The Apartment Farm

Fall is the time for soups, and there’s no better combination than what’s in season, and right now potatoes and leeks are abundant. If you’ve never had leeks, you’ve been missing out. The have a very faint onion flavor, but not overwhelming and spicy like onions can be. And when cooked in this soup, they take on a soft, silky texture which is a great contrast to the starchiness of the potatoes.

Ingredients

3 large leeks

5 medium russet potatoes

5 medium yellow wax/boiling potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

8 cups of chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Optional: 4 bacon slices for topping

Instructions

1.) To prepare the leeks, slice off the green tops; these are not usable. You’ll want the white and light green parts. Slice each leek lengthwise down the center, then cut each half into one inch pieces. Put the pieces into a colander and seperate the layers. Leeks are grown in very sandy soil, and the soil tends to work it’s way down into the layers, so by cutting and seperating them in this way, they’ll get fully clean. Once the layers are seperated, rinse them well under running water. It sounds time consuming, but it really just takes a few minutes.

2.) Once the leeks are fully rinsed, place them a large stockpot with the butter on medium high heat. Cook them for about 15 minutes until they’re translucent and the smaller pieces have started to brown. Give it a stir every few minutes so it doesn’t stick and be careful that it doesn’t burn.

3.) While the leeks are cooking, peel and cube the potatoes. You want the potatoes to be about a half inch size.

4.) Once the leeks are translucent and lightly browned, add in the flour to make a roux, or paste. Slowly add in the chicken stock, stirring constantly so that the roux will start to thicken the broth.

5.) Add the potatoes to the soup, and bring to a simmer for 15-20 until the potatoes are just tender.

6.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7.) If you are using the bacon as a topping, while the potatoes are cooking in the last 15 minutes, brown the bacon until crisp in a skillet. Drain well on paper towels and crumble. Sprinkle on top of the soup in the bowls.

You can serve it with a crusty French bread and the husband says it’s good with a pint of Guinness! Perfect for the cool weather yet to come!

I can’t wait until we buy our first house with a yard, because in addition to a few nice raised beds for fruits and veggies, I’d also like to have a couple of chickens. In addition to having them as family pets, there are few clear benefits from keeping them– eggs daily, fertilizer for the garden, and natural pest control. Most major urban areas allow each family to have at least a few laying hens. For example, Chicago places no limit on the number of hens you can own, and Portland, Oregon allows three without a livestock permit. Each city code contains this information, and the website for The City Chicken http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html has a listing of what’s allowed for most major cities in the United States. It’s also a good resource on chicken info. Another good info source is www.backyardchickens.com. I’d just like to own two hens, preferably either Rhode Island Red bantams or Americauna bantams. The Rhode Islands have gorgeous brick red feathers, while the Americaunas lay eggs that are green or blue. Bantam chickens are smaller than standard chickens, which make them especially well-suited to city living. Small breed chickens will need about six square feet of space each in order to be happy and healthy. I really like the Omlet Eglu chicken tractor, but they are pricey– they cost over $700. That seems like quite a lot of money to spend on chickens. So I’d like to build my own small coop of wood and chicken wire. I’d like it to be five feet square and three feet tall, with a door in the front leading to wire chicken run, fifteen feet long by five feet wide. The floor to the coop will be a two inch deep tray that slides out of a slot at the rear of coop so it can be pulled out for cleaning. The bottom of the tray will be tiled in linoleum for easy cleaning, and a layer of compostable bedding material will be laid down inside the coop. On the inside back wall of the coop will be three nesting boxes. In the front above the door will be a dowel for roosting. There will be a screened window in the side (with a glass “storm window” covering for winter months) to let in fresh air and light. The roof of the coop will be hinged so that it can lift off for easy access for egg collection and cleaning. I’m debating on whether or not to put the whole affair on wheels so that it can be moved about the yard easily. I think even without wheels, it would be relatively easy to reposition because of it’s small size. So with all that planned out, now I have a few years to go dreaming about my someday flock of chickens…

Purchasing organics as much as we can is the rule in my house. It’s true, it’s more expensive than the conventional stuff on the market. But that’s because we’re paying for the true cost involved in producing a quality product. Conventional growing methods with their mass market pesticides and cheap labor are the easy way out, and we’re paying the cheap price for the lack of quality in that type of food. All the same, discounts now and again are welcome to our pocketbooks, especially when trying something new that you’re not sure you’ll like. Once you’ve figured out that you like it, you’ll be able to justify the price. So one way I’ve been able to get acquainted with new organic and natural products is to simply email the companies I’ve been interested in and ask them if they would be willing to send me coupons and/or product samples. Most of the companies I contacted were more than happy to oblige, and my mailbox has been host to a good amount of coupons with generous discounts and sample size products. One company I contacted even sent me a full-size soap! It only took me about a half hour online. I just made a list of natural/organic food, home care and cosmetic companies that I wanted to try, looked up their websites, and then sent an email to their customer service department or used the feedback form on their website. My request was simple– all I said was “I’d be interested in trying some of your xyz product, and was hoping you could send me some coupons and/or product samples so I can do so. If so, please send to [my address].” Many of the companies emailed me back to let me know what they would be sending me, and of course I sent a simple email in return that said “thank you”. Some companies also have e-newsletters or mailed newsletters you can sign up for that include coupons or discounts. Seventh Generation has downloadable coupons on their website, as do many other companies. And a good coupon book to look for is the Mambo Sprouts booklet that focuses almost exclusively on organic goods. They can be found at Whole Foods stores as well as online. So there are deals to be found out there– all you have to do is ASK.

I have to admit, I’ve always been a big fan of scented candles, especially in autumn and winter– there’s nothing nicer than the smell of pumpkin pie or gingerbread. But there has been some recent talk that indicates that scented candles aren’t such a great idea after all; that they decrease indoor air quality as opposed to improving it. And that makes sense– a lot of candles are petroleum based, with scents that are composed of various chemicals. And by lighting these candles in our homes, we’re burning all of that into the air we breath. But there’s a simple fix here. For candles there are plenty of beeswax and soy candles on the market. You can find ones scented with organic essential oils. So we don’t have to give up candles completely. But what about those rich autumnal scents we so like to perfume our homes with? There’s a simple solution here as well– potpourri. My mom used to put some in a kettle on the stove occassionaly through out the fall and winter. It’s a simple concept– just mix dried spices, herbs or other items in a cup or so of water, and optionally, organic, natural essential oils, and let it simmer on the stove. Your entire home will take on the fragrance. If you’d like to perfume rooms that are distant from the kitchen, or are hesistant to leave the stove on unattended, I find that electric candle warmers are perfect. You can put all of your ingredients into a mason jar and set it atop the warmer and you’ll have the same effect. It’s also a more child-friendly option, as you can place the warmer in a location where the kids can’t reach it and you don’t have to worry about them getting too close to the stove. I’ve also seen small potpourri crockpots on the market, made just for this purpose. It’s essentially a crockpot with a 1-2 cup capacity. You can use any combination of ingredients you like, but here’s a simple, classic recipe I like to use:

Autumn Potpourri

2 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces

Several curls of dried orange peel

1 teaspoon of whole cloves

1 whole nutmeg, crushed (put in a plastic bag and hit with a hammer– don’t pulverize it, you just want it broken into pieces)

1 small piece of dried ginger

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

Mix all of the above with 1 cup of water. If you’re using the candle warmer method, place it all in mason jar and set it on the warmer. If you’re using the stovetop, put it all into the smallest pot you have and set it on a back burner on the very lowest setting. On the stovetop be extra careful that all of the water doesn’t evaporate out and cause the spices to start burning. You should either add more water periodically or turn it off so this doesn’t happen. I find with the stovetop method it’s best to set a timer for a half hour or so, so you don’t forget to check on it. Needless to say, if you plan to go very far (outdoors to garden for awhile or upstairs to fold laundry, whatever) or leave the house remember to turn to stove off! (This is where the benefits of the candle warmer and potpourri crockpot come into play since they don’t require constant monitoring, though common sense also says to turn them off if you leave the house). So you can go as far as your kitchen cabinet for an excellent way to scent your home this fall– better air to breath and cheaper than those expensive candles anyway!

This is by far the best recipe for coffee cake you’ll ever eat. Now I don’t normally mention which brands of ingredients people should use, but I have to say for the flour you should definitely use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White Flour. I used it for the first time this morning when I made this recipe, and I’m a convert into the organic flour camp. It’s clearly superior to conventional flours– it’s lighter, fresher and just tastes better.  

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

5 1/3 tablespoons butter

3/4 cups water

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

1.) Mix together dry ingredients (except for cinnamon).

2.) Cut in butter with your hands until well mixed with the flour. It should be crumbly. Reserve about 1/2 - 3/4 cup and mix cinnamon in. Set aside for topping.

3.) Mix water into the main flour mix until well combined. Pour batter into a round or square 9 inch pan.

4.) Sprinkle cinnamon topping evenly over the top of the batter.

5.) Bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour.

It’s best served warm, and I like to keep this breakfast simple by serving it with hot tea or warm cider. For a variation, you can add finely diced apples to the batter before pouring it in the pan.

I think mini meatloaves are better than large meatloaves because you can stick them in the freezer and defrost just one or two depending on the meal you’re having. You can also customize the flavors– you can leave two plain to serve with brown gravy and spread a tomato chutney or bacon slices on the other two for a different flavor or to suit family members with different tastes. You’ll need a four-well mini loaf pan to make this recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 pounds of ground meat (I prefer grass-fed organic bison. You can use beef, turkey or pork, although if you use turkey or pork you should mix it half and half with either beef or bison because they bind better and their extra “fattiness” makes for better flavor)

1/2 - 3/4 cup oats (not the quick-cook kind)

Salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

2 tablespoons herbs de provence (or any herbs you like– thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.)

Optional toppings: bacon slices, tomato chutney/ketchup, sweet and sour sauce, whatever you’d like and think would be good!

Instructions

1.) Mix the ground meat and oats until well combined. It’s messy, but using your hands is the best way to do this.

2.) Also using your hands, mix in the seasonings, garlic and salt and pepper. Just make sure it’s evenly distributed throughout the meat.

3.) Divide meat mixture into four equal portions and press loosely into the mini loaf pans. If you are using toppings, place/spoon them on now.

4.) Put the meatloaves in a 350 degree oven, and bake for about 45 minutes (give or take). You want them to be done without any hint of pink.

Serve them hot, and if you used tomato chutney or sweet and sour sauce, it’s nice to have extra on the table. If you baked them plain, a good brown gravy is a nice accompaniment. As far as side dishes, mashed potatoes are a classic, and I also like home-canned green beans, or corn on the cob. You could serve a small side salad and some fresh rolls as well. If you have leftovers, you can slice the meatloaf for sandwiches the next day. And of course, the beauty of these mini meatloaves is they’re great for freezing– just let them cool down to room temperature, and wrap them well in foil or put them in freezer bags. They’re already single serving size, so just defrost what you need for meals. It’s a classic family favorite that’s always nice to have on hand.

It was a quick death. Three days ago my husband noticed little webs on one of our luscious pepper plants. Almost instantly, the leaves started falling in profusion. It was spider mites. So I isolated the plant from the others, and raised the humidity level around the plant by placing a bowl of water right next to it. Apparently spider mites detest humidity and moisture. But by the third afternoon, there was no improvement, just more webs and the loss of more leaves. My husband insisted we get rid of the plant to prevent the mites from spreading to the others. Despite the fact that he was right, the loss stung. This particular plant was my best producer, and the peppers were all just starting to turn red and be ready to harvest. The whole thing was unceremoniously pitched into the dumpster. But on the plus side, our remaining pepper plant appears to be unaffected, and the peppers are maturing to a nice red also. The tomatoes have been indifferent to the entire event. So all in all, we still come out mostly ahead. Another highlight that is distracting me from the loss of my beloved pepper is the fact that my lettuce has started to sprout. So the garden continues on…

But in a good way– not only have my lovely cherry tomatoes begun to take on a crimson blush, but one of the peppers is an amazing shade of red! And I have multiple strawberries, all in various shades of red. Red red red, in my garden the hue of the harvest!

I went a little crazy in the kitchen tonight. The first few yellow leaves are starting to drift from the trees and the past few mornings have had a hint of cool to them. I know summer isn’t quite over yet, and we’re bound to get a good number of unbearably hot and humid days before it wears itself out, but I can sense the seasons on the verge of changing. The seasonal shifts have always been a bit rough for me; I’m more prone to headaches and fatigue. Changing pollen counts and losing daylight and such things. But autumn is my favorite season, and any hint of it arriving I find quite inspiring. Especially in the kitchen, so I went a little nuts doing some cooking today. I made a batch of chili for the freezer (enough for one dinner and one lunch), a batch of 15 bean stew for the freezer (enough for 3-4 meals) and a double pan of scalloped potatoes, half we’re having for dinner with some pink sweet corn and the other half we’ll have for lunch tomorrow. And I didn’t stop there. I also baked a pan of 18 biscuits (mostly for the freezer) and 4 mini loaf pans and 6 mini bundt cakes of pumpkin spice bread (most of which will go in the freezer). I’m fanatic about freezing quick bread lately. I did a couple of mini loaves earlier in the week and they’re great for breakfast– my husband and I split one and they defrost in about 2 minutes in the microwave. Serve it with some jams or jelly and fresh fruit and you’ve got a complete breakfast that’s fast and not a Pop Tart. If I have any room left in my freezer, I’m going to do some cookies, applesauce spice cake, another batch of chili and some meatloaves for the freezer this weekend. I love feeling so inspired. It keeps me from ordering take out too much.

No Apartment Farm would be complete with a collection or two. I like to collect items that are useful as well as beautiful and interesting. I find the key to maintaining and enjoying a collection is not to go overboard– pick something you truly love, and limit what you purchase. Also, don’t collect everything under the sun. I only have one large collection– milk glass. I love the stuff and I can’t get enough of it. My collection includes bakeware, dinnerware, serving pieces and items like vases and candlesticks. I use my collection on a regular basis. I have a milk glass hen on a nest that I use for a sugar bowl, and with it on my table daily are a diamond-pattern sugar bowl (which holds cinnamon sugar) and a creamer (which we use for syrups and gravies). I also have a set of salad plates, tumblers and teacups with saucers that we use for Sunday brunches. One of my favorite things is a glass set I picked up for $5– It’s a large hobnail pitcher with 6 matching tumblers. I have a mini hobnail pitcher that matches it. I also have many hobnail planters and various compotes. As the mood strikes I use them for storage (one compote holds small desk items in our office), planters, or candleholders. I love the look of milk glass with a tealight inside. I also love actually using my milk glass– it would be so boring all lined up in a curio cabinet. Another item I’ve started collecting (since I’ve been married) is our china pattern, which is Churchill Blue Willow. I know a lot of people who would scoff, but we use our “good china” for everyday. Yes, it’s gotten chipped. And that first chip was difficult, but I’m over it. It gives it great provenance. I want to surround myself only with what I love and will use. I think that’s a good rule of thumb to keep in mind when starting and maintaining a collection.