapsco State Park. You have to admit. This is peak fall foliage week in #hocomd.

Add to that. Thanksgiving and then Christmas will be creeping up on us. What better way to get ready for Thanksgiving than to order your turkey, your sausage and your oysters at Boarman’s. I stopped there today to put in my Thanksgiving order. A Maple Lawn turkey. Boarman’s bulk sausage for stuffing. Oysters to make an oyster stew. We like standing in the line the day before Thanksgiving and talking with all the neighbors.

Oh, and out at TLV.

Cut your own tree. The day after Thanksgiving. Instead of Black Friday at the mall, how about a day at the farm cutting a tree.

We are fast moving from late fall to early winter out here. Loving the weather and those crisp cool days, and not so cold nights.

I do need to get the garlic planted though. Before that first hard freeze.

hocoblogs@@@

Two Years Old

Posted on November 2, 2013 by AnnieRie

So, today my blog is a toddler. The terrible twos, they say. Who knows where I will take it in the future. Nah, I like it the way it is.

On November 2nd, I made my first tiny post to learn wordpress, and now, 60,000 views later, I am still having fun with it.

My posts back then were short, and I hadn’t learned to use the pictures to my advantage. Amazing how much I have figured out. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Next Wednesday, I will attend my 5th or 6th bloggers party at Second Chance. Back in February 2012, when I was still a novice at writing, Dennis Lane encouraged me to just have fun and write.

Like others, I really miss his presence in our blogging world. I’ll be sure to raise a toast to him, along with his other friends who join us there.

In the mean time, I will just keep writing about life out here in west county, and add a different perspective from my view.

Oh, and if you get a chance, check out Larriland tomorrow, on their last day of pick your own.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Commentary, Community, Farms, Food, Howard County, West HoCo and tagged commentary, community, farms, Food, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Summer CSA Wrap Up Week

Posted on October 31, 2013 by AnnieRie

The end of the 24 week CSA today. Fall season starts next Thursday. Appropriate for Halloween, my box included the escarole that ate New York.

It has to be one of the largest ones I have seen at any market. It looks like tomorrow I will be making escarole and white bean soup.

As for the rest, here is what our email said we were getting.

Leeks
Eggplant
Purple Viking Potatoes
Cylindra Beets
Escarole
Green Romaine
Mixed Sweet Potatoes
Bok Choy (it was bigger than the escarole, I swapped it)
Purple Mizuna (swapped as I bought some yesterday)
Garlic
Butternut Squash
Red Cabbage

We never got mizuna before today, so yesterday I bought some from Love Dove Farms at the Miller Library Market, since he didn’t have arugula. It figures we would get it once I bought some.

As for doing a wrap up, I am putting my collated list together to see what we got over the course of the 24 weeks. What we got most. What the total number will be for uniquely different items.

And, as for what I will be making. There will be hummus, from the squash and sweet potatoes. Eggplant caponata sounds good.

And, speaking of wrap ups, Larriland closes this weekend. Sunday is the last day the farm is open, until strawberry season begins in May. Pink Lady apples are ripe and only available Friday through Sunday.

I may have to go there just to buy a few quarts of cider. Their newsletter tells us that cider freezes well. Maybe I will try it as their cider is so good.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Local Businesses, Locavore and tagged cooking, CSA, farmer's markets, farms, Food, local businesses, Locavore, value of CSA. Bookmark the permalink.

The Week Ahead

Posted on October 27, 2013 by AnnieRie

Another busy week ahead. Not so much out of the area (or out of the house for that matter) but just enough to keep busy.

If you are looking for something meaningful and fun to do next weekend, consider coming out to the Conservancy for Come Get Dirty! Day
Here are some facts about it. 9 am until 1 pm on November 2nd.

— Conservancy patch for all scouts that participate
— Native plant seed giveaways
— Helps meet requirements of Soil and Water Conservation badge and Flowers and Gardens scout badges
— Come for some or all of the day
— Bring a picnic lunch and stay for the day

I still have to complete my photographing and manipulating photos to create my husband’s QSL card. We are looking for really great fall foliage shots from the local area. Here is a sample card similar to what he wants me to design.

I want to use the Dayton post office in his card. We have a few shots, but are looking for better light.

I want to also get the trees in full color. We are close this week to having those conditions.

I also was considering running up to England Acres later this week to get a chicken for the crockpot. Their latest batch of fresh chickens will be ready after the 28th. They are usually open Friday through Sunday.

Add to that Halloween (we never get trick or treaters if I buy candy). I bought one bag, which guarantees no one will drive up our long dark driveway.

Plus, the last of the ripening yellow tomatoes need to be roasted and processed.

I have ten of them sitting on the windowsill. The beets are done. The apples are done. I do have a boatload of broccoli, so I was considering breaking out the food saver and freezing some.

Who knows what our last week of the CSA will bring, on Thursday? I do hope we get a good sized cooking pumpkin as I want to make hummus.

hocofood@@@

Sweatshirt Weather

Posted on October 26, 2013 by AnnieRie

That’s what my husband calls it. The first frost of the season. Although it will warm up again, and today was lovely. It was cold overnight.

Today we headed out on errands, and a picture taking mission. I needed to get rid of some old pain meds at the county take back prescription drug program, at the site of our Saturday market. Unfortunately, TLV was out of eggs, but I knew if I was lucky I could get them at England Acres.

My husband wanted farm scenery pictures to use for his postcard design that highlights living in farm country in Maryland. The “QSL” card is what is exchanged by radio amateurs to confirm contacts. He wants one that highlights farmland, so we have been taking pictures, like these.

The fields that are part of the farm west of Mt. Airy. The farm where I love to get meat, dairy, eggs, and love to see the new animals.

Like their guinea hens who were checking out their reflections in the hub caps of our truck. Interesting animals.

We came home to see our newly resident black squirrel checking out the bird bath. The heating element is in. Getting ready for winter.

Finally, in the end of a busy day, I did manage to make a frittata using techniques learned from Marcella Hazan, to participate in a web based tribute, where bloggers and others cooked Marcella’s recipes and either tweeted or blogged about it.

Hashtag — #dinnerwithmarcella

Spaghetti frittata with parm and pepper.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Birds, Farms, Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged amateur radio, cooking, farms, Food, foodie, local businesses, Locavore, nature, photography, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Hey, Hey, Do You CSA?

Posted on October 25, 2013 by AnnieRie

I have been meaning to write this post for a while now, but finally got around to it. Lots happening in the Howard County CSA world. New sites. New CSAs.

First, I should talk about a conversation I had yesterday at our pick up site. I met someone I hadn’t seen before, new this year, with a full share gift from a relative.

They loved the amount and quality of the veggies they got, for what they considered a great deal. $30 a week. The 60% share is only $19 a week. By the way, this couple travels from Anne Arundel county to our pick up site near Robinson Nature Center. She said they had few options in their area.

I blogged a few weeks ago, about the sign up period for the seven week extension of our CSA, from November 7th through December 19th.

It’s a short term commitment for someone interested in seeing what we get from a cooperative of farmers. How much is in a full share or a half share. Hanging around the pick up site, you can see what is in each box.

Sandy Spring Fall CSA Week 3 of 2012

Typical full share from last November is pictured above.

I do know that we are dropping from 60+ shares for our summer CSA, into about half that number for fall.

Some people didn’t re-enlist 😉

We heard reasons at the site. Not liking squash. Too many potatoes. For us, though, squash is an excuse to make hummus. Potatoes in a brown bag, hanging in the laundry room, will last for months.

OK, enough about the Sandy Spring Fall CSA.

Let’s talk about next year in the county. We are indeed lucky to have so many CSAs in Howard County. Next year, add another. TLV Tree Farm.

And, another new pick up site for Breezy Willow. They will offer pick up at Wegmans. Cheers to Wegmans for supporting local farms.

Just like MOM’s supports One Straw Farm, with pick ups at their Jessup store.

All told, I believe we now have Sandy Spring, Breezy Willow, Gorman Farm, Love Dove Farm, TLV Tree Farm, Zahradka Farm and One Straw Farm. Amazing the options available with potential to have fresh veggies all year round.

CSA’s. Try them. You might get hooked like we did.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore and tagged CSA, farms, Food, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

So Worth It

Posted on October 23, 2013 by AnnieRie

One of the things I like most about being part of the hocoblogs community is the encouragement (and the inspiration) to try new things.

Like canning. Between HowChowBlog, LisaBMrsS, and The Soffrito, I am working my way up and now have conquered tomato sauce.

Before processing in the hot water bath, two quarts of sauce. This took about 20 of the heavy beefy tomatoes from our Larriland visit. I roasted them, after halving them and scooping out the seeds. Pulled off the skins once they cooled a bit. Put them in a pot with gently “sweated” onions, shallots, garlic and olive oil. Added some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cooked for about 30 minutes. Ladled into the jars, with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Processed for 45 minutes.

Until I was encouraged by my fellow bloggers, to take that step from freezing to canning, I wouldn’t have done this. HowChow got us interested in picking at Larriland. Lisa encouraged me once I did my first jars of jelly. Victoria at The Soffrito back in our food challenge days showed me meals made from her canned items.

All told, I have made three pints of oven roasted tomatoes, four bags of whole peeled blanched tomatoes and two quarts of tomato sauce. I have enough tomatoes left to make two more quarts of sauce once the last 20 tomatoes get ripe enough.

I figure that if I bought organic sauce, canned tomatoes and roasted tomatoes, it would have cost us at least $40. We got these 24 pounds of tomatoes at Larriland for $16.

I think that’s worth the price. Don’t you?

Didn’t get to pick apples today, but we are heading out there tomorrow. Canned applesauce coming soon to the kitchen near me!

hocofood@@@

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