Is there something called Bloggers block. If there is I’ve had it. I’ve been whirling in circles, writing and deleting blog posts in my head and never quite making it to the computer to get anything down. It’s partly because I’m not sure what I have to say. Because I’ve been having a hard time to stay true to local, local, local, even in the middle of the summer. For example, last week I bought eggplant from a street vendor on St. Nicholas Avenue. I have no idea where it came from. I have no idea if it was local or organic. But it looked really nice. It was there and it was $1/lb. I felt like a bit like a renegade. I also bought avocados, which are never local. I know, I’m a real rebel.
In case you didn’t notice. I’ve taken a tiny break from blogging. In fact, I noticed it’s been more than a month since my last post. I’ve been doing more or less what I have come to do – my sustainable practice – but I’ve been less than perfect. I’ve eaten a lot more take out than I should have which has made garbage. I haven’t been reading as much and I’ve been more interested in writing about other things.
It’s hard to decide what to share in the blog and what to keep private. Even though I know most of my readers are actually people I know, the open conversation when it comes to more personal matters makes me a bit squeamish. I guess I’m showing my age. In a post-everything world, nobody really cares. But I do. So, the reason I stopped posting is pretty much economic. I left my job. It was time and I am glad to be moving on to new opportunities, but still, it was a shake up. And without the security of a paycheck, it has really made me think twice about the expense of organic and local food. Which brings me back to my eggplant and avocados on St. Nicholas Avenue.
Up and down the streets of 181st and St. Nicholas Avenue, there are street vendors with fresh fruits and vegetables being sold for super cheap prices — a buck for a cantaloupe, 2 avocados for a buck fifty – what impact does it make on the food infrastructure does it have to buy from them. Is it better to buy organic from a big corporation like Whole Foods? There’s got to be some value in supporting people who may have limited ways to make a living and who are bring fresh produce to an inner city neighborhood
Think twice does not mean abandon. Because the truth of the matter is that I love going to the farmers market, meeting farmers and getting tips. We have lost a lot of our know-how when it comes to cooking and sustaining ourselves. But, as I’ve been spending more time looking for a job, I’ve had even less time to beef up on the latest. It’s another reason behind my blogger’s block. Still, the fact is, I’m still composting, cooking from scratch and more or less buying local. Writing about it, helps me remember, that it’s worth the trouble.
A corny question:
Most people think corn in the husk keeps the corn fresher. But according to a farmer at the Tuesday market, it’s better to husk the corn, put it in a Ziploc bag and store it in the fridge. She said husking delays the sugar breaking down and keeps the corn fresher and sweeter. I can’t seem to verify this on the Internet – I’m getting conflicting opinions. All I know is that I followed her advice, husked the corn on Tuesday, ate in on Thursday and it was pretty freakin’ good.
To husk or not to husk? Any other opinions out there?
I’ve been reading a book about how to make canned goods, pickle, and create dairy products ect. Have you tried making your own yogurt yet, I don’t recall seeing it here; it’ll most likely be cheaper and gets prevents garbage.
The book is The Urban Homestead, by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen:
Here’s an excerpt on making Whole Milk Ricotta: “genuine ricotta is made out of whey…you can make your own… ricotta using whole milk. [ingredients]
1/2 gallon organic whole milk. Pasteurized milk is fine, ultra-pasteurized (UP) is not.
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, or more to taste.
1 In a large pot mix milk together the milk, salt and lemon juice.
2 Heat milk up to 185, while stirring to prevent burning.
3 As the temperature rises you will start to see the curds separate from the liquid. When milk gets to 185 turn of the heat and let it set for 10 minutes.
4 Take a colander and line it with muslin. Ladle the curds carefully into the muslin, tie up the corners and let it drain for 30 minutes.
5. You can eat the cheese immediately or store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.” I’m going to make cheese this weekend, so I’ll tell you how it went.
I’ve heard that making ricotta is easy. I bet it’s delicious. My father used to make yogurt and I have a friend who does, but I haven’t tried it yet. There is a local place that’s biodynamic and does great yogurt. I decided a while back to stick with them. But I would be into making ricotta cheese. It’s expensive and there are times I just need a bit. Let me know how it goes.
The yogurt ended well, but the ricotta is not as cost-effective.
Hmnn. I really wanted to try the ricotta. It took too much milk?
Actually, with the whole organic milk it was better.
Corn seemed to evaporate from the grocery early this year. Was it my imagination?
Don’t have any advice on the husk vs not husk. I generally husk my corn in the store to reduce the mess at home (and to have a look at the ear before I buy it).