A winter CSA requires a bit of imagination on the part of the member. You can’t go to a place. You can’t see the vegetables sprouting, you can’t pick them, and you can’t feel the sun on your back. The experience of picking up the share is unremarkable. It is a cold winter night, and I park my car just outside a gourmet food store in a neighboring town. Inside, I put my signature on a list of
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Chipotle Crockpot Chicken
Spicy Crockpot Chicken With Chipotle Marmalade Sauce
I used one of my wonderful Hutterite chickens. I cut it into pieces leaving the legs and thighs with the bone in and skin on and the breasts both boneless and skinless. Cut into serving size pieces. Reserve the bones for chicken stock. After cooking, I removed the skin from the thighs and legs.
I also had tried making my own chipotles in adobo sauce from a recipe on Mangio da Sola. They worked great. I also had my own clementine marmalade and chopped it a little finer. You can make a lot of substitutions with this recipe and it will turn out great.
What I like about this recipe is that you do not have to pre-brown the chicken pieces. That saves a bit of kitchen cleanup.
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/3 cup sweet clementine marmalade
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Dash pepper
- Dash salt
- 1 chicken, cut into serving size pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
In the last hour of the cooking, combine the cornstarch with cold water until smooth; stir into the sauce and continue cooking. Serve the chicken with steamed rice and vegetables of your choice.
Serves 4.
Winter Again
AMA Winter Driving Kit
▶ shovel
▶ tow cable
▶ traction aids
▶ jumper cables
▶ window ice scraper
▶ firewood (kindling and starter)
▶ snacks
▶ distress sign
▶ cell phone
▶ flares
▶ flashlight and batteries
▶ first aid kit
▶ survival candle
▶ matches
▶ blankets
▶ extra footwear
▶ hat and mitts
I have a long way to go to complete my kit but it will be my summer project this year to collect as many of these things together as I can. Safe driving!Canadian trivia - this building is a hockey rink with an attached curling rink in a village. It is no longer in use because the costs to maintain it are too high. This is a common sight in villages and small towns on the prairies.
Drive in the Country #7
The drive back to Swift Current was more true winter driving. The roads were slick and vehicles in the ditch along the way. Even though my eyes were on the road, it was lovely to see the winter landscape.
I love the yellows of harvested grain fields covered in snow. I love the blues and whites in the sky. There are pinks in the sky at all times of the day. Sometimes there is bright sunlight and other times it is dull. The wind blown snow forms beautiful waves along the highway that seem like a surfers paradise. The folds of snow reveal all shades of white and blue. It is truly amazing.
Fresh and Local, Even in Winter
Long Island sisters Jaime Greci and Lona Graepel may have a touch of the farmer in their DNA. While most would be inclined to hibernate during these months of cold and darkness, they have sown the seeds and sprouted Long Island’s first winter farmers market.It’s the coldest Saturday of the season yet, but the parking lot is full and people are streaming into Sweet Hollow Hall at the West Hills
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Haskap Crumble Squares
These are some squares I made back in the summer. I have been holding back, but I think I should share! Haskaps are also known as Blue Honeysuckle and have been brought in from Russian. The soil conditions and climate in Saskatchewan seem to be ideal. They can be picked in June, which is way earlier than any other fruit.
I have been experimenting with them and have come up with a few really good recipes. This is one. Please check here for the recipe for haskap jam to be used in this recipe. A rich raspberry jam would also work if you do not have access to hasksaps.
Haskap Crumble Squares
1 ½ c unbleached flour
1 ½ c rolled oats
¾ c chopped almonds
1 c brown sugar
1 t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
¼ t salt
1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature1 - 1 1/2 cups haskap jam
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9”x9” baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients except almonds. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture for topping.
Press the crumble on the bottom of the baking pan. Evenly spread the jam over the crumble. A thin layer is all you need. The berries are amazingly intense and a little goes a long way. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds and then the reserved crumb mixture. Pat down gently.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Focaccia? Gotcha!
It’s a cold winter day, a little too chilly to spend much time outdoors. I’m in the mood for a simple kitchen project – maybe a new variety of bread to expand my repertoire.I browse the cookbook collection and settle on focaccia. What could be simpler? It’s actually pizza dough – water, yeast, olive oil, flour and salt. All I need to do is prep the dough, and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese,
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