This weekend I found myself in the Super 88 produce section, weighing my vegetable purchasing decisions. Baby bok choy…hmmm…seasonally apt, probably grown somewhere in this hemisphere…Good. Ginger…kinda mushy…most likely contaminated with melamine or some other frightful additive… Yeah, those apples look really, um, dirty, and not in a good way. I’m not saying this is rational behavior.

After enjoying a summer of freshly picked, seasonal vegetables that are simply presented to me in a box every week, I’m left kind of paralyzed when it comes to shopping at a store again. Totally spoiled by CSA.

Just for fun, here is a collection of found shopping lists for inspiration. http://www.grocerylists.org/

Laura and I drink a lot of seltzer, and I began to feel bad about bringing so many plastic bottles into the world. Since I completed the carbonator (I just call it The Device), I haven’t bought a single bottle.

Assembling the device was fairly easy. I work with engineers, and was lucky to have their council, but it’s a simple process. This great website, Truetex.com, has exhaustive information about building a carbonating machine, and supplied me with everything I needed to know to go about building my own. All it takes is a tank, a regulator, some fittings, hose, and some way of connecting the hose to the bottle. I bought a used tank and new regulator off ebay, and a handy tube-and-cap system from an online home brewing company. Assembly pretty much just involved screwing the fittings together, and then bringing the tank to a local welding supply store to be filled with CO2. Top to bottom, I probably spent $60. That website has a ton of information, and I’ll also be happy to give you any more specific advice I can about the carbonating machine.

A few tips:
Pipe sizes are not necessarily standard. One company’s 1/4″ pipe might not agree with another company’s 1/4″ pipe. It’s best to try and get all the fittings from the same place, and don’t hesitate to bring pieces to a store to make sure what you’re buying will fit.
Cold water is necessary when carbonating. I just keep a few bottles of flat water in the fridge, so when I want seltzer the water’s already cold.
When carbonating, shaking the bottle with great vigor is key. You’ll get better results from a brief violent shaking than a prolonged gentle shaking.

Additionally, I’ve been working out a recipe for ginger ale. Here’s my best shot to date:

1/2 cup chopped peeled ginger root, plus
1 very small knob peeled ginger (for grating)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 planks lemon peel (I just use a vegetable peeler)
pinch salt

Place chopped ginger, water, lemon peel, and salt in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add sugar, bring back to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Strain liquid, pressing on solids with spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Grate approximately 1/4 teaspoon of the ginger knob into the liquid and stir well to combine. Cool.

To make ginger ale:
Mix 1 part syrup and 2-3 parts seltzer (to taste) over ice. I like to squeeze in a lime wedge. Another fine addition: dark rum.

Enjoy!

When faced with the need to save two huge bunches of fresh, HOMEGROWN cilantro from the compost pile, pesto was the best solution. One can only make so much salsa, and just a little cilantro goes a long way in a salad…these bunches were ready to turn ugly, so I need to act fast!

The stems of the plant are tender enough to chop up with the leaves, pine nuts are too…pine flavored for my tastes and pumpkin seeds are soooo good, so into the food processor they went. Don’t let the thought of cilantro overload deter you, the seeds help mellow the sharpness of the herb.The recipe follows:

Two bunches fresh, thoroughly washed cilantro, stems included, roughly chopped (approx. 4 cups)
3/4 C. toasted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3 large cloves garlic
Approx. 3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chop the garlic cloves in food processor first, then add pepitas and process again – careful to only process to a chop, not a puree. Add chopped cilantro and olive oil gradually. Process until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.

I keep little containers of this in the freezer. Fabulous baked on fish, sauteed with zucchini or tossed with blanched green beans – experiment away!