Yeah, I combined ‘em, since to a certain extent they combined each other.  The quality has been great and so I’ve been able to stretch certain items from week to week.  I won’t index every single thing we got; instead I’ll focus on the ideas and recipes that really work and put an [S] beside any Spud items.  [SL] will denote local.  I know myself well enough to know that no matter how disciplined I am I won’t find uses for 3 straight weeks of mushrooms, so I did deviate somewhat from the local mandate and ordered some stuff that I really wanted in addition to the local crops…now that the warmer weather is here I expect we’ll be seeing more variety in the local goods.  All right, here we go: (more…)

I am shamelessly stealing Amanda Marcotte’s CSA series on Pandagon since we enrolled in Spud!, an organic/local food delivery service that I’ve been jonesing for for a coupla years.  This was only our first week and I’m not sure how much mojo I’ll have to keep posting after the twins are bornded, but the quality was high and I was inspired by what I was able to make with fairly little exertion.  Also, this post contains one of my classic foundational greens recipes that I make constantly.  Check it out, see if you dig it.

They're just so damn pretty

What we got: [local] shiitakes, cremini, white mushrooms, mixed bean sprouts, spartan apples [organic but from elsewhere] pears, kale, green chard, yellow onions

What I had before just kickin’ around: the little leftovers of a bunch of different kinds of organic weapons-grade rice:  primarily Lundberg blends but some wild, long grain brown, and red, all thrown together during the moving and cleaning process, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, garlic, Bragg’s, lemon juice, sesame seeds, olive oil, S&P, dried thyme, Earth Balance, celery (more…)

I held off on the previous two posts cause I thought they were unreflective of how I actually feel, which is:  great.  They do have some funky ideers in them, though, if I do say so myself [even if most of the ideers are borrowed if not outright stolen].  Yup, it’s been a tremendous winter and some of the contributing factors are delineated below:

1.  Finally shelled out for the iPad.  I’m still figuring out how it hooks up with the WordPress app and am so far having minimal luck with my style of blog posting [i.e.:  irregular, dilettantish, and when finally prepared, overcomplicated] but it’s perfect for everything else I want to do…primarily having access to the Internet as close to my frontal lobe as possible.  It’s durable, cuddly, shiny and small.  Definitely looking forward to travelling with it, although I haven’t had as many travel opportunities in ’10 as in ’09.

2.  Christine and I will be teaching an advanced workshop at Yoga For The People on Sunday January 30 2011 from 12:30 to 3:30.  Watch this space for details.

3.  I get to teach at the stunning Inner Space on Thursday nights from 5:30 to 6:45.  It makes me feel so good just being there.  If you’ve never been, check it out.

4.  Yaletown Yoga will be closed for renovations from Dec. 10 through Dec. 20.  Until its new gorgeousness is unveiled, catch me at Inner Space above or Big Rock Friday.

Just one; I am full of babies. Whattaya need?

5a).  Being pregnant with twins is way more awesome than I had been led to believe.  Thank Everything for Anusara yoga, without which I am really not sure how I would cope with this new body in the context of yoga or at least what I previously thought yoga was about.  For front body softness, thigh loop, muscular energy in the legs to alleviate SI pain…but mostly front body softness and trusting the divine…thanks John.  Srsly.  It’s so sweet to be able to continue with an active practice and not be treated like a fragile delicate flower just because OMG THE CORE.  Handstands and forearm balance feel the best, with backbends a close second.  Oh, and eating whatever I want.  [Side rant:  Why is this only permissible when in the ostensibly self-sacrificial mode of gestating humans?  Whoops, I forgot this is supposed to be a non-grumpy post.]

5b) This is why I haven’t posted too much:  because while of course this is a big deal in my world I haven’t wanted to write about it.  It’s like very quiet music that only I can hear, and while I could conceivably gas on and on about the subjective inner experience, it can be alienating and/or tedious.  It’s also a very sensitive topic.  Now that they are getting a bit bigger, and hopefully more stable, and people are getting out of my way when I go to the mall, I suppose it’s more public-domain.  I am terribly pleased, though

6.  It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  I wish it was snowing more, mostly because I got the first proper winter coat I’ve had since university, and also because I enjoy the State of Emergency snow provides here on the West Coast…or, well, to be perfectly clear, I enjoy not SUCCUMBING to the State of Emergency that seems to prevail because it makes me feel tough, and you all know how much I like to feel tough.  Stay warm, everyone.  Happy Hanukkwanzmas.

You know, this used to be a blog that nobody actually read and that was oddly satisfying as I toiled away in relative obscurity.  Now I see by my clever little Google Analytics that somebody is actually Googling “Who Is Sjanie McInnis” like I was Carmen San Diego.  Somebody told me once that I should keep Heavy Metta all business…all yoga, all the time, only the finest amateur yogic journalism, where you always get exactly what you pay for and then some.  I took that to heart until I realized that THIS is my business:  pottering around the house, growing things and cooking them, obsessively rewatching science fiction, dancing in my living room to DJ Neil Armstrong [who, whoa, got famous at some point, look at that!].   My yogic chops may be questionable [levitating is out of the question] but by God I sure am good at pottering around the house.  Consider Exhibits A through F, if it please the court. (more…)

4 lbs buffalo meat [I used chuck roast] in stewing cubes

nom nom nom

2 pieces bacon, chopped in lardons i.e. little slices; I actually diced mine and that was excellent
1 cooking onion, diced
1 piece celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
Can tomato paste, waiting for the glorious day when it comes in resealable containers because you never need a whole can….what you really need is 2 tbsp so if you have that kicking around, God bless you, check to see that it’s not moldy because that always happens to me
Bouquet garni [fancy French term for a big bundle of fresh herbs: I get to use my silicon food-tie for this purpose: rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley]
3 cups beef stock
Half a litre bouncy young red wine, this time around was an inexpensive [=cheap] organic Sangiovese, but we’ve used Beaujolais in the past and of course the classic Burgundy would not go amiss…I wonder if a Malbec would suit?
2 cups tiny mushrooms; if tiny ones are not available, I’m sorry. But you can quarter normal mushrooms and use them instead
24 pearl onions; use peeling them as a meditation of sorts
2 firm-fleshed potatoes e.g. Yukon Gold, cut into 2 cm cubes

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Being sick is for chumps.  I’ve been home for 11 days.  The bright side, if this situation can be said to have a bright side, is that my lying-around-on-the-couch chops are really honed in time for the post-season.  Also, let the record show that yes we overprescribe antibiotics and yes “Western medicine” is scrip-happy, but when you need antibiotics YOU NEED THEM.  I presented with the kind of throat infection that made my dr. say “Eurgh!” when I said “aaaah”.  You get no countercultural points staying at home with a fever.

Now that I’m lucid and mobile enough to prepare my own food, here’s an immune-boosting brothstravaganza that soothes the savage throat.  Inspired by phó but beefless:

In a medium soup pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil with:

3 cloves garlic, skins on, flattened with the side of a knife
2 oz. dried mushrooms [we used chanterelles because that's what we had; shiitake would be even better]
1 thumb sized piece of ginger; peel it, set aside about a knuckle-sized peeled chunk, slice the rest thinly and put the thin slices and the peel in the water

That's what the julienne peeler does for the carrot

3 dried Thai chilis
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
the top and tail of a carrot [you'll need the rest below]
the top and tail and leaves of a celery stick [see below]
the top, tail, and half of a white onion, sliced [now you're gettin' it]
5 stars of star anise
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp kosher salt

This whole shootin’ match should be brought to a boil, then lowered to simmer, and simmered for as long as you can stand it or until all the colour has been leached out of your veggies and your whole house smells like star anise. Strain and RESERVE THE LIQUID; throw away the spices and veggies. Set stock aside.

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Is it a salad?  Is it a stir-fry?  Who can say, in these challenging pre-Olympian days?  Alls I know is, it’s good, and it’s not expensive.

You will need:

1 bunch coriander, washed and de-stemmed

om nom nom nom nom

1 block extra firm tofu cut into 1 cm cubes [w00t metric system]
1 red pepper in 1 cm dice [I'm-a roll with it]
1 bunch bok choy, sliced
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp Bragg’s [Tamari would work but might be a bit oppressive]
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 packet broad rice noodles, soaked in boiling water, rinsed and set aside
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
Sesame seeds

In a blender, purée half of the bunch of coriander with the rice vinegar, Bragg’s, and chili-garlic sauce.  A bit of water can help it “flow” a bit better.  In a bowl or Tupperware, pour this blended mixture over the tofu cubes and set aside.

In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high.  Sauté the red pepper and the substantial parts of the bok choy for a couple of minutes.  Throw in the rice noodles, tofu cubes and dressing.  Stir thoroughly.  Add the thin parts of the bok choy leaves and the rest of the coriander, coarsely chopped [you can keep some aside for garnish or if you're all coriandered-out; my feelings on this fine herb are well known].  Keep stirring until the leaves are wilted and the mixture is heated through.  Toss with dark sesame oil.  You can serve now with sesame seeds on top or set it aside to cool and it’ll be most excellent the next day.  Also.

Tastes best when you watch it with the football episode of Glee.

This is without a doubt the best garden we’ve ever had.  True, it’s just a little corner deck, but we’ve been working on it for 7 years and

These are the sweet 100s. This plant is twice this size by now (this was taken in June)

this year has been by far the most proper “crops” [such as they are] of tomatoes and lettuce.

These pics are when they were green and I have been a) too hungry and b) not organized enough to take pics of a harvest, when we go out for the San Marzanos and Sweet 100s and make good fresh pasta or salads.  Linguini with halved cherry and mini-orange tomatoes, tossed with some of our unusually successful basil and chives, with butter and fresh Padano, is quite the last-minute snack…but is far too pretty not to eat immediately after a long day of teaching.  Sorry.

The lettuce was something I’ve been meaning to do for years and every single year I tried it it bolted before we ever got anywhere.  What I did this year was wait for months, way

yummi lettus

after when you are supposed sow it, even right into the heat wave.  Inexplicably no bolting…just delicate Grand Rapids, Buttercrunch, a red leaf variety that I forget the name of, and a bit of baby red chard thrown in for good measure.  It makes me wish we’d planted the white beans this year.  I have a feeling it would have been a good one.

And some interblog miscellany.  Btw, M really is watching American Idol.  I’m keeping a safe distance.

Stupid blackberry pictures; it looks like leftovers. IT'S FRESH.

I wanted you guys to know that I made the quinoa salad up with barley ’cause I ran out of quinoa and it was actually great, maybe even better in terms of consistency, cause barley is such a toothy grain that it soaked up the dressing and extra liquid in the veggies in a most marvellous way.  Here’s a variation that includes black beans, some heirloom tomatoes, a bit of crumbled feta, wilted [on purpose!] kale, and half a shallot that I rescued from the fridge.

Also, some of you have expressed interest in a mala, and I’m happy to make one for you to your specifications [or just freestyle one], but I gotta be honest:  these stones weren’t cheap:  depending on what you want I’d love to hook you up but be prepared to set aside some coin for materials.  If you’re STILL interested in spite of my baleful fiscal caveat, please let me know in comments or email me at my first name backwards at gmail dot com.

OH AND!  I think for Mayday this year it’s time to bring back Big Rock Fridays.  And by “bring back” I mean going all the way back:  Big Rock Friday I, the jam that started it all, back when we only had 35 people in there instead of 229 [Note to building inspectors:  /sarcasm/].  My original intention was to create a set of wicked awesome playlists that we could play with every Friday and I think we have enough wicked awesomeness to proceed, don’t you?

This was far FAR too amazing not to link to.  This guy is…well, just watch the thing, would you?

Okay, now M’s watching Notorious, a bit better, although it’s worth noting that just in time for the return of BRF Classic, Slash will be the guest on American Idol next week.  COINCIDENCE??!?!?!?/1?!??!slashslash??one?!  I gave up believing in coincidences a long time ago, actually.

I was sitting around bemoaning the paucity of recent posts on this blog [cause, you know, it's not like I write it or anything] and M decided to contribute in the interests of general bloggery: his apartment-famous chili recipe. This is a chili non carne, e.g. vegetarian, but meaters can feel free to bite his style where relevant [spice blends &c.]. Total cooking time is minimum 95 minutes [we know this because it took as long as it takes to watch Titan AE]

You will need:

1 serrano chili
1 small cooking onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried whole rosemary
1/2 tsp dried whole thyme leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp canola oil ["a good blurble", and I quote]
1 tbsp olive oil [presumably as above]
4 cups white mushrooms, cut into quarters
3 sweet bell peppers [a medley of colours is nice, like one orange, one red, and one yellow...but NOT green], cut into 1″ sided triangles
1 zucchini, cut into quarters and then 1/2″ wedges
1 bag of frozen corn OR 3 cobs’ worth of fresh corn kernels
1 package Yves’ Mexican Ground Round OR you could use TVP in a pinch
1 can each: red kidney beans, black beans, and navy beans, all drained and rinsed thoroughly. You know, I used to think you saved money buying the conventionally grown beans. But then I started to realize that each can contained about 45% beans in the c.g. cans, whereas the organic cans are so packed full of beans that space-time compresses slightly around each can, which makes them heavy to carry but well worth the effort and minimal extra cost.
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes [M likes Unico]
1 can tomato paste
Pinch dried habanero pepper powder [Please do not literally pinch the habanero powder. This saga is worth a whole blog post in and of itself. You know, if you don't have dried habanero powder, then you're a normal civilian, and you can use a couple shakes of chili powder. And I quote, "Or, you know....to taste...like what your heat tolerance is...(and then a pregnant pause)"]
1/4 bottle Corona [What you do with the rest is up to you.]
1/4 cup water
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

In the food processor, mince serrano, onion and garlic. Set aside.

In a mortar and pestle, grind all dried herbs and spices [EXCEPT the habanero] and kosher salt. The salt helps abrade and wear down the seed casings and dried cellulose of dried spices, so let it work for you. When ground as finely as you can, sift through a fine sieve or mesh strainer to remove any remaining shells/husks. Discard shells/husks. Set spice mix aside.

In The Blue Pot, an enamelled cast-iron casserole, or heavy large pot of your choice, heat canola oil over high heat. Add mushrooms and a couple of shakes of salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Saute, stirring well, for about 7-8 minutes or until browned and releasing their juices. Add food-processed aromatics and stir to combine. Saute together until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add Yves’ ground round and stir to combine.

SPOON OR FORK??

Add dried spice/salt mix from mortar and breathe deeply, a.k.a. huff it a little. Stir to combine. Once everything seems heated through and browned, deglaze with Corona and water [you get a sort of mushroom-based gravy here]. It’s at this point that pretty much everything else goes in: corn, peppers, zucchini, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and drained/rinsed beans. You’ll regret not purchasing that chin-up bar when it comes time to stir this all together, but do so as best as you can. It seems like it’s about to bust out of your pot but it will render down.

Here’s where the habanero powder comes in. If you add it too soon it maces your whole apartment/house. Add that sucker and STIR THOROUGHLY. Lower heat to medium [depending on the heat of your stovetop you may wish to lower to medium-low]. Cook time from this point is close to an hour. Simmer uncovered, stirring often. More stirring creates more “bean gravy”, the ostensible point of this chili. The goal, I’m told, is to have your spoon standing straight up in the pot.

Serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro, and some Kevlar protective gear.