EwEind Fs R the
a
North Carolina in New York
Winter hoops add another season to Finger Lakes farming
By Alison Fromme
Funny Bone Rehab Clarifying Fog O’Donnell on the Microwave
MARCH 2017
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Master Crafted
CorningFingerLakes.org
Volume 12 Issue 3
North Carolina in New York
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Mother Earth
By Gayle Morrow
By Alison Fromme
Wait—It should be warmer down here.
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The Erlacher Collection By Maggie Barnes
Winter hoops add another season to Finger Lakes farming.
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25
Let Me Outa This Joint
Bidding War
By Maggie Barnes
By Linda Roller Faced with declining prices, auctioneers turn to the Internet to bring more buyers to the floor.
Our columnist brings her funny bone to rehab.
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Back of the Mountain By Marlo Carl
Eye can see clearly now.
14 Put a Lid on It
By Cornelius O’Donnell The microwave: it’s not just for popcorn anymore.
Cover by Tucker Worthington; top photo courtesy Aaron Munzer.
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North Carolina
Hoop dreams: Matthew Glenn, Liz Martin, Kara Cusolito, and Aaron Munzer (pictured left to right on the cover) are bringing a new growing season to the Finger Lakes.
O
n a frigid winter day on the east side of Seneca Lake, the wind whips and the snow drifts, obscuring the twolane roads crisscrossing white farm fields. Tractors stand still. Houses are buttoned-up and people scarce. Soft light filters through complete cloud cover. Trees, save for a few dark evergreens, are bone bare. The landscape appears dormant, if not bleak. But looks are deceiving. In white structures rising up from the white snow, leafy greens are growing—or, if not growing exactly, waiting, in suspended animation for longer days and warmer temperatures. Just open the door, if you can get it past lumpy frozen mud and rocks, and peek under blanket-like covers. You might find tender spinach leaves spreading across the ground, or Swiss chard sprawling, or kale stretching upward. Walking into these white structures in January, it’s a bit like time traveling a couple of months into the future, although this is hardly what you would imagine time traveling to look like. It’s spring in here, with new growth signaling warmer days ahead.
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Known as high tunnels or hoop houses, these structures are the size of a building, and rather low-tech: a steel frame, staked into the ground, covered with tough, semi-transparent plastic sheeting. Unheated, but warmer than the outside weather. Farmers here are no longer in the midst of the summer flurry of planting, cultivating, harvesting, and marketing. Liz Martin and Matthew Glenn of Muddy Fingers Farm are snug in their 1850s house a couple of turns off County Road 4—Liz typing a conference presentation on her laptop with her feet propped up next to the hot woodstove, Matthew considering what repairs need to be done on the greenhouse. A few miles south in Burdett, Aaron Munzer and Kara Cusolito of Plowbreak Farm are ordering supplies, planning for summer, and stealing a few free moments to go cross-country skiing. But even in the winter, there is still work to be done. And, with the help of these high tunnels, their crops—spinach, mesclun salad mix, bok choy, mustard greens, and some lettuces—still need
in New York Winter Hoops Add Another Season to Finger Lakes Farming
courtesy Aaron Munzer
By Alison Fromme
attention. The effort can pay off. In one January week, Plowbreak Farm reports harvesting between fifty and one hundred pounds of winter greens for wholesale. One chef responded to an email announcing February greens in enthusiastic ALL CAPS. Sara Caldwell, who operates Cheesy Rider sandwich shop and Global Taco truck, raves about their fresher taste and longer shelf life—and about the importance of keeping dollars in the local economy. Muddy Fingers Farm expects an early spring harvest for farmers’ markets in Elmira, Corning, and Watkins Glen, where customers snap up greens as soon as they are available, looking for a leafy complement to their root crop staples such as turnips and carrots. “Spinach that’s grown over winter is sweet, it’s nutty, it’s fresh, really vibrant, versus something that’s come on a tractor trailer truck across the country,” says Liz. To get that kind of quantity and quality during freezing weather, farmers must overcome the elements. Cold temperatures. Wind that’ll whisk away precious moisture. Frozen soil.
High tunnels are part of that effort and they represent a growing movement to grow local food indoors year-round. New technology, grant programs, consumer demand, and willing farmers are making winter growing more possible, more popular, and more profitable. Protecting crops from the elements is nothing new, and people have always craved fresh food regardless of the weather. As far back as the first century, Roman Emperor Tiberius demanded his favorite foods year-round, and his gardeners created “beds mounted on wheels which they moved out into the sun and then on wintry days withdrew under the cover of frames glazed with transparent stone.” Greenhouses have been around for centuries. Around the world, gardeners use cold frames (usually a glass or plastic covering over a small garden patch). Blanket-like row covers are standard equipment for farmers. But the advent of flexible polyethylene plastic during the twentieth century made greenhouses less expensive. And during SeeMooney Hoops on See on page page 88 7
courtesy Judson Reid
All bedded down: This hoop in the Finger Lakes shelters a sea of green. Hoops continued from page 7
the 1980s, experts at the University of New Hampshire and at Penn State began creating new high tunnel designs and researching best practices for growing, both simplifying and modernizing the greenhouse concept. About fifteen years ago, Howard Hoover, Penn Yan vegetable grower and member of the Groffdale Conference Mennonite community, designed his first high tunnel. “Did you ever sit inside a window on a sunny winter day and feel the heat and then go outside and feel that it’s bitterly cold? I didn’t have the money to build a proper greenhouse with plumbing, heating, ventilation, foundation, concrete—the whole nine yards—but in my steel shop I could make some hoops and stretch plastic over them to build a place that would be nice and warm on a cold day,” Howard explained to the Cornell Chronicle. He described his first attempt as a “sorry little affair.” But he saw promising results and began collaborating with Cornell Cooperative Extension specialist Judson Reid. Today, after many improvements, Howard’s family’s Evergreen Farm Shop 8
manufactures easy-to-assemble high tunnels for sale to other farmers. According to the latest census, New York State is home to 435 protected vegetable growing operations, including high tunnels, says Judson, adding that this represents over 100 percent growth from the previous five year period and a statewide value of over $27,000,000. The highest concentration of high tunnels in the state is found in the area between Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua lakes. Yates County alone has thirty-nine operators. At Muddy Fingers Farm, the decision to invest in high tunnels, which range in cost from $3,000 to $7,000, was easy. The property is relatively small, at just over three cultivated acres, so using tunnels to extend the season means that they can plant six times per year, instead of just four. “They essentially create more space on the farm,” Liz says. Plus, some of their costs were offset by a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service program that has helped fund more than 13,000 high tunnels and other protected growing environments since 2010. On the day that Liz and Matthew
welcome to erected one of their tunnels a few years ago, the ground was covered with snow, and they invited over a handful of helpful friends. Once the side frames were positioned, the crew muscled them upright, then added arching top bows for the roof. A steel bar across the length of the top added extra stability. Assembly was quick, with little more than people power, a wrench, and a ladder. Later, on a sunnier day, they rolled out a huge plastic sheet on one side of the structure, and then used a system of ropes and tennis balls to coordinate pulling the sheet gently over the frame. An ill-timed wind gust blew the plastic clear over the frame, forcing the crew to start over. But once the plastic was clipped taut with “wiggle wire” and the structure staked into the ground, it resisted wind just fine. Today, Liz and Matthew have six tunnels, several manufactured by the Hoover family. With a tractor, they move some of the tunnels back and forth over their permanent vegetable beds, like pieces on a checkerboard, depending on which crop needs what conditions at a given time. Combined with row covers, they can raise the temperature about twenty degrees Fahrenheit compared to the outdoor temperature. Over time, they’ve experimented with different crops, kept detailed records, and determined dollar-perminute investment in each crop. “Time is really valuable to us,” Matthew says. Over at Plowbreak Farm, Aaron says it was a “giant surprise” that plants survive and thrive in cold weather. They started with high tunnels five years ago, and are erecting their fifth one this year. About a quarter of an acre of their cultivated six acres is under high tunnels. “The tunnels totally change the climate,” Aaron says. The sunlight passes through the plastic, warming the air, plants, and soil inside the tunnels during the day. Then, as outside temperatures dip at night, the warmth from the plants and soil then radiates back into the tunnel. With a row cover acting like a blanket for the plants, that heat released from the ground is trapped, keeping the plants toasty—or at least alive. Even during February “it’s green inside; it smells like soil,” Aaron says. It’s not exactly like four-season farming, he continues, because he can’t count on a big harvest every winter week. But the conditions inside make three-season farming possible, perhaps mimicking North Carolina’s climate during this time of year, he says. With an app on his phone connected to a sensor in a tunnel, he can check the temperature and humidity at any time. It’s not uncommon for the temperature to rise to eighty degrees Fahrenheit on a sunny spring day, only to drop to thirty degrees Fahrenheit at night. Aaron says they try to grow everything possible—from greens to onions—as early as they can, with the first winter planting in late September. The scheduling requires careful planning. Summer tomatoes are kept in the high tunnels as late as possible, then Aaron’s team removes them all at once to prepare the soil for 5,000 new winter crop transplants, already greenhouse-grown in flats. Near the edges of the structure, they plant the most coldhardy varieties, those whose leaves might actually freeze and then recover, and they protect the more tender varieties in the warmer inner rows. The aim is to harvest in late November, before the next round goes in the ground, for a total of two or three harvests per crop each until early March. Without the tunnels, the November harvest would be the
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See Hoops on page 10 9
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Heat-seeking vegetation: Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers thrive under cover in the dead of winter. Hoops continued from page 9
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last until mid-May. Unlike outdoor farming, crops in the tunnels don’t have to be planted for staggered harvests. Thanks to their slow growth in the colder temperatures and lower light conditions, they can just sit in the ground as if they are in “living refrigeration.” One crop Aaron is particularly excited about is Salanova lettuce. The seed catalogs boast that it’s “the newest innovation in salad mix production” and has longer shelf life than regular baby lettuces. Harvested as a dense head, its unconventional structure falls apart into separate leaves with one cut at the base, making it ideal for salad mixes. And, says Aaron, the flavor and texture is pleasantly lettuce-like and slightly bitter, as opposed to sometimes tasteless baby lettuce. “We eat so much fresh salad in the winter,” he says, adding that Plowbreak Farm greens can be found at Dano’s on Seneca, Stonecat Café, Graft, and other restaurants. “People are starved for quality fresh greens in the winter, and they just adore these little leaves. People can be really emotionally connected to their food.” Aaron concedes that the tunnels “aren’t a major profit center” for his farm, but they do provide a source of income that’s more stable than outdoor crops exposed to fickle weather. “Winter greens production is not as lucrative as tomatoes or cucumbers, but can provide returns of up to two dollars per square foot in a time of year where farmers often have no revenue,” says Judson. Plus, at farmers’ markets, a beautiful display of greens during winter can attract consumers, who are then more likely to also buy potatoes or squash. “New York State is the national leader in winter farmers’ markets, with much of the local produce coming from high tunnels.” The tunnels’ usefulness doesn’t end with springtime. “In this region tunnels are primarily used to grow delicious tomatoes, a month earlier than normal,” says Judson. “These crops are still grown in the soil and offer a wonderful alternative to shipped-in product.” Heat-loving crops like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers thrive in the tunnels, which can be cooled down if necessary by temporarily raising the sidewall plastic. Liz reports that their summer tomato plants have been known to grow enthusiastically to the ceiling and back down to the ground. In the protected environment, there is no worry about tomatoes splitting open or developing mold after a heavy rain—thanks to drip irrigation. And, the plastic excludes diseases like early blight. For these reasons and more, Aaron calls the high tunnel the “backbone of the modern Northeastern vegetable farm.”
courtesy Judson Reid
Mooney continued from page 9
Still, there are challenges, and these farmers temper their enthusiasm with realism. We’re still learning. We still feel like novices, they say. For one thing, planting for winter crops must be done at the busiest time of the year: autumn. That’s when harvest is time-consuming, markets and CSA (community supported agriculture) shares are still going strong, and energy after a long summer season is waning, says Matthew. You can’t plant too early, or the crops will get too big and freeze, he explains. And you can’t plant too late, or they will be too tiny for harvest at the end of winter. Controlling the climate variables is one of the benefits of using high tunnels, but it’s also one of the disadvantages because each variable must be properly managed. Irrigation must be controlled. Row covers must be added on freezing nights and removed during warmer days. And while some pests and diseases are more easily controlled inside the tent, others, like aphids, are still a problem. Matthew admits that this year he and Liz let their Swiss chard—with its gorgeous, giant leaves—grow too big during a winter warm spell, only to witness the plants freeze days later, falling flat and worthless on the ground. But despite the setback, the plants survived. From the center of each one sprouted a promising recovery: new, vibrant, rich green leaves, growing strong despite the icy cold outside. And they’ll be ready for harvest—and eating—right now.
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Alison Fromme is an award-winning freelance writer in Ithaca, NY.
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Mother Earth
Wait—It Should Be Warmer Down Here By Gayle Morrow
I
had a car for a while that had a thermometer on the inside which told me what the temperature was on the outside. It was a very cool feature, and one of this particular vehicle’s few redeeming qualities, but that’s another story. Anyway, this car and I headed down the mountain one wintery day. It had been precipitating, the temperature was marginal—right around thirty-two degrees—and the road was a little slick. No worries, I thought. By the time I get to the bottom (I started out at over 2,200 feet), the temperature will be well above freezing and I won’t have an icy road to contend with. Not so. My trusty interior thermometer told me the outside temperature was dropping, along with my elevation. The weather gods were having fun at my expense; I was caught in a temperature inversion. Normally air temperature decreases about 3.5 degrees for every 1,000 feet of increase in altitude. With an inversion, the
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opposite happens. Technically speaking, an inversion is the condition during which the temperature of the atmosphere increases with altitude in contrast to the normal decrease with altitude. The inversion—a thin atmospheric layer—acts like a lid or a ceiling, keeping the “convective overturning” of the atmosphere from penetrating through the lid. In other words, the air gets kind of stuck. Why is that? Sometimes a warmer, less dense air mass moves over a cooler, more dense mass, and the lid or ceiling effect comes into play. Geography can also be a factor, which was the case with my inversion experience, as the mountains are good at keeping the air in the narrow runs and valleys contained. Thanks to solar radiation, the atmosphere near the surface of the earth (the troposphere) can be warmer than the air above it. But, overnight radiative (spreading out from a central point) cooling of surface air can result in nocturnal temperature inversions, too. Those often dissipate after sunrise when
the air near the ground is warmed, but in the areas where the base of the mountains hug the roads and the sun’s heat doesn’t get to the ground before mid-day, if at all, that cooler air stays put. “Air is a pretty good insulator, but the ground is not,” says WETM weather forecaster Chip Maxham. “The temperature of air is slow to respond to sunshine, or the lack of it, but the temperature of the ground changes more quickly with more or less sun.” The altitude of the inversion boundary is determined by the weight of the air above it; that boundary could conceivably be high enough to have little or no effect on us. Other times, when conditions are right, the earth’s surface cools the moist air above it (remember it is more dense than the warmer air layer) and we get fog. Temperature inversions are also good at trapping smog.
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Bidding War
Faced with Declining Prices, Auctioneers Turn to the Internet to Bring More Buyers to the Floor By Linda Roller
F
or most people, the sure signs of spring are returning birds, warming temperatures, crocuses, daffodils, tulips, and even dandelions dotting the yard. But for folks interested in antiques, collectibles, or finding unique items for the home, spring is the season when small tents filled with the contents of a household begin dotting the landscape. Or larger tents full of farm equipment, all arranged for sale to the highest bidder. For spring heralds the traditional beginning of the auction season. Like so many other traditional businesses, auctions have been transformed by the worldwide marketplace that is the Internet. Weathering the storm of change and plotting how to modify and grow a
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business in such a time is tricky. But local auctioneers are finding their own ways of meeting the needs of buyers and sellers. The biggest change, according to those local auctioneers, is the price of “the regular stuff.” In the case of an estate sale, that would be regular (as opposed to antique) used furniture, dishes, and household goods. For a farm auction, that would be the more common machinery. In every case, auctioneers talked about the decline in price for the goods that they used to sell and were able to make money on for both themselves and the seller. Ron Roan from Roan, Inc. in Cogan Station, Pennsylvania, agreed that this was the biggest change the Internet has made on their business. Sometimes they
will have a good estate auction, but now it’s sporadic, not consistent. “There are too many people who are “downsizers,” and the number of people interested in buying general estate, antique, and collectible stock is less than a third of the number of folks ten years ago,” says Ron. David Pantle, from Bostwick Auctions in Candor, New York, agreed, and Virginia Fraley from Fraley Auctions in Muncy, Pennsylvania, said that their business was not doing as many household auctions. Another big change is what people like, what’s “in.” Tastes evolve, and the pottery and primitives so popular and expensive a decade ago have been replaced by new See Bidding on page 21
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Bidding continued from page 14
favorites. Oh, there is still an interest in guns and Indian artifacts. But people in their twenties and thirties like a retro look from the 1970s—or an industrial/steampunk look to home decor. People also are interested in having fewer things—the Tiny House movement is testament to that—and so are more selective in what they buy. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the value of items designated as “most desired” or “rare.” Ron Roan gives an antique example. “Take a pine, one piece, corner cupboard—like your grandma had. That used to sell at auction for about $1,000. Today, we’re probably going to get $300 to $500. But, if it is a 1820s to 1850s corner cupboard, with the original surface/paint, that cupboard will sell for $30,000 to $50,000. Rare is still rare.” For coins, antiques, machinery, livestock, or real estate in this most desired category, prices are stable or increasing. Methods of reaching the buying audience are changing for many auctioneers as well. Bostwick Auctions, who conduct many sales at their auction hall and west as far as the Elmira/Horseheads area, are now considering online auctions to boost sales. Roan’s Inc. has done a hybrid of online/live sales for years, especially for better collections and for specialty auctions. This spring, one online auction in late March will feature a high-end collection of reproduction antique furniture and accessories, and later in the spring they will have a specialty auction of Indian artifacts. Even Fraley’s uses online auctioneering with their big consignment auction of farm machinery, held twice a year. But the biggest proponent of online auctioneering is Jelliff’s Auction Group in Tioga, Pennsylvania. Randy Jelliff and his staff do approximately 80 percent of their auctions online, and many are online only. While there are still a few live-only auctions at Jelliff’s, they have a Wednesday online only auction. “We have streamlined the cataloging process so that we can do online auctions at about the same cost as on-site,” Randy explains. For all auctioneers, the reason to use the new technology and auction on the Internet is simple. In an increasingly picky market, online auctions increase the audience. More people watching usually means more people bidding. More bidding means that items will sell for more money, making auctions work for both the consigner and auctioneer. Nor are online auctions immune from auction fever. Randy Jelliff shares a great story about a small estate sale in Cherry Flats, a tiny Tioga County community between Wellsboro and Covington, where a customer bought a twenty-two-inch flat screen television for about fifteen dollars less than new—and then drove three hours one way to pick it up. That customer would not have driven to attend the auction. Changes have rocked the auction world, but, like so many other businesses, the auctioneers of our area are both adapting to new realities and methods, and still providing an often very personal service. Whether wandering the gallery, the Internet, or inside the auction tent, it’s a place to purchase things we want and be part of a social event. Going once, twice, SOLD! Mountain Home contributor Linda Roller is a bookseller, appraiser, and writer in Avis, Pennsylvania.
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n the spring of 1953, fourteen-year old Kitty Erlacher graduated from middle school, got up the next morning, and got a job on Market Street. She has been there ever since, and now you can find her at 5 W. Market Street, adjacent to the Information Center, at The Erlacher Collection, which showcases her and husband Max Erlacher’s Steuben Glass treasures. Now seventy-seven years old, Kitty is a native of the Crystal City, while Max, eighty-three, arrived in 1957 from Austria to work as a copper wheel glass engraver. Mutual friends introduced them on a ski trip. Kitty’s brown eyes dance when she recalls that she had never been skiing before in her life. “Oh, but I wanted to impress him. Such a handsome guy. I liked him right off. It took him a couple of hours to figure out he wanted to marry me,” she smiles, clearly forgiving her husband for taking so long. They married in 1959, and their mutual love of Steuben grew from a piece here and there to a stunning collection. Their first retail store opened in the Gaffer District in 1974, and they have been on Market Street ever since. “Hold this,” Kitty says, handing over a surprisingly heavy dish with graceful curved handles. “This is the world’s finest lead crystal glass. In 1933, Arthur Houghton declared that it would be the highest quality glass, and that has never changed. Feel how it warms to your hand?” Striding across the small shop, she flicks her fingers against the lip of a vase and the air is filled with a melodic ring, substantial and delicate at the same time. “Nothing else sounds like that,” Kitty says. But what place does handcrafted crystal have in the modern world? Americans have lost their taste for elegant living, dulled by technology and overbooked schedules. “Nonsense,” says Kitty. “People have had it with that foolishness. They want to set a nice table, have a real meal and good conversation. They are teaching their children about having, and appreciating, nice things.” Max, long retired from Steuben Glass, still works every day, teaching and making commissioned pieces in his private studio. Kitty retired once, in 1999. It lasted eighteen months. Then she had to get back to her beloved Market Street. “I’ll be here forever.” ~Maggie Barnes
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Our Columnist Brings Her Funny Bone to Rehab By Maggie Barnes
“K
iddo, we are out of options.” It’s bad enough to hear those words from your plumber or the Electoral College, but hearing them from an orthopedic surgeon is a major bummer. The dour man in the white coat turned the screen so I would have full view of my crumbling right hip. We had tried everything; physical therapy, injections, heat treatments, and medication. But I hated the thought of giving up some of my original equipment. I believe you should go back to God at the end of your life with the same stuff He sent you out with. How else was I going to get my security deposit back? “I’m too young for hip replacement,” I protested, but he shook his head. “You are right in the middle of the age spectrum. I’ve had thirty-year-olds do this.” At last, I once again have something in common with a thirty-year old. A blur of preoperative preparation later and it was the day of my surgery. Bob and I had attended “Joint Camp,” an anxious gathering of my fellow sufferers,
and had most of our questions answered. Our home went through its own prep, with the area rugs coming up, walkers and canes installed, and the herd of cats lectured against “getting in Mommy’s way.” With moments to go before my journey to the operating room, a charming nurse pushed “a little something to help you relax” into my IV port. Suddenly, the world looked like a Disney dream, complete with animation and musical score. The soap dispenser on the wall smiled at me, my Styrofoam slippers winked, and Jimmy Durante stuck his head in the door and gave a thumbs-up. I have the foggiest memory of propping up on my elbows and questioning, “When did they stripe this room? It looks awesome!” Bob turned to the nurse and said, “She’s ready to go.” “Rehab” is a deceptively nice word for a painful process that hurts the body and frustrates the mind, but I was determined to regain my mobility as soon as possible. The primary purpose for the facility I was in was long-term care, so me and my fiftySee Joint on page 26
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Joint continued from page 25
something age were in the minority. That didn’t stop the young activities director (and I mean young—I have black dress shoes that are older) from trying to engage me in the daily fun. “Hi, Mrs. Barnes! Wow, you look wonderful today!” (I looked like death on a cracker, but the kid had a quota to meet.) “We are playing bingo today. Won’t you join us?” I declined, but suggested if someone kicked off a round of Texas Hold ’em, give a shout. “Deuces and Queens are wild, opening bid is two pairs of support stockings.” She was not amused. The only event I did roust myself out of my room for was a visit from the local animal shelter. I was having moderate-to-severe withdrawal from my kitties, so a few minutes with a sweet Labrador was just what the veterinarian ordered. Of course, I made several trips to the “exercise room,” where a cheerful cast of therapists attempted to move my new hip via techniques I am quite sure the Geneva Convention had banned. When your mobility is severely compromised, eating can become the highlight of the day. The food was good enough, but some of the menu selections brought forth an “Ummm…” more than a “Yummm…” One day, my half-sheet of dietary delights included the following: franks and beans with Brussels sprouts, chipped beef over toast with pickled beets, and stuffed cabbage casserole. Good Lord. I’m trapped in a middle school in 1954! When the dietician came to pick up my menu, she said, “You haven’t selected anything.” I said, “Forgive me, there is nothing on that summer camp menu I want to eat.” “You have to eat to recover from your surgery.” “No worries. I have activated the emergency response system. At this very moment, Seal Team Six is rappelling down the side of a pizzeria in an undisclosed location. In about twelve minutes, a flash bang is going to immobilize the nursing staff while the team breaches this window and hands me a large with pepperoni and extra cheese.” Health care workers can be so humorless. I bet they eat the food. The pizza did appear as predicted, though in the hands of my dear friend Eleanor, who looked at my menu choices and shook her head. “And they wonder why old people are cranky,” she said. The next night my husband secured his nomination as best spouse ever by showing up with my favorite entrée from a Valley restaurant. Between a steady flow of contraband and the occasional lucky find on the menu, my cupboard was never bare. I recovered fully and now enjoy setting off the theft alarms on my way into various stores while yelling, “Haven’t had time to steal anything! It’s just my hip!” Seriously. I now carry a card in my wallet to validate that that part of my anatomy came, not from the mind of God, but from a factory in Warsaw, Indiana. Wonder if the vending machine there doles out chipped beef? So, if joint replacement is in your future, fear not, I am here to help you plan. Bring comfy clothes, have faith in your surgeon, do your exercises, and pack a lunch. And a breakfast. And a dinner… Maggie Barnes is a recipient of both the IRMA and the Keystone Press Award for her columns in Mountain Home. She lives in Waverly, New York.
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FOOD
Put a Lid on It
The Microwave: It’s Not Just for Popcorn Anymore By Cornelius O’Donnell
I
spent quite a few years of my life standing in department store aisles giving cooking demonstrations using Corning products in the microwave. Recently, after a spate of watching televised cooking programs, I became aware of how little time was spent on air using the microwave. Sure, Ina Garten occasionally melts butter in hers, ditto Jacques Pepin, but so many people have at least one of these grand appliances in the kitchen and perhaps in the family room. Visions of popped popcorn pop into my head. Before I get too wound up in my subject I need a show of hands. How many of you have at least one three-piece glass bowl set? (Gosh, here I see even more positive responses than from the popcorn poppers.) These sets usually were made up of one-quart, one-and-a-half-quart, and two-and-a-half-quart clear or decorated
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bowls. They nested nicely. And maybe you have what I call the Paul Bunyan—a four-quart baby into which you can nest the threesome. I remember an even larger set in one of the catalogs I get. Imagine all that storage with such a small footprint. And imagine how often you use one or more of the bowls if you’re a typical cook cooking a typical meal. Next, check your cupboards. I hope you’ll also find one or two glass pie plates; they’re part of my story today. And you win the Order of the Golden Whisk Award if you also have a two-quart Pyrex casserole with a cover. Eating More Vegetables? Good for You Common sense tells me that you might be buying, cooking,
and serving more vegetables these days. And why not? Every food article I read loudly proclaims the health benefits of using meat as a side dish or in small amounts to season a dish. Bits of sausage or cubes of roasted chicken combined with pasta or rice in a salad are good examples of this trend. Nowadays, making steamed, baked, braised, or roasted vegetables the star of the dinner plate is “in.” So I’m passing along a couple of my favorite vegetable recipes with tips for microwave-cooking each. Cauliflower My Way I didn’t grow up eating much cauliflower but I now perk up when I read a recipe for that vegetable. I’ve grown to love it in all its guises (and disguises). Remember those bowl sets I mentioned? They are the ideal “pot” for cauliflower. I usually buy about a two-pound head and sometimes cut it into florets, along with the trimmed core, of about one-inch pieces. However, you can, after trimming and slashing the remaining stem, cook it whole. That makes a dramatic presentation. Here goes: 1 two-pound (more or less) cauliflower 1 c. spring or filtered water Variation: 3/4 c. Italian dressing made with good olive oil and red wine Vinegar, salt, and fresh ground pepper 1 ½ c. Panko breadcrumbs, crushed Olive oil for sautéing the crumbs 2 to 3 Tbsp. Reggiano Parmigiano 6 to 8 anchovy fillets, drained (omit salt if using) The trimmed cauliflower should fit into the 2 ½-quart glass bowl. I always rinse the cauliflower under running water. Pat dry. Pour the spring or filtered water over the vegetable. Invert the 1 ½-quart bowl over the vegetable making a cozy steamer. If you do have that 4-quart bowl, invert it over the 2 ½-quart bowl and you have a deep “hangover” that makes the larger bowl easy to lift (with hot pads) off the smaller bowl to check doneness. And remember to use the larger (or smaller or a glass cover) as a shield as you remove it so the steam goes away from you. Microwave at full power for about 8 to 12 minutes depending on the cauliflower’s size. Using a thin metal or wooden spreader, and, using oven mitts, push down on the side of the smaller bowl closest to you to release the steam away from you. Check on doneness. If you are going to puree the vegetable, you might want to cook a little longer. Serving options: cut the vegetable in wedges like a pie, and serve as a salad (maybe topped with chopped greens) with a dressing of your choice. But my favorite way to serve it is at warm room temperature (as they do vegetable dishes in Italy) on a platter. I first drain the water remaining in the cooking bowl and move the vegetable to a round platter. I whisk the Italian dressing ingredients and brush the cauliflower with that. In a small skillet, I sauté the bread crumbs in a little oil and then add the cheese. I arrange the anchovies like spokes in a wheel over the vegetable and then sprinkle the warm breadcrumbs over the entire vegetable. I cut wedges as you would a Bundt cake, making sure each diner gets an anchovy (or not). I pass any leftover dressing in a cruet. Stand-Ins for Spuds A nice way to serve cauliflower is to convert the cooked See Microwave on page 30 29
https://bitsandbreadcrumbs.com/2014/02/07/trytry-again-revival-of-a-favorite-artichoke-squares/
Join the Club continued from page 29
All choked up: Even artichoke squares can be “baked” in a microwave.
Microwave continued from page 29
vegetable to a puree. Scrape into the bowl of a food processor along with a quarter cup of crème fraiche, sour cream, or plain ole heavy cream, along with (all of this is optional) a couple of cloves of roasted garlic or maybe some sautéed shallots or leeks. When you’ve a lovely puree, you can pile this into the round bowl you used for cooking. Just before serving reheat the vegetable in the microwave, add salt and white pepper to taste, and a knob of butter. And you can also fold in some mashed potatoes to make a super combo. Just mash the potatoes separately with a potato masher or mixer, not in the processor. I can just imagine the raves you’ll get. The Missing Two Words Here I am writing about the microwave and there’s been no mention of those two dreaded words: plastic wrap. When you cover a dish with that stuff and heat it in the microwave the wrap warps and sags. You want to cover a dish tightly so it will steam and cook faster, but long-time instructions for microwaving with plastic wrap are “vent one corner.” Heck, that means the dish will take longer to cook. And the tugging and pulling of the heated wrap often results in a steam burn. Ouch, and pass me that aloe plant. Let’s face the facts: plastic is a petroleum product and the fumes when heating the wrap must land somewhere. Not on my zucchini, thank you. While I certainly use plastic wrap for storing leftovers, when microwave cooking I’d rather use things like glass pie plates upended over a smaller bowl or merely sitting atop a dish. The glass is easy to remove and the steam is easy to avoid. That covered casserole I mentioned earlier ranks with my covered Corningware casseroles as microwave perfection, meaning you can steam away and serve from the dish. But you can also use those round covers to top a pie plate or a bowl. Microwave-safe dinnerware yields saucers and plates that can be used as lids, and often the serving bowls topped with the dinner plates make dandy microwave “cookware.” 30
And if you have a rectangular dish, try covering it with another rectangular dish. It’s doable but tricky. Try adapting the recipe and use a casserole with a glass lid. Barring that, try covering the rectangular dish with wax paper or parchment paper. Cover the entire contents and allow overhang on all sides. It won’t trap all the steam but it will prevent spatters. Add some additional cooking time to compensate for that steam loss. Here’s a favorite recipe that uses the “stacking” idea. The squares make a delicious hors d’oeuvres or side vegetable for something like braised chicken, ribs or a ham steak. (If you use the round two-quart casserole with lid, you’ll have some squares and some curved pieces—all delicious.) Artichoke Squares You might have all these ingredients right there in your kitchen. Go ahead, make these today and enjoy the mini feast. Check out your baking dishes. I hope you have two oblong microwave-safe baking dishes. This is a great recipe because you concoct, cook, and serve all in the same pan. 2 (15-oz.) cans artichoke hearts, well drained (press down on them) 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter 4 or 5 leeks (white portion only), chopped, or 2 medium onions, chopped ½ c. Panko bread crumbs 9 beaten eggs ½ tsp. cayenne pepper or a good dash Tabasco Salt to taste ½ tsp. crumbled dried oregano (I use a tiny bit more) 1 lb. white sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley Use two 2-quart oblong glass dishes for this, and use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients. Preheat your regular oven to 375-degrees. You’ll use it to finish the dish. Melt the butter in one of the oblong dishes in the microwave. Remove 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and mix in a bowl with the breadcrumbs and reserve. Put the chopped leeks (or onion) in the dish with the melted butter and stir well. Place the pan in the microwave and carefully place the other 2-quart dish over it. Cook on high for two minutes, stir after one minute. Stir in the artichoke hearts then the rest of the ingredients and mix well with the wooden spoon. Sprinkle on those reserved breadcrumbs and cook on high, again covered with the glass pan, for 12 minutes. If you don’t have a turntable in your oven, you’ll want to rotate the dish a quarter turn every 3 minutes. To “crisp” the top, finish baking for 5 minutes in the preheated conventional oven. But Wait, There’s More There’s another word I haven’t used (so far) in this homage to microwave cooking and that’s “nuke.” These days I think we all want to “zap” that word out of our vocabulary. Chef, teacher, author, and award-winning columnist Cornelius O’Donnell lives in Elmira, New York.
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B A C K O F T H E M O U N TA I N
Eye Can See Clearly Now By Marlo Carl
O
ur family still practices the “traditional” art of making syrup; cutting lots of wood, tapping trees, hanging buckets, gathering buckets, boiling sap, family around the raging fire, and goodies to get us through some long nights (just to sum it up). While gathering buckets and showing our children the meaning of “keeping it old school,” we decided to snap some photos as keepsakes of the event. This one was an unexpected treat of reflection, regard, and ripples.
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