Bird + Seed

Good Earth Day Vibes

While hordes of people in green shirts, toting garbage bags and disposable plastic water bottles [irony?] were cleaning up the Charles for Earth Day, we went for a bike ride to some of the more hidden parts of our City River's edges for some foraging.  Mostly we spied plenty of Garlic Mustard, a super invasive plant.  Damon & I cut a big reusable grocery bag's worth to make pesto.  We noshed on some just tonight for dinner:  barley risotto with garlic mustard pesto.

Friends Alissa & Stu came away with another invasive, Japanese knotweed [it's stalks are a rhubarb stand-in] and some stinging nettle [for tea, or as a spinach stand-in].  We also spied Burdock, but without a trowel, we wouldn't be able to harvest their tasty roots.  

We also potted a few plants [like the above hosta, a hand-me-down from my grandmother], dried our clothes on the line and started a compost pile.  I also spent a good deal of Friday and Saturday combating aphids that have attached themselves to our Viburnum, right outside the kitchen window.  I swear, that plant was dying last year... I fertilized it, cut off the dead bits... and now...aphids.  But a spritz of Peppermint Dr. Bronner's castile soap seems to kill all aphids on contact.  It's just the ones that hide that have me worried.  

I think we had a pretty Earth-Friendly weekend.  

Bike Adventure

Such a nice weekend 'round these parts.  We did all sorts of nice home spiff-ifying things.  Like planting perennials and putting up a clothesline.  But what was really great?  Our Minuteman Bikeway adventure to Spy Pond for a picnic. 

We also stopped for beers along the way.  A very leisurely Sunday.  Damon has tomorrow off for Patriot's Day/Marathon Monday [in which it seems like the entire city has the day off- and for good reason- the marathon prevents vehicular traffic all day] but I have work.  yay science.

S'okay.  With such a relaxing weekend I'm [sorta] ready to go back.

Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

I don't know why I decided that I had to do this Easter Sunday.  I can do this anytime I want, but I decided on Easter Sunday.  I don't even celebrate Easter.  Then again, this past weekend was one of the rare moments that white chicken eggs were in abundance [when was the last time I bought white eggs.... I can't even recall...] But man, let's just say the hankering for dying eggs [and egg salad that followed] has been satiated.

Natural dyed eggs are easy.  Just a bit more messy.  Oh yeah, and they take longer.  So... maybe it's not easy... just not as hard as I thought.  Boil your vegetable matter so that they offer up their colors into the water.  Red onion skins yield a reddish yellow.  Dill seeds turn your eggy light golden brown whereas coffee makes white eggs look like brown eggs.  Turmeric dyes eggs (and your formica counter) a deep yellow.  Beets make stuff pink (again, duh) and Hawaiian black volcanic salt + black sesame seeds = grey eggs.  

Add some vinegar of course- just like traditional [er... fake chemically dye... why is that considered traditional?] dyes.  My eggs became speckled and striped, due to resting on bits of organic matter.  Also, you have to leave your eggs in longer than with store-bought dyes.  But the results?  Like kitchen alchemy.

One eggy cracked while boiling.  Om nom nom.

Other great things that happened with eggs this weekend? 

The Snap Fizz.

1 part Hendricks
1 part Snap
1/2 part simple syrup
1/2 lemon
2 egg whites

Shake with ice.  Garnish with Angostura bitters.

This is what's going on

Paucity of posts is mostly due to lots of work + nothing cool going on 'round these parts.  Until now.  We're engaged folks!  And we're gettin' hitched in October.  I bet I'll be posting [and boring you all] with the subject more as I get crafty for the affair.  We're both super excited.  And of course our families are too.  

And here is engaged Connie coming back from TW Food, where we celebrated our engagement together.  Of course we biked there... cause everything is better on a bike.  And in the background is lovely construction work they're doing right out our front steps to fix a sewer line.  Damon was talking to one of the construction guys and he said that the last time some of those parts down there were replaced was 1873!  Annnnddddd.... there is a massive sewer line right under our street [no smells though!] and pretty much all of Cambridge's poop goes down our little street.  Fascinating!  Poop!  Engagement!  That is all!

Pi[e] Day

Did you all observe the best-est holiday this past week?  No, I'm not talking Johnny Appleseed Day, although that was last week.  I'm talking Pi Day.  Always easy to remember the date of Pi Day...3.14 of course.  And how does one celebrate?  With pie, naturally.  We had mincemeat, key lime, chocolate pudding, vegetarian shepard's pie, mini-savory pies and my invention: goat cheesecake with balsamic strawberries.  All super delicious- our bellies were full.  So next time March 14th comes around the bend, don't neglect your pie-eating duty.  

Goat Cheesecake Pie with Strawberry Balsamic Topping

ingrediants
your favorite crust recipe.  [I used a basic flaky crust from The Pie & Pastry Bible]

for the pie:
12 ounces chevre
1/2 cup plain yogurt or creme fraiche
3 eggs
1/2-1 cup powdered sugar [depending on how sweet or how goat-ish you want it]
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

for the topping:
~10 strawberries, cut in halves or quarters
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsps cornstarch
1-3 Tbsps water

Blend all wet pie ingredients together in a food processor or stand mixer.  Slowly add powdered sugar and occaisionally taste to get the sweetness you want.  It still should be a bit tart and taste of goat cheese. Add baking powder and give one last pulse to blend.  Pour into partially pre-baked pie crust, and bake at 375 for ~45 minutes.  It will rise some and be mostly set except in the very middle, which will wiggle.  In the mean time, heat the strawberries with some water on the stove until they give up their juices.  Add the balsamic vinegar and heat through for a minute.  Slowly add cornstarch, being careful to avoid clumping.  Reduce heat and allow to thicken.  When pie is out of the oven and cooled for 20-30 minutes, spoon strawberries on top, arranging them in a single layer.  Allow to cool and set completely in the fridge.  If you can resist for that long...