For a few years now, I've been steadily becoming more and more obsessed with food. You may think this natural, considering that I live in San Francisco, snobbledy foodie capital of the U.S. But this started back in New Mexico, where the local cuisine is based entirely around one amazingly spectacular ingredient. The "localvore" movement that's come to the forefront over the past several years appeals to me, and I want to go ultra-local by growing my own food. Unfortunately, I live in an area with tiny, tiny "yards" for the most part, and I can't access the 1/2 acre that I was once told (by dry-farming New Mexico hippies!) it would take to supply two people with all of the food they need. Luckily for me, I live in the land of agricultural abundance, and have fresh, local, organic produce available year-round.
I still want to go self-sufficient one day, but I also know that it's not going to happen here. And there's the conundrum: by the time I'm able to supply myself with produce, I'll no longer be able to do so all year (as I'll live somewhere with a winter that isn't exactly like the rest of the year). The answer to the conundrum? Food preservation.
That long lead-in is to set up my big Christmas presents that I got this year. First, there's my brand-new, 23-quart Pressure Canner (Thanks, Alison!) and affiliated utensils. This guy can be used to can all kinds of food (unlike a water bath canner, that can't be used for low-acid foods like vegetables because it cannot reach temperatures above 212 degrees). My second acquisition is a fancy "Food and Jerky Dehydrator" (Jerky isn't Food?) (Thanks, Joan and Bob!). I'll be able to use this one to dry fruit, hopefully of my own production one day.
I'll be using my blog in the future to document my terribly novice attempts to keep and preserve the produce that I grow and buy (with picutres!). This will hopefully start in a couple weeks, when I will turn a theoretical delivery of surplus oranges (from DP) into something, probably marmalade (which I don't even eat) or orange slices or something. This time of year, about the only fruits available at the farmer's market are apples and pears, so there will be some applesauce, sliced apples and pears, and dried apples and pears prodcued soon (especially if my go-to apple retailer brings back the $0.50/lb bruised apple bin).
One more note about my motivation for this project. I jokingly told my brother-in-law-in-law last weekend that I was getting into this kind of thing to prepare for the apocalypse. While that is kind of sort of true (where are you going to get food when society breaks down if you can't make and keep it yourself?), there's another reason in addition to the localvore thing. I think most of us have parents or grandparents that once lived "in the country" if not directly on a farm, and growing and preserving food was a matter of course, which everybody knew how to do. When I was talking to my mother several months ago about doing this, I asked her if she had a food preservation cookbook I could have, and she told me that she didn't have one, as she just always asked her mother if she had any questions. Well, now grandma is gone, and the knowledge went with her. In this country, generations that knew how to be self-sufficient are slowly disappearing, to be replaced by children who think that milk comes from the supermarket, not from cows (or possibly rats, if you live in Springfield). I want to keep this knowledge alive, and, in the process, reduce my impact on the environment by not causing the shipping of apples from Chile, peaches from China, and oranges from Australia (and don't even get me started on bananas).
Let me know if you want to sample my wares (except during cherry season, because cherries are the single greatest foodstuff ever created (including the Twinkie), and I'm going to be very, very greedy with them), and you'll probably be getting something from my kitchen for Christmas if you're a gift-receiving-level friend or family.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
2010 Holiday Letter
Dear Friends,
2010 has been both an eventful and stable year for us. For the first time since we became a couple six (!) years ago, we lived in the same apartment and both held the same jobs for the whole year (which will make Alison’s mom’s life much easier when it’s tax time!).
We also did many exciting things – the most notable, of course, was our participation in Sail for a Cure and the Leukemia Cup Regatta. We could not have done this without the emotional and/or financial support of our amazing friends and family! Thank you so much! Although it turned out that we pretty much would have rather done ANYTHING other than go sailing on San Francisco Bay, we raised several thousand dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help find a cure for blood cancers and improve the quality of life for people who are living with blood cancer, including Max Harris, the brother of one of Alison’s good friends.
This year we also learned that Alison’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been undergoing treatment, and we are relieved to report that she is doing extremely well! In November, we went to Phoenix and took part in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer with our families and many of our very supportive friends. We were overwhelmed by the number of people walking to show their support. The next day Alison ran a half marathon in honor of her mom and in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Of course, we also traveled many places during the year: Avenue of the Giants in Northern California for a half marathon of the same name, San Diego with Alison’s family for another half marathon, Denver (mostly to drink beer and enjoy the scenery), and many day or weekend trips to various locations around the Bay Area. Our big vacation was a 10-day camping trip to Yosemite and Sequoia/King’s Canyon National Parks for Matt’s birthday in September, including over 65 miles of hiking. We also enjoyed Thanksgiving in Yosemite for the second year in a row, and were treated to the entire valley coated with snow. Everyone should see this!
To round it all out, Alison also completed her very first triathlon - a sprint - and got to spend time with some of her girl friends on solo trips to San Diego, Las Vegas, and Baltimore. Matt was thrilled to be able to attend the Nelson family reunion in Iowa and see many nth cousins, removed to various degrees, and see his grandparents’ ashes interred in the family plot. Best of all, we got to see our rambunctious toddling nephew, Tyler, several times throughout the year – thanks Karen and Bernie!
We wish everyone a fantastic holiday season and hope to see everyone very soon! Remember – you’re welcome to visit us in San Francisco – just make sure to bring your walking shoes.
Love,
Alison and Matt
2010 has been both an eventful and stable year for us. For the first time since we became a couple six (!) years ago, we lived in the same apartment and both held the same jobs for the whole year (which will make Alison’s mom’s life much easier when it’s tax time!).
We also did many exciting things – the most notable, of course, was our participation in Sail for a Cure and the Leukemia Cup Regatta. We could not have done this without the emotional and/or financial support of our amazing friends and family! Thank you so much! Although it turned out that we pretty much would have rather done ANYTHING other than go sailing on San Francisco Bay, we raised several thousand dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help find a cure for blood cancers and improve the quality of life for people who are living with blood cancer, including Max Harris, the brother of one of Alison’s good friends.
This year we also learned that Alison’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been undergoing treatment, and we are relieved to report that she is doing extremely well! In November, we went to Phoenix and took part in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer with our families and many of our very supportive friends. We were overwhelmed by the number of people walking to show their support. The next day Alison ran a half marathon in honor of her mom and in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Of course, we also traveled many places during the year: Avenue of the Giants in Northern California for a half marathon of the same name, San Diego with Alison’s family for another half marathon, Denver (mostly to drink beer and enjoy the scenery), and many day or weekend trips to various locations around the Bay Area. Our big vacation was a 10-day camping trip to Yosemite and Sequoia/King’s Canyon National Parks for Matt’s birthday in September, including over 65 miles of hiking. We also enjoyed Thanksgiving in Yosemite for the second year in a row, and were treated to the entire valley coated with snow. Everyone should see this!
To round it all out, Alison also completed her very first triathlon - a sprint - and got to spend time with some of her girl friends on solo trips to San Diego, Las Vegas, and Baltimore. Matt was thrilled to be able to attend the Nelson family reunion in Iowa and see many nth cousins, removed to various degrees, and see his grandparents’ ashes interred in the family plot. Best of all, we got to see our rambunctious toddling nephew, Tyler, several times throughout the year – thanks Karen and Bernie!
We wish everyone a fantastic holiday season and hope to see everyone very soon! Remember – you’re welcome to visit us in San Francisco – just make sure to bring your walking shoes.
Love,
Alison and Matt
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