Month: September 2008

GoodFlow gone?

/ Ren

Terror in the Heartland » Stanching the GoodFlow

Terror in the Heartland
September 6, 2008
Staunching the GoodFlow

Earlier this afternoon, I paid a visit to Monkeywrench, and one of the collective members told me that The Man has shut down Goodflow Juice Co. The gossip is that some federal agency gave the company a deadline for pasteurizing its juice, and it was unable to shift production to a new facility before the deadline. I have not been able to find any corroboration about this from mainstream media sources, which is a bit disappointing, since it’s a local business loved by many Austinites. The plus side for me, however, was that Monkeywrench was the beneficiary of a large lot of unsalable juice, and I was treated to a delicious ginger lemonade.

I hope the Chronicle or The Austin Real-Estatesman will get on this story and sort it all out.
Tags: Austin ,food ,public safety ,regulation
Austin — McChris @ 1:57 pm

Lamb chops with bean salad

/ Ren

A pair of inch and 1/2 thick lamb chops from a pasture near Austin. Fresh herbs, garlic, peppercorns, sea salt and a soft red wine. Into a glass bowl thence to the fridge overnight.

Giant white beans, onion chives, carrot, fava beans and goat cheese will comprise a mostly raw salad.

Unzip the favas and blanch them for 30 seconds to loosen the shell, then chill under cold water to stop the cooking. Slit the shells with the point of a knife to set them free.

Onto a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side, then into a 400 degree oven for ~10 minutes for medium-rare. I have a leftover potato latke, so I’ll stick that into the oven with the chops.

Enjoy!

Hippy Gourmet in Seattle at the Flying Fish Restaurant!

/ Ren

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Fresh herbs

/ Ren

I don’t currently have a garden, but I just can’t do without fresh herbs.  At $1 a bunch, these locally grown organic herbs are a real bargain.  As they begin to lose their freshness, I simply tie the bundles with twine and hang them upside down to dry.  No more paying $6 a bottle at the grocery store for years old, flavorless oregano, basil, rosemary, mint or parsley.

Home smoked salmon (favorite)

/ Ren

For dry cured salmon, see our discussion on gravlax

I love smoked salmon.  I don’t love paying $20 per pound for it.  What say we try smoking our own?

This is a stove top smoker. I have lined the bottom with aluminum foil, upon which I have spread out a mixture of alder and cherry wood chips.

Next comes the drip pan, rack and the object of our affection, a beautiful piece of wild Alaskan sockeye with a pinch of Old Bay Seasoning.

Turn the burner to medium and slide the cover most of the way shut. As soon as you see the first wisp of smoke, close the lid all the way.

About 10 minutes later, the salmon is ready.  I wish you were here to smell this!