Deb on the Web

Some pics and some projects

Yes, I am here and I've been busy.  here is the fiber I just finished spinning a beautifully dyed Finn sheep roving from the Spunky Club.  This is Navajo plyed.  I can't decide--hat or scarf.  The current spinning project is a Shetland also from the Spunky club.  I'll be Cable plying this one.  We'll see how many yards are produced before a project is decided.
In the yarn department--here is the Nov. offering from Knit Purl (a Portland themed sock yarn club) Rhodedendron Garden (we were married there).  Pattern by Chrissie Gardner and yarn by Hand Maiden. A fun project and a project bag from Lantern Moon to carry it in. 
We have mainly been cooking around here.  All our creativity put into duck confit, stuffed rabbit legs and foie gras terrine.  Tonight--cassulet layers of white beans, duck leg confit, garlic sausage and pork belly.  It was cooked yesterday and will be reheated tonight now that the flavors are fully simmered together.  Along with this we are having a rabbit and foie terrine and seared foie on a bed of mache drizzled with blackberry syrup.  mmmm
Off to start some lettuce seeds in the green house as Winter is ready to set in soon.

A finished shawl

I've had to take up crochet to get a project finished;)  This is Sezessions 1( a link can be found on Rodger's blog) from my friend Rodger worked in Noro Silk Garden sock yarn.  A perfect yarn to crochet with.  I haven't blocked yet.  I don't think it needs it for size, but the top edge feels a little tight.
Here is some yummy lace from BMFA that I picked up at Twisted in the beautiful Lenore colorway.  I don't have a pattern picked out at the moment, but I have come accross pattern before that I want a dark yarn for--now I'll just wind up and cast on!
Also, I have been very neglectful in showing some of the club goodies I've been receiving lately.  Here is the lovely sock yarn from the Sundara Seasons October shipment I chose to get the Autumn and Summer colorways for this club over the next year.  Differnt types of yarn will be coming with these seasons in mind.
More to come in the days to come.  However, having said that my dad will be coming up tomorrow so I probably won't be blogging for a few days.
I almost forgot I want to show you what was for dinner last night This is a Goat's Beard mushroom.  The first we have found and soooo tasty raw.  We just drizzled a garlicky viniagrette and put it on a bed of mache.  yum!

The end of Summer is approaching

And I don't feel like we have had a full dose of Summer yet in the NW!  We planned a bbq on Sunday for our employees.  I wanted the pingpong table out, picnic tables filled with corn salad, bbqed steaks and squash and a dip in the river for dessert.  Well, how about oven roasted steaks, everyone (that still came since it wasn't so nice) huddled in the kitchen and a bunny for every lap;)
It was still lots of fun and the champagne hounds were here in force!  But I really would love to have just one sunny get together this year!

As Summer comes towards its close I am seriously wanting to put up produce for Winter.  I have been making a lot of tomato sauce to freeze (tomatoes from one of the farmer's we use at Gino's) and now the apples are starting to ripen.  Apple sauce and apple juice are on the way!

I am also starting to look at these animals whose coats will come off soon.  The Fleece Study is already helping to make a decision on which wool I will be blending with this year.  Although I plan to send out a lot of the Pygora to be mill spun into a lace weight yarn.  I can't wait to play with it and you all will have a chance to play too with Mt Hood Fiber!  That is the name of our burgeoning yarn/fiber store.  We will be selling Pygora yarns, Angora/wool batts and later on some very fine wools and alpaca blends.  it will all be about softness and the right yarn for the project around here.  To keep it very local I will be looking for some local designers to create patterns that work well with the fibers.  In a non-soft project I am also creating some interesting felting kit ideas. 
I'm ready to bring on the Fall/Winter projects!

Summer took its sweet time

But it has finally arrived!  And the Farmer's Market was full of variety this morning.  I got a mix of different berries, cucumbers, eggs, cauliflower, green beans, bread, broccoli, carrots, onions and chicken.  I pretty much have meals for the next 4 days.  Now that we have all the herbs I require in life planted I can make many a meal pop!
My work schedule has changed a bit as of this week so I am now doing prep on Fridays and Saturdays.  Mainly I am coming in and creating the specials for the night.  Today I was so veggie focused.  I made a vegetable stew to go over fried polenta with Morel mushrooms.  Yesterday I covered a pork loin roast with herbs and salt which is getting roasted with fingerling potatoes for tonight.  For an appetizer I took a bunch of leftovers and created a potato tart with layers of herbed ricotta, asparagus pesto and spinach.  There is also a grilled Swordfish with cabbage slaw and white beans.
I love cooking these specials and using the great produce brought in by our farmers.  But I do have to say on this beautiful weekend it was mighty hard driving away from my garden and animals!
There will be spinning after the sun goes down.  And a bit of knitting too.

Doodling about on Etsy

Etsy gets even more creative!  What would you request?

What's a new needle felter to do?

What could you do with this pattern?  Think of the yarn possibilities!

Purty!

All this looking about is helping my brain get resituated.  We had a wonderful Father's Day/Birthday dinner for 16 relatives yesterday.  Today I am going to clean, organize and get things back to normal.  I don't anticipate much more excitement for Summer (knock on wood).  I've had my fill over the last couple of years.  I would love to have a boring (creative) Summer.  Since it is looking like I will be back at work full-time in the Fall I am going to enjoy what I have up here while I can!

I have some old bananas on hand so I'm off to find a banana bread recipe.  I love the stuff, but haven't made one in years!  The Tiramisu yesterday--to die for!  No brandy up here so I had to borrow a little cognac from my FIL.  Wow!  That and using really good eggs had everyone asking for seconds.

Remember to donate for my CCFA walk!  I will be posting more prizes this week, but you can look at previous posts to see what there is so far:)

In the mail, on the needles and food stuffs

I've been participating in Marisol's Kitchen Swap for the last couple of months.  We were supposed to send our pal two recipes, a kitchen gadget and yarn with a pattern for a kitchen related project.  I was thrilled to have Marisol as my partner.  Even though we already knew each other we've been learning more about each other's kitchen and cooking lives (quite different from our knitting lives).  My package is still in flight on its way to Marisol, but I received hers yesterday!  As I was hoping--recipes from Nicaragua!
Plus a great recipe organizer (I've never had one!).  Aren't those mug cozies great?  There is tea and chocolate covered espresso beans--be still my beating heart (no really;) ).  There is also Rowan soft 4ply and a pattern to knit a french press cozy.  That will be a fun little project.  Right between the mugs there is a great little kitchen gadget--a garlic roller.  Many a person has suggested these to me, but this is my first.  In the restaurant we just peel too much to keep one around.  I love cooking at home again:)  Thank you, thank you Marisol.  These are all such great gifts!  I can't wait to try some recipes:)

In the startitis category--I cast on for the Mystic Meadows mystery stole today.  This is the signature yarn from Brooklyn Handspun in Budding.  I mentioned that I'd be starting this mystery project for Summer a few days ago.  But I did start to have second thoughts as I have a few other projects calling to me.  But now that I started it I realize I have been missing a lace project.  I love playing with yarn overs and great merino yarns (using Addy lace needles too). 
In the frustrated knitting area--I am almost half way finished with the Slip stitch baby blanket.  I thought I should double check with the dad about colors...doh  Usually best to ask color schemes before going yarn shopping.  Yep, green and yellow are not part of the undersea adventure being painted in the baby room.  I didn't say anything--there are plenty of other babies being born that can receive that blankie.  But I gotta get a move on with a new idea!

On the kitchen counter today--I have taken a final leap into hippiness at the mountains sprouts for your sandwich?  How about some homemade yogurt? I haven't gone out and bought an birkenstokes if that's what your thinking, but I am planning on adding cheese making to this crowd of projects as soon as I finish reading Ricki Carroll's book.

Off to close the chicken coop, check on the rabbits and say good night to the pheasants...

Chickens on board!

These are my kind of babies:)
We ordered 25 chicks from Sand Hill Preservation Center this morning.  They will be hatching in a couple of weeks and then sent off to us.
Golden Campine
Americauna bantam
Black Australorp
We chose birds that were good layers of brown or colored eggs (our preference) and that were good foragers (they will be living in the orchard).  These varieties all have mild temperments and are good mothers.

In the food department the husband made a terrific salsa this weekend.  We bought a couple of every hot and mild pepper at the store and he roasted them all.  Adding to them some chopped tomato, red onion, shallot, cilantro and grapefruit juice (delivered by bil from his Palm Springs garden).

Did I mention that I have Summer house guests.  uh yea

In the gardening department--I really wish it would stop raining! 

Which leads to the spinning department--current project is merino from a Spunky Club  offering (February I think) named "Mud".  It was just too appropriated not to work on right now.

In knitting--I am just about finished with the Noro vest.  I hope to be wearing it tomorrow.  Baby blanket will be cast on soon after.

What are you eating these days?

I was ready to sit down and share a nice Spring recipe with you.  But as I checked my emails before visiting here I was led to an article a friend of mine wrote this week for Culinate.  This article raises food buying issues (and huge eating issues) that I really strongly agree with.  and have been thinking about lately.  Kelly and I used to have great conversations about these issues when I was at Nostrana (she is one of the Chef du cuisine there).  So go read the article and please leave me your opinions (even if you don't agree).  I do have to warn any vegetarians--this is a lamb centered article.

On to other food.  I put my cooler in the back of my car Saturday so that I could stop at the farmer's market on the way to my knitting class.  Our Saturday market really has a great variety right now and I especially wanted eggs from Square Peg Farm.  I was tight on time so I flew around the market- stopping now and then for a quick hello to friends.  I came away with asparagus, spring onions, eggs, lettuce, baby beet greens, cheese, strawberries, morel mushrooms and nettles (all in 15 minutes!).
We oven roasted the onions and asparagus and ate this along with the wonderful morels (sauteed with butter and fresh herbs) tossed with pasta.  For dessert that night we put out the cheese (a soft cow's milk from Ancient Heritage Dairy) with the strawberries that we drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar we brought back from Italy (you need just a touch).
Yesterday I wanted to use the nettles while they were fresh.  Some of you may be shocked to find out that this is my favorite Spring "tonic" herb.  Some (ahem Gina) will be happy I am not forcing them upon you daily.
I truly believe our bodies crave seasonal foods.  Nettles are one of those greens that pop up in lightly wooded areas in the Spring.  You do need to wear gloves when picking them and preparing them for cooking These are the Stinging nettles.  A slight brush will give you quite a lingering burning sensation.  However, just a 30 second drip in boiling water or freeze drying will take the sting away.
Nettles are high in vitamins A and C, rich in nutrients (which makes for a good overall strengthening tonic for the body), opens the cells in the bronchial tubes so it is great for people that suffer from allergies or asthma (me) and helpful to people with anemia.  I am not prescribing this green plant as different plants, herbs and medicines work differently on each body.  But this is a plant that works (in a mild way) terrifically for me and it tastes good to boot.  This Spring nettle soup started with a sautee of onions, garlic, jerusalem artichoke and potato.  After adding broth ( homemade chicken broth for me) and some chopped kale I let that simmer until the potato was just cooked.  I then turned off the heat and through in slivered marjoram, parsley and nettles.  These herbs cooked in the still very hot soup, but kept their bright green colors.  With the soup we had a fresh spinach salad that was topped with bacon, blue cheese, toasted walnuts and minced chives   Having had such a filling lunch (we all had 2 bowls of soup and there was homemade bread for dipping) dinner was light.  There was enough soup left for a bowl each (DH and I) with fried egg sandwiches (those beauties from the market).  After a morning frittata today of herbs and nettles we really have done a good job of using what is local and in the fridge at the moment (I have been the queen of the last minute run to the market for many years now).
I am headed to a smaller local market today.  We'll see what foods end up on the table over the next few days.  I would like to add that all of these dishes were decided upon based on the ingredients in house not buying for a recipe.  I love my cookbooks, but as the market and garden season begins I really feel using what is fresh now is the way to go!

Hey look we finally got a website

We've had Gino's Restaurant for 12 years.  During that time we have never really done business cards and definitely no website.  Well we're slowly getting into this century--GinosSellwood.com

I swear this isn't turning into a cooking blog

But last night's dinner was pretty yummy and fast.
I was in Portland all day helping mom move.  So returning at dinner time with all the ingredients (and idea responsibility) had me running to the rice cooker to get started.  While the basmati steamed I chopped up different little piles to go with my sole and clams.  Manilla clams steamed with olive oil, butter, green onions (green ends only), chive buds, ginger and parsley.  I went to add a splash of white wine and found the only white in the house was Champagne.  I can work with that--and drink a little while cooking;) So as each clam opened they were pulled out (leaving their juice behind).  baby greens, the sole filets and slivered lemon peel were also added to the pan.  I steamed this until just cooked.  As the rice finished I stirred in butter and minced herbs with a touch of ginger.  This all took as long as the rice took to cook.  It was a tasty meal!  Light and healthy too.