In Season Recipes

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New Year's lunch was some leftovers...Prosecco, giuncata, ricotta and fresh cheese with walnuts (all sheep's milk). The honey is sapa di miele with propoline. I found this info about the honey on the internet:

The Mediterranean shrubland honey

Is a typical multiflower honey from the mountainous zones of Sardinia, where the spontaneous trees and flowers live in a natural contest free of humans buildings.

Erica arborea, Lavandula Stecca, Asphodel, Sardinian Cistum, Rosmary and thistles, give an original mix and always new taste.

The Mediterranean shrub honey, is typical and closer by Sardinia flowers, that can vary year by year.give origin to us to mix an always new and intriguer. This honey's peculiarity, the large variety of Sardinian wild flowers, makes its taste different year after year, depending on the flowers mix, given by weather changes, temperature and so on. The resulting mixture has no equal in richness and spicy taste, changing from lavender, balsamic or spicy. The nature plays a unique symphony year by year, gifting the honey with a new taste every time. A versatile honey to taste with seasonal dishes of the Italian cooking tradition.

A small cooking advice: the shrub honey is the favourite for cakes.

The "sapa di miele" (sardinian honey syrup):

The sapa is a delicious honey syrup known with the name of "abba e mele", "saba e mele "or more commonly "honey sapa".

Originally the honey sapa was the result of "mashing" the wax honey: until 50 years ago, before the rationalization of the beehives, the honeycomb honey was spread all around the nest and hand gathered by special instruments or knives, then collected in a metal bowl, then mashed by the women with special accuracy. Actually the modern beehives are made to separate the honey and the bees nest.

This honey is rich flavor, dark in color and a great flavor with the cheese and sardo bread.

Carolynn79 -- Pork roast, sauerkraut cooked with apples and mashed potatoes was our family tradition. I didn't make any sauerkraut this year so that wasn't an option since it isn't sold here. My tongue is hanging out for it now. I don't know the origins...it would be fun to research. My mother's family is Irish. Have you ever tried a crown roast with stuffing in the center?  I made the stuffing with dried bread pieces, celery, onions and sausage...sauerkraut on the side with mashed potatoes.

Buon giorno!

My son arrived! Exhale...

First meal... 

Breakfast...juicing the oranges and pulled the toaster out of the closet. 

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Traditional trip to Montefiasconi for the wine (over 40 years for my DH). We stopped at a butcher known for pork products. We'll be eating that tonight with the wine.

The tasting, a good vintage. The cave is lava rock.

 Tools of the trade...

 The barrels are over 100 years in the family. 

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After the wine was loaded in the car, we went to a local restaurant before driving home. Being with old friends is always a good day.

Today we gather take home things...he leaves early in the morning tomorrow. A very good trip.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Buon giorno!

Good to see everyone and read all the various menus. Some traditions are ancient, some are new creations. Some with family or friends. Some virtual like ours. These are some of the best elements of a Happy New Year. 

I don't mind telling you that I put on a few pounds over these days. I didn't make cookies, but my SIL brought a bag of candies, dark chocolate filled with chocolate creme flavored with Rum. They are exquisite. She bought them for DH but most of them found their way into me! I'll need to find the shop where she bought them and replace what I took! I overdid the portions of the meals too (note the cheese dish for New Year's lunch!). But I've pulled back on portions and I'm working on the downslope. 

Teka, your maple syrup would taste so good with the bacon. In fact, my son asked if we can buy maple syrup here...unfortunately no. My tongue was hanging out for it after we talked about it. Then I open this thread and smell that warm, sweet aroma cooking! I'll guess that on my next trip to US, I'll be looking for it.

Sherryc the chili is enticing. My dad made a very good chili...it's such a good dish when it gets cold.

Our winter is in full bloom...as low as 28 at night then in the 50's when the sun comes up. I'm pleased that the herbs are surviving in the sun on the balcony inspite of the cold. I'm already thinking to Spring. I bought a small composter bin, some enzymes and lime. I want to visit an antique shop where I saw some wrought iron garden items...I'd like a bench and something to stack against the sunny wall. I haven't given up on the idea of a raised bed (waist high)...we'll see about that. 

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Buon giorno!

Apple--I like your new avatar. I'm glad that you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy to post them. I don't know where I'd pick to live in my next life. I'm thinking the SW coast of Ireland where the gulf stream comes up might be nice, if I don't mind cloudy, rainy days in my next life. I also like Oregon from what I've read. More important than place though, is the people around me. Even our virtual place brings very nice people to our table.

I just scrolled through some of the recipes here for Laura3's black bean soup. I really enjoyed that. I'll add the beans to the shopping list.

My family in US volunteered to prepare and deliver a meal for someone having chemotherapy...meals on wheels concept. The family is staying at a Foundation house in the neighborhood while receiving treatment in Philadelphia. I researched information for diet during treatment here on bc.org even though her disease is not BC, chemotherapy side effects are what they are. I sent the link to the family to help the plan the meal. 

Along the way of reading the link, I think I learned why I gained weight recently. We've been eating our oranges every day, squeezing juice some days. I usually squeeze about five or six oranges for a large glass of juice. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1971/2

In addition to the vitamin benefits, there is a lot of carbs in fruit juice. It's also nut harvest time and I love to keep nuts around to munch on...they go so well with dark chocolate.

Walnuts:  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3138/2

Hazel nuts: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3116/2

So to enjoy these while they are in season, I'll need to decrease something else...or exercise more. But exercise is difficult because my joints are achy during the winter when the body also stores more fat to keep warm. My hip joint is getting testy too when I pivot. I increased my Vit D but not calcium since I had the kidney stones last year. I think I get enough calcium in my diet. 

We're like our gardens...always in need of pruning, clipping, feeding...which reminds me that I need to work on the compost pile today.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn

A fit to In Season Recipes...I found that BC.org is ramping up on exercise info... http://community.breastcancer.org/blog/tag/exercise/  

We're in the mood for soups. DH made a veggie soup the other day that warmed the cockles of our hearts. I wanted to make the black bean soup that Laura3 posted on our thread. So it's now in the pot and cooking.

I made some adjustments...added some olive oil, a few porcini mushrooms, carrots, celery and flat green beans. Then I cubed the end pieces of prosciutto for the pot. It was a joy to clip the fresh parsley from the pots. I'll be using the food processor to puree some of this mixture when it's finished to cook in a couple of hours. 

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Stella is resting while it's cooking. 

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Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Teka, here are some oranges for you. I filled a wine carrier with oranges and took them to a doctor appointment today...she was thrilled.   

These are Washington oranges...large with wonderful, sweet pulp for eating. 

These are the blood red, very juicy...so many that they needed some support. 

This is a lone rose on the bush. I clipped it and brought it inside.

Now it graces our table... 

The spider plants are doing just fine on the back gates. Stella and Napo are keeping tabs on the neighbors. 

DH is cooking cozze and spaghetti for dinner...time to go and give him a hand.

We've had a full week with doctor appointments, feeling the winter sludge, and shocking news. We are grieving the tragedy for the cruise ship passengers, grateful for the heroic efforts of the rescue services, and saddened by the apparent gross error on the part of the captain and some of his crew.

I called the Embassy in Rome and offered our small holiday apartment for food and lodging to passengers if needed...as did many others I'm certain. They said they were all taken to hotels.

This tragedy is never in season.