Well, I thought as I stared down into the frosty abyss, I suppose it's time to start making some decisions. I was not a contestant for "Survivor: Antarctica." Nor was I strapping on goggles for a trip down the bunny slopes. I was simply contemplating, in the middle of another hundred-degree day without electricity, the contents of my slowly-thawing chest freezer. In the grand scheme of things, four (soon to be five) days without blenders, hot water and e-mail was not a tremendous hardship.  Actually, in some ways, it was fun.  We spent days at the pool, evenings with friends and nights in the…

Scallion pancakes was one of the recipes I discovered halfway through the summer last year, and ever since my wrapup of the From the Farm series I have been itching to make them. Because, although you can purchase "spring" onions all year round, they're so much better when fresh: plenty of crunch with only a mildly oniony flavor. I used some from my garden in this recipe: every year I let one or two grow through the season and go to seed, and the next spring the new seedlings are growing before anything else. These pancakes are a great way to start working with dough if you haven't done much …

To successfully grow herbs, you really only need one piece of advice: remember that herbs are weeds.  They were growing wild in some part of the world, and some member of some ancient civilization (probably while clearing room to plant crops) was yanking them up by the roots when she stopped, sniffed and thought, "Hey: maybe I could use this." No, of course I don't have hard proof about that little re-dramatization.  But I like to think it's true: it explains so well why herbs grow where very little else will, why they thrive on neglect, and why they make such a great choice for nervous …

On a sunny, cold Saturday last February, my husband spent a hundred dollars and most of his morning driving to and from Washington to help me load up a huge bag of wheat. (There are certain times when you know with absolute certainty that you married the right person.) We had plenty of time in the car to chat about the process that had brought me thus far: it began when I received a review copy of The Urban Farm Handbook last summer.  Around Thanksgiving I finally cracked it open and was pleased with the innovative format, which successfully avoids the two extremes occupied by most of …

Late last year and stretching early into this one, we did a major renovation on our kitchen.  In the process, we started thinking about how to better organize the space, and the result was something that functioned much more efficiently. Thanks to my husband's design skills, we discovered that it was actually a much bigger room than we'd realized.   Although a renovation is a logical time to do this kind of work (a move is another), any kitchen, at any time, could benefit from the five steps below.  And you may even be able to accomplish the redesign without purchasing anything new! 1) Assess…

It's getting prettier outside, in case you haven't noticed: in fact, this is one of the earliest and warmest springs I can remember.  So, assuming you started your warm-weather seeds about a month ago, they're halfway on their journey to your garden. This means you'll need a place to put them once our last-frost date of May 15 comes around! I've done the old-fashioned gardening thing before.  You know -- strip the top few inches of soil, dig two shovelfuls down, remove rocks, break up clay, work in organic matter and fertilizer.  It is achingly, sunburningly, cursingly difficult work.  Not to…

Eggs are one of nature's most perfect foods, and they're a snap to prepare. They're loaded with enough protein and fat to fill you up, but no empty sugars to weigh you down. Vitamins and minerals (including the highly-coveted omega-3 fatty acids) abound. Best of all, they have a mild flavor that lends itself well to a variety of flavors -- sweet, salty, spicy, simple -- but is also delicious on its own, with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The happier the chickens, the better the eggs. Left to their own devices, birds love to peck at the ground, eating bugs, worms and grass in addition to…

In a small town in a country that's about as meat-centric as they come, tofu gets no respect.  (Try ordering it in a restaurant and see what kinds of stares your friends give.) But the time may come, or may be now, when you're feeling a little more adventurous.  Maybe your vegan brother/cousin/colleague is coming over for dinner and you want to feed him more than salad.  Maybe you've been keeping up with the pink slime question in the news and are looking for something a little more natural: tofu is just soybeans and water, plus a mineral that makes it firm up, and you can make it yourself. …

I had visited the Le Creuset store half a dozen times over a span of several years before I finally purchased the pot I'd been eyeing all along.  I gulped, signed the receipt and brought home the cherry-red skillet, waiting to see whether it would change my life. Paying almost $200 for one pan was hard to do but it was amazing how quickly it became the most indispensable item in my kitchen. The cast iron conducted heat beautifully, and the enamel finish came clean instantly.  I used it for everything: chili, coq au vin, rice pudding. Bacon left beautiful, crispy browned (not burned) spots …

This time of year, home gardeners fight to quell a rising tide of internal panic with every weekend that passes unsowed.  Willy Loman's obsessive lines start sounding more and more reasonable until we echo them ourselves: "I've got to get some seeds, right away . . . I don't have a thing in the ground!"   If you've ever thought about starting a garden, there's no time like the present, and no age that offers more resources and options, either!  A few hours this week is a worthy investment in your summer crops; then you can take it easy for the next month until it's time to start preparing the…

She shuts the water off and reaches, fingers dripping, for the what isn't there. She thinks it will be wherever hers is -- above, to the right, on the wall, vertical, horizontal.  She glances around, takes a step back, and begins to form the question: "Where are the . . . ?"   I smile and hand her the tea towel that hangs on the drawer pull just by the door. A fleeting look of surprise until it registers that this is okay, too. It usually doesn't even start a conversation, even though it happens almost every time a guest washes her hands in my kitchen. This is fine by me: I didn't eliminate …

If you've ever eaten Smith Island Cake (preferably baked by Sugar Bakers and served at Catonsville Gourmet after shrimp bisque and soft crabs) you probably see it as a daunting dessert.  TEN layers?  It's served lying on its side for a reason.  But what better way to end your Valentine's Day dinner than with the official dessert of our state?  Honestly, it's a long process, but not too tedious or complicated. This adventure started with a recipe from a cookbook, which supposedly got it from a Smith Island housewife -- but there were so many problems with it that the instructions below bear …

Like most Americans, I'd be ashamed to admit how many meals per week I eat in my car.  It's just too tempting when I'm rushing out the door hungry, late to a meeting, or simply in need of some peace and quiet. Luckily for me, there's been a recent resurgence in food trucks locally.  It's a great way for small businesses to promote their cuisine: a mobile retail space is cheaper and easier to maintain and can travel with the flow of customers -- to a business park during lunchtime, or near residential areas in the evening.  So you don't have to eat in your car -- you could take your meal to a …

It may seem odd, when the air is frigid and the daylight precious, to start making plans for the summer months.  But this is exactly what you should be doing.  In case you missed the rundown last spring, here's why you should join a CSA: Enjoy fresh, delicious, local food all season long Support local farms even in hard times Experiment with a wider variety of produce Options abound, but here are a few of the best from areas served by Patch: Baltimore County One Straw Farm (White Hall) Contact: Joan Norman, 410-343-1828 Pickup: Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at roughly 40 pickup sites in the …

For the average, mainstream Marylander, starting a home compost pile may sound ridiculously West Coast (or -- dare I utter the words today -- New England!) But once you get started, you'll be surprised at how amazingly easy it is, and by how many benefits it has to offer -- for the environment, your community and your own household. Step One: Get the Facts Basic: Composting is what nature does on its own, very efficiently and well. Take a walk in the forest and sift through the layers on the ground.  On top will be freshly-fallen leaves; below, leaves and twigs in various stages of decay; …

My friend Rod, blogger extraordinaire, remembers opening a gift from his wife a few Christmases ago and "tearing up at the thoughtfulness of that present." Was it an engraved pocketwatch?  A book of poetry?  A family heirloom? Nope.  It was kitchen knives.  And to tell the truth, I was a bit misty myself as I read his wish that "she could take these knives back and give them to me all over again." There is no tool more delightful and useful to wield than a high-quality knife.  On the other hand, there is no experience more frustrating than, say, trying to mince an onion on a glass chopping …

"What's the final count?" I ask as I head for the door.  The site manager laughs: "I stopped counting in the late thirties, but that was over a month ago." More than thirty different types of fruit, roots and vegetables for the last six months, and for another six months we'll feel their absence.  We'll scavenge the local year-round markets and break into our preserved stock, but for the most part we'll miss the fresh food and weekly fellowship our CSA brings. It's been a great season, and I've had such fun deciding what to write about each week.  But inevitably there are things that fall …

When I wrote a piece about winter greens at the very beginning of the growing season, snow was on the ground; so it seems fitting that I return for Round 2 after last weekend's Wintry-Mix-a-thon. Cold-weather greens are once again dominating the CSA and market scene. You'll probably see collards, kale, chard, mustard greens, broccoli greens and usually a bunch or two of something you don't recognize: nevertheless, they can all get the same treatment in a soup pot. What I missed the first time around, I think, was the wonderful combination of winter greens with meat; most of the recipes I …

When we made plans months ago to visit Hershey Park in the Dark over the Halloween weekend, we were certainly not expecting 5-8 inches of snow, as has now been predicted for tomorrow.  Thankfully, we have plenty of squash on hand to combat the chill of early winter! Squash are often viewed with skepticism by adults and children alike.  This floors me, since they are such a delicious substitute for low-nutrient starches like potatoes and pasta.  So we're going to start small, with three of the most common varieties (not counting the almighty pumpkin, of course, about which I wrote last fall.) …

A few years ago, my husband had to travel to San Francisco for business.  I came along to visit family in the area, and on the recommendation of a friend, we dined one evening at a restaurant called The Stinking Rose. As you might have guessed, the establishment was known for its garlic-infused cuisine.  We could smell it as soon as we walked in: the waiter brought out bread with a spread of parsley, oil and chopped fresh garlic that made our mouths (and eyes) water.  This was followed by bagna cauda and mussels, served in sizzling skillets, a quarter chicken studded with forty whole cloves, …