The Joys of Foraged Goods

If you've wandered over to our other blogs (thefloatingempire.com or Life, Art Water) you'll know we love eating local and we do a bit of foraging when we can.  Here is one of our wonderful recent scores:

oh, yesssss

These are wild black raspberries.  You'll never find these in any store.  They're only ripe for about two days, are fragile, and have to be hand picked.  If you want to see some shots of us acquiring these, drop over to Morgainne's blog Life, Art, Water for some pictures.  They're a beautiful, juicy, sweet and tart flavor bomb.  In short, they rock.

We could make a jam out of them, or a fruit compote, but when you have something this fresh and delightful,  I rather think it's better to let them stand on their own.  So they became dessert, real vanilla ice cream, frozen and shaved dark chocolate, and the wonderful, wonderful berries.

Yes, it was EXACTLY as good as it looks.

The treat is all the better for being seasonal and rare, a sense of anticipation and treasure found that we've lost in our rather bland consumer world of instant gratification.

Ooooh, Ice Cream Headache.

So look around, guys.  Everywhere on the planet--well virtually anyway--every spring and summer there are treats to be found a few feet from your door, things no grocery will ever see, things most of your neighbors ignore or try to weed out.  Enjoy!

M

MEMORIAL DAY COOKOUT

The season at Middle River Landing is officially open with the celebration of Memorial Day's first 'annual' slipholders picnic. There was lots of yummy food, and beer, did i mention, lots of beer?
Mungo made two excellent Key Lime pies, i made a fresh tomato salad and introduced pickled radishes to the gang. The radishes were a big hit, and since i had many requests for the recipe i thought that i would share it with all of you.

The party begins!

The recipe comes from Katy Sparks, via her book "Sparks in the Kitchen", it is quick and easy to make; all of the ingredients are readily available at your local supermarket, although you will find some of the ingredients less expensively at an Asian market. The closest Asian market to our marina is Ha Ha ( i kid you not), a Korean market off of Pulaski Highway, we make a trip down there about once a month as it is the best local source for Butane fuel canisters and most importantly high quality coconut milk. I also want to add that this recipe is rare, in that i have never fiddled with it.

PICKLED RADISHES

I SHALLOT, MINCED
I TB GRATED FRESH GINGER
2 TBS LEMON JUICE
1/2 CUP RICE VINEGAR ( you can use any mild white vinegar)
2 TBS SESAME OIL
2 BUNCHES OF RADISHES (about 24- 30, depending on size), SLICED OR CHUNKED, YOUR PREFRENCE
2 TBS SALT
1 TSP SUGAR

Combine shallot, ginger, lemon juice, vinegar, and sesame oil in a non-reactive bowl. Toss in the radishes and stir well to coat. Sprinkle with the sugar and salt and stir again. Let the radishes rest for several hours at room temperature before serving. I usually cover the bowl with a cloth napkin to protect the pickles while still allowing the pickles to breathe. The radishes will turn a beautiful pink, a reaction between the ginger, radishes and vinegar. Katy claims that these pickles will keep for two to three weeks in the refrigerator. I have no personal knowledge to back that claim, as i have rarely had them last for longer than a day or two. This makes about two cups. Don't throw out the pickling liquid, it makes a good base for a salad dressing.

Yup, i am definitely full!

 OOPS! I completely forgot to take a picture of the radishes. Oh well, i will make them again, soon and then publish a pic.

Yummy!
Morgainne

ON THE COOKING OF WHOLE FISH

First Painkillers of the season.

This past Saturday we had to cook inside: although the sun was shining and the temperature mild, the wind was not. Sigh! I was practically drooling over the prospect of Grilled Branzino with Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Alas, this was not to be as we determined that an open fire in 20 m.p.h. winds was well, yes, a fire hazard. Okay, i'm adaptable, and with a little help from Chef Google, Mungo and i proceeded. Oh ya, the recipe that i looked at, well it did still have fish and bread crumbs in it by the time i was finished. Just saying that almost any recipe should be looked at as a guideline, or inspiration.


If you don't know, Branzino is an European Bass, almost always wild caught, it is very prevalent in the Mediterranean and let me tell you it is 'move over' Chilean Sea Bass in the flavor department. Usually i am far more likely to support and buy local. There are many reasons for this but how could i resist those brilliant shiny fish(whole) for only $4.95 a pound, increased carbon footprint not withstanding. They were worth it.

By preference i will always buy whole fish: when you buy whole fish you are getting more than just your supper. The flavor palette is enhanced anytime you cook 'bone in; you can use the scraps, head, tail, etc to make a broth(why buy an overly salty, processed broth if you don't have to?) and most importantly when you buy whole fresh fish it is simply that - fresher - just of the boat so to speak. When you are in the fish market get as close and personal to the fish of your choice as your fish monger will allow: look at the eyes, they should be clear, not cloud, fish should be lying naturally, in contact with  bed of fresh ice, there should be no 'off odor'! Of course fish will smell, well fishy, but it should be a good, briny, fish smell. There is a difference between the smell of fresh fish and three day old fish. The flesh should be wet and shiny and spring back when touched, so watch when your fishmonger picks it up. Be choosy, and by all means cultivate a relationship with your new best friend, a retailer who appreciates your insight and input and will be happy in the future to try ordering in fish that you are interested in.

I know that a lot of people do not like dealing with or eating whole fish because they believe that fish with bones is something to be afraid of! What? Why? Yes, i know there is the very small risk of choking - no, not really -but even with the backbone removed you will occasionally find small bones in the filet. This is part of eating food, after all there are bones in chicken, beef and pork.

Anyway, back to adaptability, we opted to bake the Branzino in a Mediterranean style. I greased a metal baking pan and surrounded the fish with a melange of chopped shallots, leeks, garlic, capers, drained tomatoes and lemon juice topped with bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme, smoked paprika and a few crushed fennel seeds. than poured a goodly amount of extra virgin olive oil over everything. This was baked at somewhere between 325 - 350 degrees F, until the fish was white and flaked.

Okay, so these are Mussels.  We forgot to take plated pictures.  Sorry.

It was awesome! It was so awesome we both forgot to take pictures. I went from fish to filet to mouth - barely stopping for the plate.

Okay. just a bit more on adaptability and recipes: When adapting a recipe, do think about ratios and proportion. You should strive for a similar balance of dry to wet ingredients. Think about the base tastes in the original recipe, don't despair if you are missing a key taste, you can almost always find an acceptable substitute, like onions will work if you don't have shallots or leeks. Necessity is the mother of invention, and invention can be delicious.

More later,
Morgainne

Mussels Andorra

Fresh mussels and fresh bread.....very little better than this

I first had these mussels on a trip to Spain during Spring Break 1973.  I think that culinary experience may have been my first time eating shellfish, or at least shellfish that didn't come out of a can or had not been fried.  I am, after all, a midwestern girl!  Moving on:  Needless to say I fell in love and have made them over and over again whenever high quality, fresh mussels are available!  I have collected them from "the wild" but more often than not buy them from a reputable fish monger.  Lucky for me, Geresbeck's, a local grocer, fills the bill nicely, and when i say local, I mean it.  Mungo and i walk up there all the time from our boat slip.  Often the mussels are "farm raised" and usually from New Jersey in this area, but occasionally we luck out and get wild caught Maine mussels.  I snap them up in a flash!  They have so much more delicious, briny flavor.  Two other reasons for buying mussels:  they are unbelievably inexpensive and take almost no time too cook!

There are many subtle variations on this dish but your basic "master" recipe goes like this : 

(note:  if you are using "wild caught" mussels, make sure you allow enough prep time to soak them in cold water brine with a little corn meal for at least half an hour so they will release any sand.  If wild, you will also need to de-beard them before cooking with a pair of kitchen scissors.  Make sure you discard any shell that has a crack or is otherwise broken, as well as any that will not close as those are dead, dead, dead and not at all good to eat!)

Mussels usually come in a net bag of around #3 pounds.  Mungo and I have a hard time eating all of that.  This recipe could easily serve 3 or 4 people with a salad, fresh bread, and a light antipasto.

You will need:

 3-4 TB good quality extra virgin olive oil,

Onion of some ilk ( a medium yellow onion, roughly chopped or a couple of sliced leeks or 4-5 minced shallots).  This is more about what you have than anything else, but it should be a fairly mild onion.

2-4 cloves of Garlic,chopped

2-6 mushrooms, if desired, sliced


Sweat all of your veggies, starting with the onions (until they begin to get translucent) and adding garlic and mushrooms after a bit.  Do NOT allow them to color.  You want the sweet, subtle vegetable nature, not crisp fried and bitter.  Add any dry spices you will be using.  You will want to keep in the Mediterranean palate, so I usually use thyme, oregano, and basil.  Coarsely ground black pepper to taste, perhaps 1/2 a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and a 1/4 tsp or so of saffron threads.  DO NOT ADD SALT!  There's plenty in the seafood.  After the seasonings, add up to a cup of clam broth (you can also use a low sodium chicken broth) and about 1/2 cup of white wine (that you're drinking.  If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it, please.) 

Bring to a boil, add all the mussels, cover, reduce the heat to a strong simmer and leave it alone for somewhere between 3-5 minutes.  Remove the cover and, as the mussels begin to open, immediately begin dividing them between your plates.  They should all be open within minutes.  You may close the pot back up if needed but usually as you stir them they will open and release their briny goodness.  Discard any that will not open.

Serve immediately with the broth and with a simple green salad, warm crusty bread, and good drinks.  Depending on what you use to serve, you may need to serve the broth on the side in a separate bowl.

And don't forget a boneyard for the shells.

What a beautiful dinner.

Bon Appetite.

Key Lime Pie: A wonderful summer treat in the dead of winter

One of my favorite treats growing up in Florida was the redoubtable Key Lime Pie.  Originally an uncooked confection (the filling is "cooked" chemically by the highly acidic Key lime juice) using the fragrant juice of the 'Swingle'  (Citrus aurantifolia) lime as opposed to the more common Persian limes, and mixing with sweetened condensed milk (which required no refrigeration), it became a staple dessert in the early 20th century in the south.  It's also monstrously easy to make.  Let's give it a shot aboard ship:

You'll need:  1/2 cup of Key Lime Juice (available most places now in bottled form), three egg yolks (keep the whites for something else), a 14 oz. Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, and a 9" graham cracker crust.  What makes this a great on board ship dessert is none of this really requires refrigeration prior to making the dessert.

Separate the eggs and use the yolks....you can always use the whites for something later.

Separate the eggs and blend in the sweetened condensed milk while you're heating your oven (350 Fahrenheit). 

Mix them well.  Remember, though, you're mixing, not whipping the mixture (which makes for some funky texture).  As soon as your oven hits temperature, thoroughly mix in the lime juice, pour into the pie shell, and cook.  Don't let the combined mixture sit around in the bowl before you pour into the pie shell.  You may have a bowl of cooked filler.

Add the juice, mix thoroughly

Don't dally.  Fill the pie crust and get it in the oven

There are, indeed, places with certified eggs that do not cook this pie.  If I knew for certain the health and province of my chickens, I might not either, but modern, commercial, factory laid eggs can't be trusted not to carry salmonella.  The brief cooking is enough to kill any nasties in the filling without changing it's nature. 

The smell is wonderful

Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then set the pie to rest (if you can keep your paws off of it that long) for about ten minutes before refrigerating it (if you can keep your paws off it for that long) for about half an hour.

REAL whipped cream, mind you.  Cream, a little sugar, drop of vanilla. 

Oh, Yum, even if I did nearly drop it.

Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and perhaps a thin lime slice.  This would look prettier if I hadn't almost dropped the pie when taking it out of the oven....sigh.  But it's still wonderful.

The taste is a wonderful symphony of sweet and tart, with the crunch of the graham crust as a bonus.  I just love it.

Enjoy.

M

Review: Butterfly Stovetop Oven

Hey, we've just posted a review of our new Butterfly Stovetop Oven over on our Floating Empire blog.

The Butterfly 16 wick Kerosene Stove and Stovetop Oven as sold by St. Paul Mercantile

It's a great new addition to the galley, but rather than be redundant, just hit the above link and have a look.  We do a lot of outdoor dutch oven baking, but this gives us a really good option for lousy weather.  Now we're sitting around plotting new recipes for it.

Pork Roast, plum sauce, Roasted potatoes. . . . oh yes.

At any rate, pop over to Floating Empire and have a look.

M

WE GOT AN OVEN

Yea, the oven we ordered from St. Paul Mercantile came yesterday! We set it up and immediately proceeded to do our best to burn a loaf of bread. Here's a helpful hint, the temperature gauge is widely inaccurate. Don't trust it!

More later,
Morgainne

Roasting Your Own Coffee

This particular post was driven by two factors:  One is, we love to play with stuff in the kitchen.  The SECOND is that virtually all the coffee around the Marina here is very high in the suckage coefficent, is expensive, and more than often, stale.

Full disclosure.  Morgainne and I ran a coffeehouse for a number of years before venturing back into Academe.  We're coffee snobs.  We know the stuff.  So the prospect of dealing eternally with underroasted low-quality beans or stale pre-ground coffee was NOT an option.

Casting about for a solution, we were faced with a couple of problems.  The nearest decent roast coffee was quite a distance away, and once roasted, coffee hits it's peak in about 14 hours and begins to fall off rapidly after that.  After a few weeks, you've got something that is a long way from as good as it could be, though drinkable.

Green beans, however, will literally keep for YEARS.

Looking about on the internet, extremely high quality green beens were readily available even in small lots, and at a lot less than we were paying for crappy supermarket roasts, even considering the freight.  So we bit the bullet and decided to do our own roasting.

Mungo and a bag of fair trade, organically grown, anti global warming,
radiation resistant, non-GMO, magically enhanced, highly literary,
multi lingual, trendy, style conscious, student loan deferring, internet friendly,
and possibly immortality conferring green beans, which, as you can see
are also highly effective at preventing hair loss.

Now, if you're thinking "how nice, the wonderful odor of fresh coffee throughout my vessel," uh, think again.  Roasting coffee REEKS.  It smells like 40 pounds of burning popcorn, and smokes up the place something awful, but honestly, guys, it's worth it for the result.

Here's how to start:  Rinse the beans in a colander, removing any remaining chaff and dust.  We recommend 8 oz. to a pound, max. They don't need to be dry to do this process, in fact, it's better if they start a bit damp.  Take a heavy vessel (we strongly recommend a cast iron dutch oven.....okay, so we pretty much recommend that for everything) and put it on the heat.  You want this thing screaming hot, around 500 degrees F.  Once you get it there, put the beans over heat and begin stirring (or shaking) and don't stop.  You don't need to be too aggressive (which would damage the beans) but you want them to heat evenly and to brown evenly.

Stir stir stir cough cough cough stir stir cough.....

You'll hear coffee roasters speak of the "first crack" and the "second crack."  These are literal noises made by the coffee as it roasts.  At about 5 minutes you'll see the beans begin to become golden brown, you'll see some smoke, and you'll here the unmistakeable "first crack" from the beans.  At this point, you have a very light roast, and the beans are palatable, so if that's what you like, you can stop there.  If not, proceed, dropping the temperature a bit to around 400 F. and continuing to stir or shake.  As the beans darken, the flavors become enriched and you'll begin to see oil coating the outside of the beans.  After about another 10 minutes you'll hear the "second crack" which, like popcorn, can actually be a bit violent, catapulting beans out of your pan.  At this point they'll begin to glisten with oil, and you're in the territory of the richest, darkest roasts.....you're also in the territory of charcoal and of ruining your coffee if you're not careful, so pay attention.  As soon as the beans are just shy of the way you like them, take them off the heat and spread them on a plate to cool.

Now THAT is coffee!  Oh yes.

And there you have fresh roasted coffee, fresher than anything you can buy and bring home. . .

. . . and a galley full of smoke, but trust me, its worth it.

If you find the roast isn't deep enough for your liking, you can simply put the coffee back on and roast it some more, even the next day if you like(by the way, this trick also works if you've bought store bought roasted beans and find them not roasted enough for your tastes).  The roasted, cooled beans can be bagged and should be stored in a cool, dry (or dry-ish, we do live on a boat after all) place.  Wait to grind them until just before you use them as whole beans stay fresher.

There you have it.  It's simple and makes a superior brew.  We recommend the French Press for coffees, but any method will taste better with fresh roasted beans.

Enjoy.

M

WINTER COOKING

Dinners served aboard the Floating Empire in the depths of winter tend heavily toward comfort food: warm, hearty one dish meals that are intended to feed and warm the soul as much as nourish the body.

Mungo's birthday meal in the making

If you have been following (hint, hint) Onboard Cooking you will likely remember that we only have a cooktop; no oven yet, and really only have one burner. Well, now that its gotten cold enough to have our kerosene heater running full time i will admit to 'cheating' a bit by utilizing the heater top to heat and cook things like potatoes, pasta, and with care, rice. Still and all most meals are made with one pot, one cook top. This does present a challenge: not just the practical physical aspects of getting it all done, but the ingenuity required to come up with interesting variations on the themes of soup and stew.

Chicken and Dumplings, oh so yummy!

From Mungo's birthday dinner of beef bourguignon, to cassoulet, to chicken and dumplings, the lovely stuffed peppers i made for dinner last night and all the beautiful Malaysian curries, soups and stews, we have been eating very well and, i need to point out, very affordably as well.

Without a doubt the best Chicken Curry soup, ever!

Mungo's birthday meal on the table!

I have heard the arguments repeatedly that people living on a fixed income or gasp, 'assistance' should only be eating pink slime, spam and nasty surplus canned vegetables and other packaged an over processed food; people kibble if you will. Nothing's further from the truth. Over-processed factory food has little nutritional value, leaves the eater undernourished, hungry and unhappy. Cooking and eating is about more than filling your belly and satisfying your cravings for sweet, salt or fat. It is about nourishing and sustaining life: about love and comfort. A well set table with beautiful, lovingly made food should be one of the most important centers of the home. It is here.

I think he liked it!

Bon appetite!

More later,
Morgainne

Comfort Food, Italian Style

I imagine that most of you immediately think of a pasta dish(carbonara anyone?) when confronted with a title like this; but i was really thinking of risotto, specifically my favorite, mushroom and spinach risotto. I know more than a few people who find this dish challenging and or too time consuming for the home cook, but this is simply not so! Yes, there is a fair amount of stove top diligence required to produce a really yummy, creamy risotto, but its not rocket science and only takes as long to make as any simple pasta dish with the added advantage of being a one pot meal.

So what does it take to make a great risotto? 1. The right rice! Arborio is the most common risotto rice.

Short Grain Arborio Rice

A risotto rice must be a short/medium grain, the typical long grain rice found in the supermarket will not do. It will break down, losing its shape and consistency in the face of all the liquid used, usually twice the amount used for a typical rice dish. The short grain rices will retain their ‘toothiness’, while exuding a lovely, creamy starchy sauce. 2. Excellent home made broth is best, but i will admit to many times reaching for the container of store bought chicken stock. Make sure that you use a low sodium! 3. Whatever ingredients you’ve chosen to highlight. Keep it simple, showcase one or two prime, seasonal ingredients. To make the risotto pictured here you will need the following. Please be aware that almost all of the ingredient measurements are approximate. I’m pretty sure that the only thing i actually measured was the rice.

4-6 CUPS BROTH, HOT **

1 CUP ARBORIO RICE

2TB OLIVE OIL

3-4 DRY SHITAKE MUSHROOMS, sliced

1 LARGE PIECE DRIED BLACK FUNGUS, sliced

4-6 MEDIUM WHITE OR PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS, sliced

1/2 MEDIUM RED ONION, SLIVERED

1 MEDIUM SHALLOT, DICED

1-2 CLOVES GARLICE, MINCED

1# FROZEN, CHOPPED SPINACH

1/2TSP EACH, FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER, RED PEPPER FLAKES, THYME

1 TSP OREGANO

FRESH GRATED NUTMEG, TO TASTE, BUT AT LEAST 1/2 TSP

1-2 OUNCES BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES

1-2 OUNCES SHREDDED SWISS OR MOZZARELLA CHEESE

**The amount of broth you will use depends on the age of your rice and of course your own personal taste, how juicy do you like your risotto? I usually use about four cups.

Start by soaking the dried  mushrooms in two cups hot water for at least twenty minutes.

Soaking dried mushrooms and some homemade chicken stock

While the mushrooms are soaking prep all the rest of your ingredients. Drain the mushrooms, squeeze out the excess moisture, making sure to save the mushroom water which you can use for part of your broth. Heat the olive oil and gently saute the onion, shallot and garlic, do not allow to brown.

Three Fungi, no waiting

Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until they start to wilt and give off moisture. Add the rest of the mushrooms, stir to coat with the oil. Add the rice, stirring to coat evenly with the oil and saute for a few minutes.

Raise the heat to medium high and pour in one cup of the broth, it should be bubbling merrily, stir until almost all of the broth is absorbed. Usually this only takes a few minutes. Turn the heat down a little now and add more broth a half a cup or so at a time, stirring gently to make sure nothing is sticking to the pan. At this point you should add all of the seasoning except the nutmeg.

Developing its wonderful, creamy texture

At this time you can pour yourself a glass of wine, go to the bathroom, set the table, etc. Just make sure that you come back and continue the stirring and broth addition every few minutes. The entire process, once you start adding the broth will take about twenty minutes. How will you know when its done? The rice should be tender, but retain its shape and have a little tooth (a la dente, like a good pasta). There should be a good robing of a creamy ‘sauce’ still visible. Add the spinach, and cook until its hot all the way through, add the cheeses and stir until they are almost melted.

Add the Spinach, Nutmeg, and Cheeses

Grate in the nutmeg and check the seasoning. Serve immediately, preferably on hot plates. This will serve four people.

Hot, Rich, and Steamy

So what makes comfort food? Certainly one factor is childhood tastes; although, since so many of us were picky eaters as children; it might be better to characterize comfort food as a taste of home, the aroma of love, the result of care, an act of magic that takes simple, everyday ingredients and transforms them into a culinary delight.

Trail Pizza (No, not that kind)

This was a wonderful culinary side trip, and we thought we’d share it with you.  Near where we are moored on Middle River, just a bit north of Baltimore Md, is the lovely little nature center at Marshy Point.  We’ve come to love Marshy Point. It has some great hiking trails, wonderful views of the water, and an astonishingly active nature center full of exhibits, a whole range of programs and workshops, a great staff, and an entertaining host of rescued critters including ducks, chickens, and a turkey, that live at the center.

One of the coolest programs we hit there recently involved foraging for, making, and wood firing pizzas using wild found toppings.  

No one said getting Cattail tuber was easy

Not even for John, who is presumably used to this.  Mucky stuff.

John, one of the excellent staff there, first took us on a walking tour of the trails and cultivation sites to collect ingredients.  Some of the stuff local to here included cattail root (which grows near you.  No, seriously, I don’t think there’s anywhere on the planet where it DOESN’T grow that isn’t permafrost or outright desert), wild carrot (also known as Queen Ann’s Lace), dandelion leaf and root, wild onion, and the star of the show this afternoon, Jerusalem Artichoke (also called Sunchoke. . . .actually the name is a total misnomer.  It’s not an artichoke and has nothing whatsoever to do with Jerusalem.  The plant is a sunflower relative, and early Italian settlers to the New World called it girasole, Italian for sunflower.  The English, typically, mispronounced it. ). 

Jerusalem Artichoke and a bit of wild carrot

We brought our booty back to the center and constructed a couple of pizzas from provided pizza dough and tomato sauce and cheese, then off to the Center’s outdoor earthen oven—made from locally dug clay— to fire them up.

Ready to go

If you’re not familiar with wood fired earthen ovens, these things are HOT. 

Eat your heart out, Surface of Venus

Temperatures nearing 900F are possible, and they retain heat for hours.  There’s no chimney, no grate, no nothing.  You build the fire in the center of the oven, and when it’s hot, you rake the coals to the side, use a wet mop of strips of cloth to swab out the ashes, hit the center with a bit of corn meal (which prevents sticking and lets you know if the oven is hot enough/too hot. 

Move the coals

swab the oven floor

In they go.

If it burns immediately, you need to cool things off a bit), and then slide the pizzas off of the peel and onto the floor of the oven.  At those temperatures, it only takes a couple of minutes.

All done

Yeah, I know it's too hot, I'm slicing it anyway.

The results were surprisingly delicious (The turkey and a couple of the chickens hung out just to see if maybe we dropped something.  They were not disappointed.).

Drop something, dammit!

  The Jerusalem Artichoke lends a wonderful, mellow, nutty flavor to things. 

Oh, yum!

Really, this was better than a lot of restaurant pizzas I’ve had.

Yeah, we killed two of these in about three minutes.

Nice job, guys.  Marshy Point Nature Center is a local treasure.

Now we just have to talk our marina into letting us build one of these clay ovens.

Hey check out our other blogs, Floating Empire and Life, Art, Water.  You'll be glad you did.

Mungo

Cheap Chicken and Dumplings and other things

CHEAP CHICKEN

You cannot beat a store roasted chicken in terms of meals for your dollar. I mean really you can’t even buy a roasting chicken to cook as cheaply as the chickens that are offered at your local market; plus you don’t have to cook it! Okay that can be a down side as well as a benefit. If you live and shop where there are Giant Supermarkets they have a couple of different seasoning styles; ranging from honey, Chesapeake, plain or my own personal favorite, Bourbon. Not to mention they do cheap chicken Fridays, where the bird is only $5. Our local market, Gersbecks, does a good plain chicken that sells every day for $5.99. Granted that all of these chickens are on the small side, still Mungo and I can always get three meals, at least out of one these birds, do the math people!

Meal one is almost always chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, or stuffing. I’ve just started to play with stove top dressing and am not happy with the result to date. Next time i will try making it in the dutch oven. Meal two this time around was chicken and dumplings.

 It was a cold rainy day and a yummy chicken stew with lots of veggies really hit the spot. You should note that the best dumpling recipes call for buttermilk, something that most of us do not keep in the fridge on a regular basis. Certainly living aboard there’s not really room for an extra quart sized container our 3.1 cubic foot refrigerator Not to mention after using the 1/2 cup or so of buttermilk the rest of it usually sits in the fridge until it goes really bad. Buttermilk, however, is really easy to make. Just measure out your regular milk, 1 cup, in a glass container and add between 3 - 4 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar, stir it up and thirty minutes later you have buttermilk. Mungo and i can never eat all the dumplings you can make from a normal recipe, leftover dumplings just don’t cut it with me. However leftover dumpling batter will keep overnight with refrigeration and it is really easy to make awesome fruit dumplings for breakfast the next day. Try them with blueberries and maple syrup!  Yum yum, but i digress.

Meal three is almost always a chicken salad or some sort. There are as many variations on chicken salad as there are cooks; but in my humble opinion there should always be chicken (well, duh!), celery, some sort of onion, mayo and of course in summer served on or in a perfect vine ripened tomato!

Bon appetite!

More later,

Morgainne