Summer Time & Sipping Coffee in the Sun

Ok, so coffee beans are little power houses of solar energy.  The coffee plant, an evergreen shrub, soaks up the sun and imparts the little beans with amazing energy... I think they call that caffeine!

So, with the snow cascading down around me and my home, yet again.... (I do love winter, just not anymore this year!), I can not help but think about that iced coffee drink.  The summer coffee drink I taunted you with in my article on getting rid of the coffee's acid reflux effect. 

I have had many requests for the recipe, SO, I have decided in my "wishing it was summer and I was playing outside in the sun" mood, I would share it with everyone.

First things first:  make yourself a batch of cold brewed coffee. I made a gallon of this liquid! Yikes, I don't even drink coffee on a regular basis!

1. Grind your coffee beans and use 1/3 cup of coffee grounds to every 1 1/2 cups of water.

2. Put the coffee grounds and water into a wide mouth canning jar. You can do 2/3 of a cup of grounds and 3 cups of water in a quart jar.  Or make a bigger batch in a half gallon or gallon sized jar.

Whatever amount that you do not freeze into cubes, just refrigerate and use within 2 weeks. Simply warm it up and use like fresh, hot brewed coffee.

3. Allow coffee "tincture" to soak over 24 to 36 hours.  I shake it up whenever I pass by the jar in the kitchen.

4. Strain, after tincturing, into a clean jar.

5. Fill ice cube trays and freeze.

Caution:  If you have a self-defrosting fridge, keep a close watch on these precious coffee cubes. Get them out of the trays and into a sealed freezer bag as soon as they freeze.  Otherwise, the freezer will defrost them right out of the trays.  This is not good!  Organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee is liquid gold, Fun-Shine, that needs to be protected!

Coffee cubes freezing away next to my Kent Family Grower's cherry tomatoes and red peppers and my Martin's Farm Stand strawberries!

To Make Frosty Summer Coffee Beverage:

1.  Take 4 to 6 coffee ice cube and place in a blender.  Each cube is 2 tbsp., so 4 cubes is equal to one 8 ounce cup of coffee.

2. Add one cup of whole, organic milk.  You can also use your favorite non-dairy milk substitute if you avoid the milk from lactating cows, goats, sheep, elk, yak, or other mammals. Want a recipe for nut milk?  Email me.

3. Add 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, the real stuff.

4. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon  OR  the coffee acid reflux spice mix.

5. If you like sweetened coffee... add to taste maple syrup, raw honey, or unrefined brown sugar (Sucanat or Rapadura).

6. Blend quickly to crush up the coffee ice cubes but retain a fine, chunky texture.

7. Put into a tall glass, perhaps an iced tea glass. Pint sized, wide mouth Ball canning jars also work extremely well...

8. Head outside and sit in the sun or under your favorite shade tree.  Sip and enjoy, forgetting that snow will fall again... someday!

PS  The coffee cubes, double bagged and awaiting summer sun & fun!

Critical Mass

Love this lady's work in the world!

LYME Disease: A Naturopathic Approach

Lyme Disease: A Naturopathic Approach

Sat, March 29, 2pm – 4pm

At

NATURE'S STOREHOUSE, Canton, NY

Where

17 Main Street, Canton, NY, United States

map

Calendar

storehouseevents@gmail.com

Description

Join us as spring approaches for a discussion with naturopathic doctor Shawn Yakimovich of the Kemptville Ontario Naturopathic Clinic on prevention and treatment of a growing epidemic in the North Country, lyme disease. Naturopathic medicine offers a unique blend of modern examination and diagnostic techniques with traditional, natural remedies such as nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture and homeopathy. This event will take place on Saturday, March 29th from 2-4pm in our events space at 17 Main Street, Canton (just 2 doors down from Nature's Storehouse) and is free to the public. See you soon!

Celeriac LOVE Update!

Celeriac LOVE Update

I am determined to create celeriac lovers out of you!  The below saute' was made with 100% Kent Family Growers veggies and Kerry Gold butter from Ireland (not very local but I am having a tough time finding local butter from grass fed cows!).

Dinner:  

1.  Gently saute' onions in much yummy butter, 2-3 minutes.

2.  Add grated celeriac and saute' gently for 2-3 minutes.

3.  Pop in some chunks of frozen red peppers and green beans (Thank you Megan Kent for putting these veggies up!).

4.  Crush one large clove of garlic and stir it all up.

5.  Cover cast iron pan & turn off heat.

6.  Finish making my root veggie slaw, the rest of dinner selections, and serve up the yummy celeriac dish, see below!

My Advice:  LOVE your celeriac.  It will LOVE you back!

Check out the Kent's interview on North Country Public Radio!

PS  For those of you who have been following my lust of root veggies, fear nothing, I have not abandoned my love for the humble beet!

CELERIAC...It deserves your love

CELERIAC...

Yesterday, I listened to the Eight O'clock Hour NCPR show on the Kent Family Growers:  A Year On the Farm, Staying Local and Growing the Farm.  Fun to hear the inside scoop from Dan and Megan, to know what goes on on the farm that grows my winter CSA food.

As I was listening, I was grating root veggies and cabbage, 100% from the Kent Farm CSA, to make another 5 quart batch of my fermented root veggie kraut.

The pile of veggies, awaiting grating, included 3 healthy sized celeriac roots.

I had a chuckle when Dan made the statement that celeriac just does not "sell" well around here.  His NYC market LOVES his celeriac!

Seriously, people here in Northern NY don't love and crave this yummy little root?

My goal is to convince you that celeriac IS worthy of your love!

Why?  OK, celeriac to me is like the burst of fresh air when you first open the door to go outside or when you throw open the windows in spring.  That amazing smell of freshness in your nostrils and fresh taste in your mouth is what celeriac does for food... in my eyes (well, nose & mouth)!

My favorite way to eat it is in my raw, grated veggie slaws; the winter salads in my home.  It gives the salad an incredible burst of fresh flavor akin to eating stalks of celery.  The beauty is you do not need to use stalks trucked in, to give us celery in the winter, from California and Florida.

#2:  Cooked with potatoes and mashed with lots of yummy butter.

#3 to infinity... chopped and added to soups, stews, stir fries.  Celeriac is even yummy grated and quick stir fried with butter,  onions, and garlic.

I dare you... try some celeriac today.  Let me know if you fall in love!   Paula

Looking down into the crock, the next batch of root veggie kraut.

Kraut "out" date is March 13-17th, whenever I get around to scooping it out of the crock.

Stop by for a sampling; experience the love celeriac adds to root veggie - cabbage kraut!