Notes from Windward: #66

Jillian's update -- June 19th

      Hey all,

      The last few days have been really sunny so we've progressed on a lot of the projects while also spending time around bonfires, watching movies, biking along the klick, and having computer sessions in the kitchen at all hours of the night.

      Vermadise is finally peacock-proof, although a few mamas have decided it's a nice place to live. We're finally moving the plants from the kitchen windows to Vermadise and the gardens.       
the north entrace sealed enough to keep out the peacocks
  


 

      Yesterday I planted a row of wax beans and a few edamame plants. Sarah and I experienced first hand how quickly weeds can take over a garden as we weeded the million tiny weeds around the potatoes.

      
Jillian working on the potato's drip water system
  


 

      Last night Virgil and I bottled our second batch of beer, a nice stout. We made a mistake on the first batch by forgetting to take out the hops before letting it ferment for the first week. The hops clumped up at the top which stopped the yeast from getting enough oxygen to start fermenting. (we think) After we bottled it, the fermenting started for real and instead of just carbonating, the pressure built up and caused one of the bottles to burst. (no casualties, always leave beer in a safe place) So luckily we have two more batches on the way, that are looking much better, more beer-ish, less dynamite-ish.

      
transfering new beer from fermenter to bottles
  


 

      I thought I'd add the recipe for mole that I made a few days ago. ( I tripled it since we had 11 people, but in most circumstances these proportions should work) Mole is a great sauce for mexican food, it has three of my favorite ingredients peanut butter, chocolate, and Mexican food. Enjoy!

  • 2 tbls canola oil
  • 3-4 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 tbls chile powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbls red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup veggie broth (I veggified the recipe)
  • 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 oz. grated unsweetened chocolate (I used unsweetened cocoa)
  • salt and pepper to taste
      directions (everything needs to be stirred constantly, your arm will probably get tired)
      -in a large saucepan heat the oil over medium
      -add garlic, onions, and bell pepper, cook about one minute, stirring
      -add chile powder, oregano, and cinnamon, cook about one minute, stirring
      -add vinegar, veggie stock, diced tomatoes, and peanut butter, stirring, bring to a boil
      -reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until sauce is thickened
      -taste, add salt and pepper as needed (if you're adding meat this is the part where you throw it in)
      -add the chocolate and simmer, stirring until chocolate is dissolved

-jillian

Next Blog Entry    Notes From Windward
      Index - Vol. 66