Growing food and community (and chickens in town, we hope)

All things food and community have been under way this spring in SO IL. Two months ago, the local farmer's market opened for the season, and last month we started receiving our weekly CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) deliveries from Clearcreek CSA. A bonus with the CSA this year is visiting with the other members each week. We volunteered our house to be the drop-off/meeting point for the bi-weekly deliveries. Stocked with a cooler full of beverages and the occasional homemade fixings, we've been able to enjoy visits with Adam and Anne (Clearcreek proprietors) and the CSA members who have the time to visit. It's amazing how well a "cooler full" can coax a person to sit down and chat for thirty minutes or so. Who says barley and hops can't build community?

via Modern Coop

On other things food related, we're still anxious to hear the city council's decision about raising hens in town. Last February, there had been some press in the local paper about the matter (even the addition of miniature goats to the proposed city ordinance apparently made oh-so-informative USA TODAY), but it's been pretty quiet lately. Regardless, I've been looking for chicken coop ideas. Fortunately, there are even a few ideas out there with a modern/contemporary aesthetic. For example, Modern Coop uses reclaimed cedar. (Well, well, well...it so happens that I have a leftover cedar board or two from the finished courtyard fence--I'll make a post about that one soon). The Cocorico Hen House also got me thinking about alternative uses for the super-flexible PVC pipes used for outdoor electrical conduit. Other store-bought varieties are produced by Omlet in the UK and the stateside ChickenCribs. Oh, the possibilities.

Cocorico Hen House by Maxime Evrard via Yanko Design

St. Louis in Spring (or, well, late winter)

Ok, so it's been awhile. The last post was two months ago, and I have a lot of catching up to do. We've been busy working, getting the garden together, completing an endless list of house projects, and finding time to enjoy the end (I hope) of winter.

This week is spring break here, so yesterday we decided to get in our St. Louis fix. It was a perfect day for visiting old favorites and some new spots. First up was lunch at Pho Grand. Last year, Sauce Magazine listed it as the best Vietnamese Restaurant in St. Louis. Our meal was ok. I just think we need to explore the menu a little further next time. We had asked for suggestions, and it seemed like we got the lowest common denominators (i.e., mild beef dish and a basic chicken curry). Why we didn't opt for something with lemongrass, I have no idea.

via Pho Grand

Next, we headed to The Future Antique. We've been in search of a mid-century china cabinet, and I think we found a winner. (More on that later.)

via TFA

Then, we headed over to a garden supply store I read about in a recent issue of Organic Gardener. Bowood Farms is an amazing space (converted from an old auto garage) with a fantastic restaurant, Osage Cafe. For the garden, we picked up asparagus, red potatoes (no fingerlings, unfortunately), rhubarb, arugula, and onions. We also had a mid-day snack. It was the perfect stop and a place we'll visit again. By mid-April they should have chili pepper starters (just in case my seeds don't take off).

via Bowood Farms

Next, we headed to The Loop area of Delmar Avenue. What a great spot. Our favorite stops are City Sprouts and Star Clipper.

via The Loop

Finally, we ended the day with our Trader Joe's run. We had considered having dinner at Schlafly, but decided to get home a little earlier. That night, we curled up with the latest issue of Sauce Magazine and planned our next culinary adventure in the Big Brick City.

via Sauce Magazine

Dreams of a Brick Oven

via Frankie G's

Imagine a full day of cooking--or rather, baking--in the backyard. First, the pizzas, then breads, then cobblers. This is what makes having a brick oven very appealing, and here are the resources I've found for inspiration thus far. There is a perfect spot in the backyard just begging for "proper" use. hmmm....

The two books that have inspired a lot of folks out there are Your Brick Oven and The Bread Builders.

And here are a few links for inspiration:

1) Brian's Brick Oven Folly - Plenty of pictures and helpful tips, especially the detailed images of how the brick oven actually works.

2) Frankie G's Wood-Fired Pizza Oven - More pictures. Similar techniques as above for forming the domed oven interior.

3) Matt Considine: Building a Brick Oven - The most comprehensive site, as far as photographs go, for the entire process. This makes the project seem a little too daunting.

4) Gulland Oven - Here's a relatively simple design for the base and an oven the apparently does not need a chimney.

5) Mike's Brick Oven - Igloo design.

6) Forno Bravo - Ok, so maybe with the (limited) time and (little) patience I really have, buying an oven would be a more realistic alternative. I would still have to assemble a base with the modular option, or go the easy (and more expensive) route with the assembled one.

7) Superior Clay 36" Oven - Another purchase option.

A guy buys 6 jugs of rum... (or Happy Holidays)

Ah, yes, the holiday season is upon us. That means decking the halls and lovin' the libations. Speaking of which, we started something last year that is quickly becoming a yearly tradition: giving our friends and family homemade spiced rum. The inspiration came from a super simple recipe in Luscious Liqueurs. All you need is:

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (we suggest fresh)
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 cups white rum
3/4 cup simple syrup (add in week 2)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
and 5 weeks

Sure, you can buy pre-made spiced rum, but it doesn't compare. We're also trying a new recipe for homemade chocolate liquor. We'll hold out on the recipe until success is confirmed. It's basically cocoa nibs and whole vanilla beans in white rum, which should be excellent any way you shake it. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Soldiers lined up for the occupation (of our holidays)

Spring Sprang '09

Ah, Saturday. A break from the usual grid is always good, but this weekend was really great. The weather's finally beginning to act like spring (although they're predicting snow for Monday). Early Saturday morning, I prepared the new garden beds before we ventured to the farmers' market to pick up some herbs. It was the market's opening weekend, so there were only a handful of sellers compared to the peak summer months. While there, we were also able to pick up a few pounds of 100% grass-fed and finished beef from Lick Creek, our favorite local provider. They're just down the road, so we hope to visit the farm soon. Later, we planted the herbs in the livestock tank. I had to drill holes in its bottom to provide proper drainage. It was awful; I felt like Emmet Otter ruining the washtub. (Did anyone else see Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas when they were a kid?) Josey had a great time digging in the dirt, playing with worms, and helping to plant the herbs. Finally, we capped off the afternoon with free food at the Schlafly tasting at Kindling in Carterville, which will be our new stop for all things wet and spirited. Kindling (website under construction) has been getting quite a bit of positive buzz around here. Their recent Belgium Beer pairings dinner seemed to be well received on several blogs, including the Beer Philosopher. (Here's the menu.) A lot of folks around here were excited to see that they're carrying Dogfish Head beer (a favorite of ours, too, when we lived in Boston). We bought a pack of Breckenridge Brewery's agave wheat, which is quite good. As they say out in MA, "We've got ourselves a great packy, now."

Mind the Processed Foods

Neighborhood COOP

Recently, we started to pay a lot more attention to where we get our food and the kinds of food we consume. Admittedly, we are one more convert to the Michael Pollen and Alice Waters way of living. Be it the Omnivore's Dilemma or Slow Food or Food Matters or King Corn, we're sold on the importance of organic, locally grown, non-processed food. And we don't plan on this conscious eating becoming a fad. As a result, we have (finally) become members/owners of our local COOP grocery store and bought a "share" in a recently opened C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, Clear Creek Farm. We're also in the middle of preparing plots in our yard to grow herbs and additional vegetables. We may end up with more boc choy than we know what to do with, but that's what neighbors and friends are for—outlets for "over production." Besides, it will be worth it for our health and the environment.
—Grant