They was a lot of attention given to that idea Tammy...back in the 1970s. There were quite a few articles written about that very subject in the old Organic Gardening magazine, the ones that were printed on recycled newspapers - no color glossies, very few ads and lots of great articles about things that showed you how to grow food and flowers and be more self-sufficient. How you could produce-more-with less, and make-it-yourself-with-what-you've-got-on-hand. At that time, Grow Lights also came into being and greenhouses really popped up everywhere. Cold Frames and Compost piles and building Burmed Houses out of recycled materials with Skylights and ceiling fans and Solar Panels. And a whole lot more. Save energy - Save the Earth - Grow your own, feed the world and Live in PEACE! ~Annie

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Creamy Coconut Cardamom Rice Pudding ==================================== adapted from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life makes about 6 cups, serves 8-12 Rice: 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp jasmine rice or basmati rice 1/4 cup sugar 1 (13.5 fluid oz) can coconut milk 1 cup whole milk 1/4 tsp salt Custard: 16 cardamom pods 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar 1 cup whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 5 egg yolks 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Cook the rice: Preheat the oven to 325F. Place the rice in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Place the rice in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan with 2 cups cold water. Bring the rice to a boil and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Strain the rice and discard the starchy water. Place the blanched rice back in the pan and add the sugar, coconut milk, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cover the pan with aluminum foil or the lid. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the rice expands and absorbs all liquids, 30 minutes. If the pan is not oven proof, transfer the rice to a metal or glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. If there is still runny milk in the pan, continue to bake, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes. When the rice is done, remove it from the oven, leave it covered, and set it aside. 2. Make the custard: While the rice is baking, make the custard. Using the bottom of a small frying pan, crush the cardamom pods to split them open. (*I used a mortar and pestle.) In a heavy saucepan combine the cardamom pods and seeds, 1/2 cup of the sugar, milk, and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and allow the cardamom to steep for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg, and remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and briefly whisk for 1 minute. Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg mixture to warm it. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking the cream constantly as you pour. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain the custard to remove the cardamom pods and seeds. 3. Combine the custard and the rice: Scoop the rice into a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot custard over the rice and, using a whisk, slowly whisk until all of the rice granules are dispersed evenly and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract. Allow the rice pudding to cool completely. This pudding will keep, refrigerated, for 3 days. Variation: "Brulee" Spoon pudding into ramekins and chill. Sprinkle sugar over top of custards and place under the broiler or use a torch to caramalize. . My Notes: Substituted a vanilla bean for the cardamom pods. I split a vanilla bean and scraped the seeds into the milk and cream, along with the sugar, brought to a simmer and left to steep for 10 minutes.

One of my foodie friends gave me a gift of a box of spices from Penzey's, and one of the jars was cardamom pods. Recipes call for so little, I doubt I'll ever use it up -- an irony, because I know the reason she gave me that gift is that she is appalled at how long I keep my spices and herbs! Anyway, last night I made a lamb tagine (well, I made it in a slow cooker) because it called for both cardomom and charnushka, which was also in the box (I'd never heard of it). Yum, it was great! I had Googled "lamb" and "charnushka," and found this recipe from Laura Frankel, Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes (as reprinted in The Chicago Tribune). I omitted the fennel, because it was the only ingredient I didn't have in the house on a cold and snowy day, and I'm not crazy about it anyway. I also left out the red pepper flakes because DD and her delicate palate are home! Lamb Tagine Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 4 ¼ hours Makes: 10 servings Adapted from "Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes." 3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes ½ teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 Spanish onions, diced 6 carrots, peeled, diced 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, diced, fronds reserved for garnish 8 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup each: halved pitted dates, halved dried figs, halved dried apricots 3 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix, see recipe 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons charnushka, optional 3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth Strips of lemon zest, chopped cilantro (FEH!) or harissa Heat a 6-1/2 quart slow cooker to low. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides, in batches, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker insert. Add onions to skillet; cook until lightly browned, scraping up any browned bits left behind by the lamb. Transfer the onions to the insert. Cook the carrots and fennel, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to the insert. Add the dates, figs, apricots, spice mix, tomato paste and charnushka to the insert. Add broth to cover. Cover; cook on low until the lamb is tender. Serve with choice of lemon zest, cilantro or harissa. The tagine can be made and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days, or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat gently, place the tagine in a covered casserole and heat in a 300-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with steamed couscous. Nutrition information Per serving: 467 calories, 47% of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 108 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 498 mg sodium, 6 g fiber Moroccan spice mix Grind two 2-inch cinnamon sticks (broken into pieces) with 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon each cumin seeds and chili flakes; ½ teaspoon each fenugreek seeds and anise seeds and seeds from 1 cardamom pod. Transfer spice mix to a bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar if you wish. Store away from light in a tightly covered container for up to 3 months. If you dont have whole spices, consider this quick alternative: Mix 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander, pinch ground cloves and salt and pepper to taste.

o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by walnutcreek (My Page) on Sun, Feb 12, 12 at 16:05 CHICKEN IN HEAVENLY WINE SAUCE 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed dry oregano 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms 1 cup Marsala wine 1/2 cup sherry wine Clean and rinse chicken, place between sheets of plastic wrap and using the side of a square mallet pound chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano. Coat chicken pieces with the flour mixture. In a large skillet, melt butter in the oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan and lightly brown, then turn over chicken pieces and add mushrooms and any remaining flour mixture. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover Skillet and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer,and cook for 10 minutes, turning chicken once, cook until no longer pink. Serve over egg noodles or your favorite pasta, topped with the wine sauce. Serves 4 SPICY WINE MUSTARD 3/4 cup brown mustard seeds 3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds 1 cup white wine vinegar 1 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup EVOO 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons dry mustard (Coleman's) 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 - 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Put all ingredients into a deep, medium-sized bowl, stir well, cover and leave on countertop at room temperature, stirring once or twice, for 24 hours. Transfer bowl contents to a food processor puree until creamy. Transfer mustard to jars, seal tightly and refrigerate. Makes about 3 cups. APPLE, CHICKEN, AND WINE 1 whole fryer chicken 1 whole apple 1 cup apple juice or 1 cup white wine Salt and pepper Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the inside of the chicken. Put the whole apple inside the chicken cavity. Place chicken breast side down in a crock pot. Pour apple juice or wine around the chicken. Cook on low 4-6 hours. SHALLOT AND WINE BUTTER 1 shallot, finely chopped 3/4 cup dry red wine 4 oz butter cut into small pieces Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Bring the shallots and wine to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Boil until all the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and pepper until the mixture is smooth except for the pieces of shallot. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. To serve with steak, top each steak with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the butter. BLACKBERRY WINE CAKE 1 Duncan Hines white cake mix 1 3-oz. box blackberry Jell-O 1/2 cup salad oil 4 eggs 1 cup blackberry wine 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients except pecans. Mix on low speed until moistened then on high for 2 minutes. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle pecans on bottom and side of pan. Spoon batter to cover pecans. Bake 1 hour. GLAZE: 2/3 stick butter 1/2 c. blackberry wine 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar Combine butter, sugar, and wine, bring to boil. Punch holes in cake with ice pick and pour half of glaze over cake while in pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Turn out and pour glaze over cake. PARMESAN WINE RICE 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup uncooked rice 1 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until translucent. Stir in broth, rice and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in grated Parmesan and serve warm. Serves 4 o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 13, 12 at 10:28 A big Thank You to all that participated in this thread, there are some really good recipes here. I just pulled a name for the next Cookalong. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ bbstx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please choose the next focus ingredient. Try to pick something you have a special interest in. If it happens to be something that has been covered in the older Cookalongs, that's fine, especially if it is basic. All the older Cookalong threads are in the FAQ. Think about Seasonal, Fresh, Basic, and Readily available ingredients.... If you have questions, you can email me through GW. I will check back here and then set up the new Cookalong. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Mon, Feb 13, 12 at 12:51 A little late, but I think worth mentioning here. I had been meaning to try this since I first chose wine for the cookalong. Recent conversations about mussels and fennel finally got me to do it today for lunch. I winged it but here's approximately what I did: Saute about 3/4 cup small-diced fennel and a minced shallot in butter with a pinch of salt. Add some thyme, a pinch of saffron, and 1.5 cups or so wine. (I used Gewuertztraminer, as recommended in Patricia Wells' "The Paris Cookbook" for its slightly sweet note.) Reduce wine by half and add scrubbed mussels. Steam for about 3 minutes or until they open. If some open earlier than others remove them so they don't overcook. Once all the mussels are done, remove them from the pan and add a dollop or two of creme fraiche to the broth. Adjust seasoning to taste. I think that's about all I did. I ended up eating the full 2.5 pound bag, plus half a baguette to sop up the sauce. It was awesome! o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 13, 12 at 15:42 The next topic is #41 - Greens - Cooked and Raw Here is a link Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #41 Greens, Cooked and Raw o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 8:19 I'm reporting back way late on my cooking with wine attempt. I made Ruthanna's French Bean Soup, and know it would have been wonderful if......I didn't burn it. Yes, I actually managed to burn soup. We were up in Oklahoma where I have a substandard set of pots and pans, basically camping gear, cause I don't want to spend a lot of money on another set of pots and pans. Anyway, the soup pot I used is very thin aluminum. It was already cooked earlier in the day, and tasting delicious. DH had to go on an errand, and while he was gone, I turned the soup back on to heat up for dinner, and sat down with my cross stitch. Big mistake. When DH got home, he headed for the kitchen,stirred the soup, and announced, "Did you know the soup is burning?" Aaahg! Oh, well, it was still edible, and I'll definitely make it again, but I was very disappointed that I did something so stupid. Ruthanna, I think I'm drawn to your recipes. I'm sure I've made more than one other of your recipes. If you had a cookbook, I'd probably buy it. I do have one question about the recipe. In the last part of the instructions you say to remove the cinnamon sticks, but there are no cinnamon sticks mentioned anywhere else in the recipe. I didn't have any, so I added a dash of cinnamon to the soup. Sally o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 24, 12 at 0:53 I'm late checking back here too...I did make the dessert that Lindac posted. Oh man was it good!! My group loved it. Photobucket I have my eye on several recipes posted here that's for sure. Glad to see the cookalongs back in action. David