Several Uses for Cabbage

Cabbage's cheap, yummy, healthy and has a long shelf life. What's not to love about it. And as soon as the fresh dark green savoy (or non-savoy for that matter) start showing up at the farmer's market, I end up in a crisis to use up all the overwhelming quantities that I buy.

Ways to use it up (because you always end up with SO MUCH, right?):

• Raw Salted Cabbage Leafs - would have never thought to do this until I saw my dad doing it. Turns out is super yummy
• Thai Larb - this recipe uses lettuce, but IMO, cabbage cups are WAY better
• Indian Spiced Curry Kraut
• Traditional Sauerkraut
• Kimchi (there are so many good kraut recipes. I could keep going here). 
• Egg Rolls
• Upgraded Instant Ramen Noodles - Add shredded cabbage, fresh ginger, fish oil, lemon juice, red pepper, thai basil, sesame oil, shrimp/chicken/tofu, small amount of soy (you get the idea)
• Vinagrette Based Cole Slaw
• Galumpkis (stuffed cabbage leaves)
• Vegetarian Galumpkis
• Fish Tacos (or any taco for that matter, just put vinagrette based cole slaw on it instead of lettuce)
• Stir Fry
• Chicken Yakisoba - I can't get enough of this one
• Creamy cabbage soup - there's a million variations of this, but basically chicken broth, whole milk, cabbage, salt and pepper alone it yummy.
• Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup: Literally delicious with just those 2 ingredients (add water and maybe pepper and salt to taste). You can sub chicken broth if you want. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, but the cabbage and kielbasa are the stars here and most anything else takes away from it, IMO. 
• Cabbage added to almost any soup, really. 

Healthy Homemade Coconut Milk Strawberry Ice Cream

Adapted from Wellness Mama

I'm far more likely to have coconut milk in the house than 3 cups of cream and 3 cups of half-and-half, so not only is this more healthy than traditional ice cream, but I actually have the ingredients too. Win win.

Ingredients

• 2 cans of coconut milk
• ½ cup of honey, sugar, agave nectar, or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 pound of fresh strawberries

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients minus a handful of whole strawberries. Chop those strawberries in half and toss into the blended mix. 
2. Mix in ice cream maker according to it's directions

Homemade Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut. So nutritious. So yummy. So cheap. Just do it. 

• Medium-Small Fresh Cabbage with loose outer leaves removed finely sliced (not chopped). Using a mandolin is best. 
• 1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1.5 Tbsp sea salt (no iodine)
• Toss together in a large bowl. Tamp into mason jar in layers using a meat tenderizer mallet (it's hard to over tamp. give it a good effort)
• If cabbage is already covered in it's own brine, great, you're done. If not, wait a couple hours, come back, tamp some more if necessary. If it's still not covered, make up a brine that tastes about as salty as typical kraut. Pour it over the cabbage. 
• Now you just want to keep every single piece of cabbage under that brine. If you want, you can cut out a circular piece of thick green cabbage leaf to sit on top (it needs to stay submerged too). Then fill up a small glass or water (or some sort of weight) to sit on top and hold the cabbage down. 
• Lay a light cloth on top to keep out dust. Let ferment for 1-3 weeks (speed varies by temperature). Supposedly the best tasting is at slightly lower room temperatures over more time. The warmer it is, the faster it goes. 
• Keep tasting periodically to see if it tastes ready. It will stink in a less pleasant way the first few days, so don't worry about that yet. If you see mold / spots appear on top (because a bit of cabbage touched the air), just scoop out that piece of cabbage and the spots and wipe down the side of the glass. 
• Once it's ready, just keep it in the fridge. If you eat it fairly soon after sticking in the fridge, it will be a fair but crunchier than store bought kraut (much yummier, I think). I like cutting up just a bit of darker green leaves. Prettier that way. 

Note: homemade kraut has the beneficial bacteria in it where as store bought has been pasteurized and all bacteria (the good stuff) is killed. 

Simple Healthy Food Time & Money Savers

Lately, I've been busier than usual. It's often tempting to get fast food or buy foods that are already made (which is very difficult to find if your criteria is inexpensive and healthy). So this is a small list of time saving healthy foodies, I've come across, that don't break the bank.

Simply cabbage and carrots and in the right quantity. A whole head of cabbage is always too much for me, and I like it better never frozen. I use this for stir fry, homemade ramen, soups, and actual slaw. Getting just cabbage/carrots is the cheapest. Then I can add my own tid bits of broccoli. 

I didn't realize how much more often I'd use ginger, until I bought this stuff on Amazon. Tastes just like freshly cut ginger.

Crushed garlic preserved with citric acid. I love trader joes!

Granted, this is an all in one meal (add rice), but a) they're as simple as it gets, b) they're really healthy, c) they're fabulously delicious, and d) they go on really big sales. When they do, I buy them out. Makes for a great easy week night meal (add some veggies and rice). I usually have a freezer full of chopped veggies to add. Easy-Peasy.

Mirpoix - Carrots, Celery and Onion. Granted, you do have to take time to chop it up, but you can freeze about a 6-month supply and just pull a little out as you go. I use this in about half the things I cook (roasted chicken, stir fry, beans and rice, soups, etc....)

Fully stocked freezer full of frozen veggies. No worries, it won't go bad. My staples are mirpoix (see above), corn, peas, limas, spinach, cauliflower, bell peppers (chopped myself) and broccoli. I'm not a huge fan of the store bought mixes. They always taste funny.

Chicken bone broth saved to ice cube trays for easy re-use. Granted this takes effort, sure, but if you make a big batch, later it's really easy to use (particularly if you have some of it in ice cube size quantities). That way you don't really have to "defrost". I hate that step. We cook a whole hen on the weekend, shred all the chicken for use throughout the week, then boil the bones overnight to make broth. You could simplify this even further but buying the sale rotisserie chickens and make the broth from the leftovers in that. This broth is way better (and healthier I think) than any store bought broth, plus it's leftovers, so it's free! Boiling those bones gives it that cloudy appearance which is collagen and some extra vitamins and enzymes. It's also good for inflammation reduction when sick (read more here)

I can't always find this stuff, but when I do, I buy a bunch. You can freeze it and it tastes exactly like fresh  lemon (unlike that other lemon juice stuff you buy) and no preservatives. So easy. And cheaper than buying lemons too. 

Tractors and Implements 101

We've owned 10 acres of land for the last 3 years and have managed to squeek by without owning a tractor outright through a combination of tractor rentals and a very kind neighbor (he surprises us with a tilling or a bush hog from time to time). On 1-2 acres we're growing fruit bushes and fruit trees, 1 acre's growing a vegetable plot, 3 - 4 acres is wooded, and the other ~4.5 acres is grassland. But tractor rentals are expensive ($400 per round trip) and it's time to REALLY get serious about how we're going to manage these 10 acres. Being just a small amount of land, cost is a major consideration. We're total newbs regarding tractors, so it was time to do a little research. The major considerations are 2-wheel tractor, used 4-wheel, or new 4-wheel, although lately been reading ATV 4-wheeler use for land management. Sounds intriguing (could it work for the short term?). We have a strong preference for diesel.

TRACTOR CHOICES

 

2-Wheel Walking Tractor

Pros: Cheaper than a 4 wheel (Grillo G85d 8 hp diesel is $3500). Small size is a plus since we don't have a trailer for transportation, nor proper storage for a full size tractor. Could store this one in parents shed for interim. Supposedly these things never break, b/c they have no gears or belts, but if they do, the warranty is pretty awesome. Manufacturer & Elliot Coleman recommend this tractor for a land our size. There are tons of implements for this thing, possibly more than for the 4-wheel tractor. New  implements are cheaper than new ones for a 4-wheel. Supposedly easier to work on than a 4-wheel tractor. More maneuverable around corners. Can turn 180 degrees. Much better at cultivating between rows (much less wasted space) and between fruit trees & bushes. Light weight won't cause any soil compaction. Cons: You have to walk the tractor (unless you buy a sulky). Top speed is a fair bit slower. These are only really a con when trying to use it for mowing, but I figure we can diminish this con some by planting more trees along the edges of the property that don't interfere with the path of the sun and reduce the "grassland" area some. Other con is there aren't many folks selling or repairing these guys. And there aren't really any used implements for sale in the area. Fortunately they do have a dealership in Auburn though. Not close, but not an eternity away either. If a mulch layer for growing strawberries is big on your list, these aren't nearly as effective as the implements available for a 4-wheel tractor, but might be in the future.

Grillo G85D 8hp

4-Wheel Tractor - Used

Pros: You can get a used 4-wheel tractor for about the same price as a new 2-wheel, but it has to be pretty old to match the price. Found a diesel international 18 HP with 1700 hours with a mower for $2400 just today. 1700 is a lot of hours though. And it's 2 wheel drive with turf tires, so pretty sure that thing'll get stuck on our mucky parts (since the 4-wheel drive normal tire john deer we rented did a lot). Used implements are cheaper than new ones and there are plenty of used implements to be found. They're still more expensive than new 2-wheel tractor implements in most cases (i think, I need to do more research here). Plenty of folks that can work on these, most likely. Fast mowing. Cons: Possibly a maintenance nightmare. It's a crap shoot. Can cause soil compaction over time due to weight. Where will we store it? How will we transport it? We don't have a barn yet. Barns are expensive too. Depending on the type of used tractor you buy, it might be hard to find parts for (ex/ Iseki).

Used Iseki Diesel Tractor From Craigslist with 500 hours for $2300

4-Wheel Tractor - New

Pros: New so won't break. If it does, it's under warranty. If it breaks after warranty, you'll still be able to find parts for it for a long while. Plenty of mechanics familiar with the new tractors. Cons:  A compact Kubota starts at about $12k plus we'll need a barn to store it in. Crazy expensive. Plus i'd prefer a front loader (which adds about 2-4k) and all wheel drive (which adds more, how much?).

Kubota B2320 4wd Gas Tractor - $13,000

IMPLEMENTS

On to implements for the tractor cause cost of tractor isn't the end of it. Tractor's useless without implements.

 

Subsoiler

For deep tillage. Breaks up hard pan & compacted layers without mixing top and subsoil. Aerates the soil improving drainage and increasing root depth. Good at preparing soil for fruit tree planting. Depth it digs can depend on strength of the tractor.  Usually compact tractors can only handle a single tine subsoiler. These tend to be fuel hogs and require a lot of horsepower to get really deep, particularly with more than 1 tine.

Chisel Plow

For deep tillage, although not as deep as the subsoiler. Made in 1930's as a soil conserving alternative for the moldboard plow. AKA soil ripper.

Soil Ripper

Moldboard Plow

For deep tillage. Old school way of plowing the ground. Very cheap implement. Turns over the soil and can handle even large rocks (too rocky for the chisel plow). Tends to mix subsoil with topsoil so better to use chisel plow over moldboard plow, if soil's not too rocky.

Cultivator

For pulling weeds up after soil's already been initially worked and planted, and for working in veggie residue (ex/ overwintered green manures). Tills the top 2" or so.

Disc Harrow

Used to smooth the surface for planting. Certain arrangements of disc can be used to make rows (called disc hillers). Sometimes the disc hiller is combined with a chain to smooth the top of the hill/row to prepare a fine smooth seed bed.

Disc Hillers

Disc Harrow

Chain Harrow

Used to smooth the surface after disc harrowing. Also can be used to break up manure. Pulls out the trash and debris (bad if you want the plant debris incorporated into the dirt). Can turn it over (tines pointing up) if you want to make an ultra smooth seed bed. Tines down scratch/rake the surface.

Chain Harrow pulled behind a 4-wheeler

Spike Harrow 

Very similar to the chain harrow and basically used for the same thing except more rigid. Less aggressive than the cultivator or chisel plow.

Spike Harrow

Potato Plow 

Name pretty much says it all but it's used to dig up potatoes, garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, turnips, and other root type veggies. 

Potato Plow

Rotary Tiller 

For shallow tillage on a compact tractor or 2-wheel tractor (can go deeper on large tractors). Combines the work of the plow, disc, and harrow. Helps prevent "overworking" the soil (although still possible). Easier to use, skill-wise, than the other three items.

Mower - Flail

Used for cutting rough / tall grass and brush. Doesn't sling like bush hogs. Often used by tractors that cut grass along the side of highways.

Flail Mower

Mower - Sickle Bar

Used to cut grass and not shred it up like with a bush hog. Just cuts at the base. Good for cutting into ditches or up steep hills while tractor remains level. They use very little power and don't get plugged on very tall material like bush hogs. Susceptible to damage if they encounter an object they can't cut. Tend to be safer than bush hogs (less slinging). 

Sicklebar Mower

 

Mower - Rotary Cutter

Aka bush hog although bush hog is a brand name but has become a common word encompassing all brands of rotary cutter mowers. Single rotating blade used for cutting down brush and super tall grass.

Bush Hog -- Rotary Cutter

Finishing Mower 

For mowing grass after it's been bush hogged, if you want a lawn like appearance. Doubt we'll ever get this one though (not soon anyhow).

Finishing Mower

Wheel Rake

Used for raking hay into piles. Usually followed up by a hay baler, but if you just wanted to gather hay for making mulch/compost, you could skip hay balers which are VERY expensive.

Wheel Rake

Pine Straw Rake

Might be handy if you have a lot of pine. Little extra income selling pine straw. 

Chipper / Shredder

Attaches to the Tractor PTO for power. Some can chip up to 6" diameter wood as well as leaves. Awfully handy for property requiring a lot of cleanup or with wooded areas. Makes great compost / mulch. Ranges from $1000 - $3000.

Auger

Used for post hole digging for fences (or a well?) or pre-drilling holes for fruit tree. Sometimes holes end up too compacted for proper root expansion.

Auger For Post Hole Digging

Duck vs Chicken for Egg Laying

Duck vs Chicken Egg

I've always loved chickens and ducks, even as a child. My neighbor had both and was kind enough to allow me to try and hatch an egg. It didn't pan out. We lost power and the eggy died. A few months later, mom and dad were kind enough to surprise me with 4 ducklings for Easter. I raised and released them never giving a thought to collecting their eggs for food (that's for chickens, right?....wrong!).  Funny thing is, the ducks I raised were actually bred for egg laying (the Khaki Cambell duck).

Duck vs Chicken Yolk

So what's the benefit of having a duck egg laying flock vs chicken egg laying? My first thought was surely chickens lay a lot more eggs, but nope, the some ducks bred for egg laying can produce just about as much.

Duck vs Chicken Egg Taste
Duck eggs tend to have a larger yolk and lower water content. Supposedly makes cakes and pastries fluffier. It's more difficult to make meringue with duck egg whites. The eggs tend to be firmer, in general, when cooked up. Duck eggs tend to be a fair bit larger (filling up the palm of your hand).

Duck vs Chicken Egg Shelf Life
Due to thicker shell, a duck egg has up to a 6 week shelf life vs ?? for a chicken egg.

Duck vs Chicken Egg Nutritional Difference

• duck eggs are alkaline, chicken eggs are acidic
• 6x the Vitamin D
• 2x the Vitamin A
• 2x the cholesterol
• 75% the Vitamin E
• Morere Vitamin K2
• higher in calories
• higher omega-3 fatty acids
• yolks are darker, yellower, indicating a higher nutrient density
• 100 gm of duck egg = 185 KCal of energy vs 149 KCal for chicken
• slightly  higher amounts of selenium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and iron
• slightly higher amount of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and retinol.
• 100 gm of duck eggs = 3.68 gm of saturated fat vs 3.1 gm in chicken
• 50% higher monounsaturated fat
• slightly higher amino acids: threonine, isoleucine, trytophan, leucine, methionine, lysine, cystine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, serine, glycine, proline, aspartic acid, histidine, alanine, and arginine. 
• 100 gm of duck eggs = 884 mg of cholesterol vs 425 mg in chicken

Good Duck Laying Breeds

• Indian Runners: Skiddish, quiet, small, don't fly, interesting upright posture, not a good meat bird, greenish white egg, don't need water to swim in 

  

  Indian Runner Duck

  
  

  

  Indian Runner Duck Bluish Green Eggs

  

  Indian Runner Ducks

  
  

  

  Indian Runner Ducklings

• Khaki Campbells: Pretty, highest egg production of any duck or chicken breed 

  

  Khaki Cambell Ducks

  
  

  

  Khaki Cambell Ducklings

• Pekin: ideal meat bird that's also pretty good egg layer 

  

  Pekin Duckling

  
  

  

  Pekin Duck

• Black Cayuga: Pretty beetle green bird lays an interesting black egg (100-150 eggs per year)

  

  Black Cayuga Duck Egg

  
  

  

  Black Cayuga Duck

  

  Black Cayuga Duckling

Make Ahead Lunches

Ok, I don't have much to write here. I just love this website though: http://easylunchboxes.smugmug.com/The-Best-Lunchbox-System/Yummy-Lunch-Ideas/10136835_YSuyb#!i=893724942&k=TzNHwQd

Practical wild edible plants in abundance locally

You frequently hear about wild edible plants, you might have even gone through the trouble of reading up on some of them. What you might have noticed is most of them are plants you've never heard of before and/or seen in the wild before.

So what i wanted to know was which plants grow abundantly in my neck of the woods? Here's my list.

• Wild Blackberries
• Mulberry
• Pecan - Nov - Dec
• Muscadine
• Wild Strawberry
• Black Walnut
• Hickory
• Wild Onion
  
• Dandelions - roots, leaves, and flower are edible. Can be harvested year round
  
• White Oak Acorns - Sep - Oct
• Cattails
• Clovers
• Dead Nettle
• Sassafras
• Daylily

What To Do With That Pumpkin

Bought a fair size pumpkin before Halloween and just getting aeround to "doing something with it". So cut it into quarters, removed pulp and seed, popped it into the oven on two roasting trays, and baked at 350F for a couple of hours (till it was soft with a fork). Removed skin then puree'd using an emersion blender, and vwa-la, I now have 24 cups of pumpkin mash (that's a lot of mash). My first thought, of course, was make pumpkin pie (good timing, 2 days after Thanksgiving), but this is enough for 12 pies, so I need alternate plans.

Thai Pumpkin Soup (except I leave out the sweet potato, tofu, and chickpeas and emulsify blend everything into a bisque)
Pumpkin Pancakes (except I add a bit more pumpkin, makes the pancakes more dense but more moist too)
Pumpkin Beer (if I were still making it, bad timing being pregnant and all, though)
Cajun Spiced Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Hot Chocolate (haven't tried this yet, but fully intend too. Love me some homemade hot chocolate).