Cultures, Fiddleheads, and Poutine
HELLO COMPOST!
Life has been extremely busy here on the homestead. If you are following my facebook updates, you know I have been up to my ears (almost) in dirt. I have learned in these few short weeks, that spring is the busiest time of the year in the country. If you are in the North Country, you are trying to get your gardens, fruit/nut tree groves and berry patches started for the summer, while dodging rain storms, and on occasion even snow storms! Here at Thistlemoon Meadows, it is no exception. All of this while trying to settle into a new place. We have been spending as many sunny days as we can outdoors, and if there isn’t enough of those to do what we need to accomplish, we go out in the rain – and if you can believe it, the snow storm is actually a blessing from Mother Nature, as it allows us time to go indoors and take care of household needs. It has been several years since I have really enjoyed the dichotomies that make up spring and it has been amazing – when you are working with things that grow, it kind of all makes sense. Nature is amazing that way.
(The Culture Club (this is not how I normally have my “lab” set up. If you are culturing more than one kind of culture they need to sit a few feet apart from each other, but I asked them all to gather together for photo).
Our house is not a home unless I have set up my cultures, lovingly termed my “science lab” in the kitchen. On any given day I have sourdough starter, kefir, some kind of sour milk either viili or buttermilk, yogurt and sometimes cheese culturing. Plus I usually have various kinds of grains and legumes soaking and fermenting. It is this life sustaining and nourishing foods that get our bodies through all the hard work that comes with setting up and maintaining a homestead. And our chickens haven’t even arrived yet! 🙂
FIDDLEHEADS!
So to celebrate spring in all her glory, on one warm and beautiful day, we decided to have our first barbecue of the season. We had been to the local market earlier in the day and picked up a prized local wildfood – fiddlehead ferns. These ferns can only be harvested for about 2 weeks in the early spring, in Northern climes, like New England, and Canada. Fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height – they are named fiddleheads as they bear resemblance to the curled ornamentation on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a fiddle. Since I am a fiddlehead, it seemed like a food I should try. It is not suggested that you eat fiddleheads raw, as they have a bitterness to them before cooked, that can lead to stomach upset. I was told they taste a bit like asparagus, so I decided to just toss them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and cook them on the grill, on top of foil – kind of like broiled asparagus, which is my favorite way to prepare it. Although truth be told, if asparagus ceased to exist, I wouldn’t miss it.
For this meal I wanted to cook everything on the grill. Steak is best when grilled, and we had also gotten a beautiful skirt steak from a local farm. I lightly drizzled olive oil on it, and then dressed it up with fresh herbs – cilantro, thyme and basil.
To accompany this meal, I decided to make poutine on the grill, sans gravy, which I guess really makes this potatoes and cheese curds – but it was light and perfect with this menu. I cooked both white potatoes and sweet potatoes on the grill in foil packets for about 40 minutes. For the last 15 minutes,I opened the packets so the potatoes could brown, and then put the cheese curds on top, turned off the grill and closed the grill lid for about 5 minutes.
(Spring Foods Dinner)
It was a wonderful evening outside listening to the night sounds – frogs, birds and eventually even a guitar and…you guessed it, a fiddle.
Pepy @Indonesia Eats - May 12, 2010 at 9:47 pm
I love fiddleheads. Here are the pics and creation.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indonesiaeats/4586916825/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indonesiaeats/4587836995/
Teresa - May 12, 2010 at 10:33 pm
You life in the country sounds like a fairy tale. I am so envious. What a glorious time you tow must be having. It’s moments like this that brings two people closer together, so this is a blessing. The BBQ menu sounds delicious. Those fiddleheads are so unique. I’ve never seen them here in the Southwest, and if I did they would probably cost an arm and a leg. I’m so happy for you Jenn.
tasteofbeirut - May 12, 2010 at 11:35 pm
It is wonderful that you get to do this; since you obviously love it! and thank you for sharing it with us.
kat - May 12, 2010 at 11:40 pm
thanks for sharing! sounds like a lot of work but totally worth every minute!
Rosa - May 13, 2010 at 5:23 am
It’s a pity we don’t find fiddleheads here… They look so delicious and delicate tasting. A lovely meal, yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
Ivy - May 13, 2010 at 7:03 am
Now I see why it’s been such a long time to hear from you. I don’t interact with facebook a lot, just only when I have a message or I post a recipe, so I’ve missed all your updates. Glad to see you are enjoying this. The barbecue sounds delicious.
lisaiscooking - May 13, 2010 at 8:48 am
Congratulations on arriving at your new homestead! It sounds like hard work but fun work. I’ve never tasted a fiddlehead, but I’m so curious. Your meal sounds fantastic!
bellini valli - May 13, 2010 at 9:24 am
At our local Italian market I came across a huge batch of fiddleheads. I already had plans for dinner for the next few days so when I went back they were gone..no fiddleheads for me… note to myself…got to be quicker and change menu plans. My mom loved them when we were kids!!!! Also the French Canadian poutine on the gill is pure genius!!!
Cara - May 13, 2010 at 9:56 am
I just tried fiddleheads for the first time too! I liked them a lot 🙂
HoneyB - May 13, 2010 at 10:22 am
I have never had fiddleheads either – but I saw them in the co-op last week. Now I am going back and hope they are still there so I can try them. AND I LOVE Poutine! What’s silly though is as close as I am to Canada, many places here do not make it the right way! Would have loved to eaten at your house for this meal! (Betting Grumpy would have too!)
Rachel J - May 13, 2010 at 10:33 am
Your account of life on the homestead is nothing short of breathtaking.
Maria - May 13, 2010 at 11:23 am
I’ve never tried fiddleheads. What is wrong with me? I am going to hunt some down now:) Love the photos!!
Elle - May 13, 2010 at 11:27 am
Sooo gorgeous! I love your homestead, Jenn–so happy for you guys. And the food? Well, that looks spectacular, too!
kat - May 13, 2010 at 11:43 am
The street food cart here, Chef Shack, serves a fiddlehead mayo on a soft shell crab sandwich & it is amazing!
erin :: the olive notes - May 13, 2010 at 12:29 pm
whoa! who knew you could eat ferns 🙂 I love those curly little guys!
Arlene (MOM) - May 13, 2010 at 12:37 pm
I just loved this post. It was full of spring and goodness and just really happy and healthy. Can’t wait to see Thislemoon Meadows in the flesh. I think it will feel more like a fieldtrip than a visit. 🙂
Alta - May 13, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I always love reading about your meals. Most of the time, it’s nothing extravagant, just local, super-fresh, tasty good food! I’m jealous of your culture “club” and those fiddleheads – I’ve never tried them (not really “around” here in Dallas!).
Jenn - May 13, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I think you’re the first person I know who’s excited over compost. hehehe… That’s a good thing. I’m hoping when I get back from my trip that there’ll still be fiddleheads around. They’re funny looking, but I’m really interested in giving them a taste.
Michelle - May 13, 2010 at 8:15 pm
never had fiddleheads, but am intrigued. Apparently I need to reschedule my visit for next spring, when I can try them! And I LOVE that last photo. Absolutely amazing.
Peter G @ Souvlaki For The Soul - May 13, 2010 at 10:04 pm
“Culture club”…LOL! Love it! I’ve never tried fiddleheads but your method of preparing them simple and delicious. Great to see that you are settling in your property Jenn…and I LOVE that last pic!
vanillasugar - May 14, 2010 at 10:44 am
you are a busy girl indeed! i wish i could get as excited about gardening, but i just can’t, and we have a lot of land too. having 1 and 1/2 acres of land on cape cod is big. so glad to hear that you are enjoying your new home. i bet this summer you will be hearing all kinds of noises at night–now that part i love.
ValleyWriter - May 14, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Thistlemoon Meadows – love the name!! It sounds very northern European — and very Jenn!
The nighttime shot is amazing. And I can’t believe how much you guys have accomplished in just a few weeks! (This makes me very embarrassed that I still have boxes from when we moved 2 years ago…) Can’t wait to visit!
lo - May 14, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Oh, Jen! I love fiddleheads… am so jealous, as I can’t seem to find them here this year.
Love the name…! So full of whimsy.
And that poutine… making me drool. Even w/o the gravy!
Marie - May 14, 2010 at 9:21 pm
You look like you’re in your element Jen! Congrats on the move.
Jacqueline - May 15, 2010 at 5:11 am
It sounds like you are really happy since your move.
I like the look of thoses fiddleheads, they are quite alien-like to me 🙂
peter - May 15, 2010 at 3:50 pm
“I tumble for ya”! lol
You look at seem ‘back home” up in New England. Word to the wise on the composter…little visting animals will drop by and cause some trouble. Part of the territory.
eatmovelove - May 16, 2010 at 10:40 am
Great site!! Thanks for coming to my blog! Yeah, I posted about the cooking classes – seem great! – feel free to link to my site if you wish for others to check it out! Good luck 🙂
tonya - May 16, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Love to see your counter picture looks a lot like mine! I had to show my hubby so he knew that there were other people like me:) only at our house it has been affectionately called our fermentation station:0D that’s for the great fiddlehead info! Never had them but ill be scoping out a source for next spring!
marye - May 16, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Just catching up with you! Wow you are doing great..I do love the ebb and flow of living with the seasons…I can’t wait to get back to that lifestyle!
Stella - May 17, 2010 at 9:58 am
Whoa Jenn, that last photo is amazing!
I really admire all of the healthful, wholesome things you do by the way. I hope that we can find a place to have a big compost pile, a garden, and some CHICKENS! Someday…
That meal looks great too. I saw some Fiddleheads at Whole Foods in Sarasota yesterday-they were looking like they had been on a truck for a long time. Might wait to try them in their natural growing areas, so that i can see their true qualities…
Juliana - May 17, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Jen, I just learned about fiddlehead last week 🙂 Would love to try it, in spite of the weird look.
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - May 17, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I had fiddleheads for the first time yesterday and they were incredible. I agree – as much as I love asparagus I wouldn’t miss it at all if I could get fiddleheads in Dallas. No such luck, at least not yet.
Can’t wait to hear more about the homestead…if you weren’t standing behind the pile of compost I wouldn’t have believed that you had that much black gold.
Angela@spinachtiger - May 17, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I am enjoying following everything you are doing in your new home. And, yes, it’s clearly a “home.”
Gina - May 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
What a view!! They have fiddleheads at the farmers market but I’ve yet to try them!
lo - May 21, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Just gotta tell you — I keep coming back to this post to lust after the fiddleheads and that pile of dirt! 🙂 We have been way behind on yard chores this year, but I’m longing to get my fingers dirty. Hopefully we’ll make some progress this weekend!