"3R's" Gift Giving Guide

We're all trying to be more deliberate, more green, more local in our gift giving. At the end of the day, there are so many choices wherever you look, it's just overwhelming.

For the past few years, my family has extended the "3R's" (reduce, reuse, recycle) into our gift giving choices. Here's how we're applying it this year:

• Reduce hunger: We've identified organizations that are working to eradicate hunger. We've picked one operating in our community, The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and one working globally, Mazon, and will donate at least one or two nights of money that would have purchased Chanukah gifts to those causes. I also make donations in lieu of hostess gifts and present the host with a note informing them of the honor.

• Reuse prepared food: One-third (that's not a typo) of the food we purchase goes to waste. Make tonight's leftovers tomorrow's lunch in style with bento boxes. Laptop Lunch has a great selection.

• Recycle your stuff: All the etiquette mavens claim regifting is so okay as long as you let the recipient know, "Sarah, I received this beautiful, skunk-scented candle and already have one too many. I know how much you adore stinky candles and instantly thought of you. Please enjoy it." Consider hosting a post-holiday "junk or treasure?" party. Everyone will go home happy.

Finally, ditch the pretty paper. As one who's incredibly fond of a "ta-da" presentation for all things in life, it's unfathomable the amount of landfill created each December with wrapping paper. Reuse one of the those pretty gift bags you stashed away.

Happy holidays to you and yours. Whatever you do, make it delicious!

Thanksgiving Feast Class - Hear All About It

Haven't found time to experience an Essen Class? Read about Janice Henry and her sister, Jeanne Nokes, first-hand experience at our annual blow-out Thanksgiving Feast. Thank you, Janice and Jeanne!

Since my one-and-only sister, Jeannie, lives in England, we don't have the opportunity to get together very often. But when we do, we try to plan something special for just the two of us -- and we really scored a winner this time! The Essen Classic Thanksgiving Feast class sounded like the perfect opportunity to spend four hours of quality time together while learning new recipes and tasting delicious dishes. And we weren't disappointed. Betsey's style of presentation and instruction was informal yet informative, and provided an atmosphere where learning is fun. The recipes were well presented, easy to follow, and yet just different enough to add a special twist to some time-honored favorites. Turkey with garlic pine nut paste? Who would'a thought?? But it was absolutely delicious! Our only disappointment was that Jeannie's husband Roger, the one who does all of their cooking, was at home in England missing out on all the fun.

Can't wait for my next email from Essen to see what course I can take next!
Cheers,
Janice Olsen Henry

What are you waiting for? Sign up for Holiday Classes and order your holiday gifts today. Check out our NEW! Monthly Clubs. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving.

Party's Over. Now what?

Yesterday was my daughter's birthday party. Standard invite-the-school-class-to-go-bowling type of party. Lots of fun with minimal stress.

Families were encouraged to stay and join the fun. As one who often likes to complement my snack chips and pizza with fresh produce, I served store bought fruit and veggie trays. Totally a big hit - with adults and kids.

Of course, I had way too many leftovers of fine-not-fabulous veggies (let's not talk about the fruit that needed to be tossed). What's a frugalista to do?

I came up with four different uses and saved myself from throw away peril:
• Grape tomatoes and celery sticks became crudite for pre-dinner munching. I made a quick dip with leftover pesto vinaigrette mixed with some mayo.
• Bell peppers (red, yellow and green) were added to onion saute for Turkey Chilaquiles. Email for recipe - great post Turkey Day leftover idea!
• Broccoli and carrots were tossed with ground cumin, honey, olive salt and coarse salt and roasted at 400F for 20 minutes. Great companion to our Turkey Chilaquiles.
• Cauliflower and cucumbers were magicly transformed into Cauliflower Pickles. Can't wait to devour them tonight while making dinner.

What have you done with your leftover veggie or fruit trays?

Make UR Own Convenience

I just finished putting away the latest additions to this season's puttin' up - 7 quarts of applesauce - made together with a couple of friends the other day. About 1/3 of the apples are still left, so we'll each get another couple of quarts on our own. I've already got 10 pints in the freezer, made one night while cleaning the dinner dishes. Didn't impact my life too much in exchange for the wide smiles on my kids' faces when served homemade applesauce.

As I glanced into my little canning cupboard, I felt pride, satisfaction and a sense of being part of an age-old tradition. Do I spend entire weekends shucking and blanching corn? Doesn't suit my personality. Do I enjoy pulling out a special jar of this or a freezer container of that when we're weary of the roots of winter - absolutely. I've come to view food preservation more as a way to have a small pantry of convenience foods rather than a tedious obligation that takes me away from enjoying summer with friends and family. Now let's face it, we have more food choices than the times when you had to put up the bounty or it was a cruel, hungry winter. So this year, consider getting rid of the guilt, do what you're in the mood to do, and you'll enjoy every mouthful on that cold, gloomy January day. No matter what.

CSA. Yea or Oy Vey?

I have a confession to make. This is my eighth year as a CSA member (we’ll ignore the first failed attempt four years earlier) and only in the past couple of years have I felt like I figured out how to really make my weekly haul work for me.

The first five years I split my share with a friend. Neither of us fed our families fresh produce exclusively from our share as the yield was too small. And still, I found myself throwing things away. Huh?! We kept up our membership because we both liked the sense of belonging to a community, biweekly trips to the farm for our young children (the rope swing in the barn was a huge draw), and just feeling like we were doing the right thing. After all, we do live in Lancaster county!

By year six, my family had dramatically increased their fruit and vegetable consumption. I had set a personal goal of 10 servings of produce each day and while rarely reached, it gave me a mighty place for which to aim. Upgrading to a full share was a no brainer, right? And yet, what would even I do with all the big, beautiful, bountiful kale and chard?

Through the years, I’ve found a small handful of tips and techniques make all the difference between an empty fridge looking forward to being restocked with each week’s surprises and harboring a feeling of dread because you’re out of space and just can’t look at one more beet.

Tip One: Celebrate the homecoming. Carve 15 – 30 minutes into your schedule within 24 hours of your pick-up day to really check out the week’s bounty. Unfamiliar with an item or four? If your CSA has a newsletter, place it in the bathroom you use most often to ensure it gets read ASAP. Your farmers have probably given you information about these items as they want you to enjoy everything you bring home.

Tip Two: Do something with your stuff. Time is usually our biggest challenge to using all the items. For example, my husband and I love beets. To ensure they’re ready-to-eat when we are, I turn on the oven the minute I walk in the door with fresh beets. While the oven preheats, I unpack my food, cut the greens off the beets (more on them to follow), wrap each one on in reused aluminum foil, place them in a baking pan and pop the beets in the oven for about an hour. The beets cool in their packets, which are then placed in the fridge for when I need a couple. My farmer friend Amy washes and dries all her greens, then stores them in towel-lined plastic bags. Those that are usually cooked, like kale and chard, are stemmed and quick-cut into thick ribbons before hitting a baggie, stems in one bag, greens in another. She also dices any onions and stores them in a refrigerator container. WOW! We’ve been home 15 minutes and are practically ready for the week.

Tip Three: Try one new technique, item or recipe each week. Your weekly CSA newsletter will probably feature a recipe or two, most likely focused on those items that may not be as familiar. Consider investing one or two vegetable-focused cookbooks (Deborah Madison’s work for me) or utilize your favorite search engine – you’ll be amazed at how many easy, flavorful things you can do with the same old zucchini or potatoes.

Don’t underestimate the power of your knife. It’s amazing how different zucchini can taste if sliced really thick versus really thin. The former performs like a superstar on the grill, the latter transforms itself into silky sheets of “pasta” and requires zero cooking.

Tip Four: Don’t forget about your freezer. Planning for the off-season is a great habit to develop. Some weeks, I’ve had my fill of beet greens, yet can’t bear to toss them out. Tossing the bag of beet green ribbons in the freezer gives me hope of fresh greens smack in the middle of winter, when I will really be craving that dose of fresh. Keep in mind this treasure chest is also great for leftovers, too much soup, and so many odds and ends we often toss in the compost bin.

Tip Five: When in doubt, make soup. Whether faced with an overabundance of one item or too much of everything, there’s no such thing as too much soup (except for cream and/or potato-based soups, which don’t freeze well). Refer back to Tip Four when you’re unsure what do with extras.

Tip Six: Just say no. Some weeks, I take the beets without the greens as I know the farm or another shareholder will do something wonderful with them. If I’ve got a crazy week and just don’t want to deal, I simply don’t show up. I let the farmer/CSA manager know so others will benefit from my break. For my family, doing something for the greater good is one of the greatest benefits of membership. And we eat incredibly well to boot.

My family has come to look forward to the 20-odd weeks each year we pick up our weekly offering. Like market days, we’ve developed a rhythm to our week that is out-of-sync when affected by work, school and travel schedules. Enjoy the connections, let go of what you can’t get your hands around, and share the extras. You may find this becomes part of you, too.

Will. U. Be. The Next Essen Kinder Cook?

Teen Week kicked off our "Potpourri" themed summer of kids' cooking camps. We cooked. We laughed. We spilled. We cleaned up. We ate. And we ate some more.

New this year was an "Essen Chef Cooking Challenge." The first few days of the 5-day camp focused on specific techniques and categories of food, including things you spread and dip, dough, comfort foods and special occasion meals. The final day brought it all together with a team challenge to develop a menu and prepare a sandwich, a side dish and a dessert. Both teams accepted the challenge and cooked above and beyond their wildest dreams. We can't wait to see what the young cooks come up with in July and August. YUM!

Have you met my friends, Berry and Barb?

Frankly, I've been a bit manic lately. First came the greens, dark, light, curly and smooth. Rhubarb followed, finally, and I could handle it. Then, asparagus. Next were peas - shell, sugar snap and snow. And 2 weeks ago it happened. Strawberries. After months of longing for the fresh tastes of spring, we settle into the overwhelming excitement of "the season." Too busy with end-of-school year commitments? Too bad. Strawberries are here and they'll be done and gone by the time things have calmed down. Eager to put up tons of everything? Better do it because the corn wave will be here by the time you return from the beach.

I've been channeling this energy burst in the kitchen and have had a blast reacquainting myself with old favorite recipes and playing around with new techniques and flavor combinations. While a rotating mix of all these foods have brought us instant gratification, appearing on our table at most meals, I've focused a lot of energy on saving some for later. With success and some outright disasters, here's a snapshot of what the Essen Studio Kitchen has smelled like over the the past month:

• Rhubarb Dried Cherry Chutney
• Lentil Soup with Rhubarb
  
• Gingered Rhubarb Sorbet (to-die-for)
• Rhubarb Honey Rosemary Preserves
• Rhubarb Mustard (still working on it)
  
• Asp Kickers (pickled asparagus tips ... counting the days to local bloody Mary mix is ready)
• Strawberry Preserves
• Stawberry Leather
• Strawberry Tarragon Preserves

Stay in touch as you never know what'll come out of our kitchen, straight into yours.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done

Last Sunday, five more people were added to the Essen Rhubarb Lovers Convert List. Sweet or savory, we all found new ways to invite this aromatic, yet confounding perennial into our lives. Everyone went home with waaay more food than expected - who's complaining now?!

Join us on Sunday, June 7 for our next Puttin' Up Party. Move over applesauce - we can all make some room for Strawbery Tarragon Jam and Pickled Asparagus Tips.

Easier Than It Sounds

The Setting: Sunday night. Sick in bed since Thursday. Starving. No idea what may be fresh in fridge, let alone what's in fridge. Really starving.

We've all been there. Out of commission for days and ready for some real food. Diving into the fridge I found arugula that was on its last leg. One orange. And last Tuesday's market radishes in really good condition - greens and all. Mint. Chives screaming "eat me." Who bought strawberries out of season?

A quick trip to the freezer uncovers my favorite secret weapon - Mr. Bill's peeled and deveined frozen shrimp. Pistachios which I know are safe because I've already eaten some pre-scare and am here to tell you about it.

Brain's starting to fire. Reaching for white rice because non-meat eating child will now be covered, without complaints of brown rice. Thinking faster because stomach is growling. Do not want to waste a thing and must move fast. Recall a recent recipe for sauteed radishes with butter, sugar and herbs. Sweetness of shrimp would partner beautifully. Will use local honey instead of sugar and chives and mint. Old arugula, gorgeous radish greens, orange zest and pistachios - YUM! - pesto. I'll throw it into the cooked rice. Makes up for lost fiber in white rice (!). Make supremes with orange segments, add to sliced (and flavorless) strawberries, and boost flavor with fleur de sel and that local honey again.

At table, husband, between large, shoveled in bites, "One of your best ever."

Stay tuned for recipes at an Essen Class soon.

THE Day Has Arrived

Finally! Earl Groff's asparagus is here which means spring has arrived in Lancaster. There're fat, squat and very purple. Better get to Market early if you hope to share in this excitement. How will you enjoy yours? Share with us here and you'll receive a FREE Essen Class.

Italy On My Mind

It was two weeks to the day of our return from an unbelievable family trip to Roma and Tolfa that we heard about the earthquake. Our hearts go out to those suffering around the globe - of course. And when you've just physically been very close to an affected region, when you now have friends that have been affected, well, you feel the pain and affliction that much more. Not that it's right, but it's true.

I haven't heard back from our B&B proprietors, Assuntina and Claudio. Nor have I received a reply from our guide in Roma, bright and elegant Patrizia. Hopefully they're busy, with daily life, and not trying to locate family. I'll keep you posted.

Our visit was simply terrific. We felt honored to spend over a week in a country that savors the good things in life - food and wine, yes, but also people, the arts, and its history. Italians guard their historic treasures with their life - literally. To think of what was lost in L'Aquila and beyond is heartbreaking. To Italians, I hope I better understand the scope of devastation they may be feeling.

To honor our friends in Italy, 10% of all proceeds from Essen Classes and Custom Events in April and May will be donated to Italy's earthquake disaster relief efforts. It's one small way we can help. If we all do the little we can, it'll add up to something much greater than all of us. Viva Italia!

100 days to Essen Kinder!

A sixty-degree plus day like today makes me feel confident we're inching our way towards summer.  Good thing because today begins our 100 day countdown until the first of the 2009 Essen Kinder Kids Cooking Camps - June 15.  Our planning's been in full swing for some time and have we got great things to share with you:

• A little of this, a little of that.  We've listened to your valuable feedback and are thrilled to announce our "Potpourri" theme for this summer.  Special Event meal one day; Food-on-the-Go on another (we all need new ideas for packing lunches and picnics!); we'll focus on baking savory and sweet breads and crackers (with homemade butter, of course); if you bake, you'll need jams, preserves, spreads and dips to put on top; and, finally, we announce the return of "Top Chef" team cooking day.
• Our kitchen.  We've moved downstairs at the newly renovated, beautiful JCC into the spacious commercial kitchen.  Air-conditioned, large enough for ginormous parties, easy outdoor access for al fresco dining.
• We've grown up.  Teens have the opportunity to cook with Essen Kinder this summer, June 15 - June 19.  Same small groups and hand-on environment.  More grown-up recipes and flavors.
• Afternoon option.  If it's June in Lancaster, it's all about swim teams.  This summer teens have a great option - work your muscles in the morning, use your brain and satisfy your senses in the afternoon with Essen.
• Tell your friends.  If you do our work for us, we want to thank you.  Don't forget you'll receive 1 Essen Gelt with every referral.  Combine that with the 1 you receive with your Camp reservation and you've practically earned a FREE Class.
  

Hurry, hurry.  Reserve your child's spot now.  Before you know it, we'll be counting down to autumn.

Vegetarian Classes Make Huge Impression, Leave Little Footprint

Essen's FFB (Fossil Fuel Buster) Classes debuted this week and the timing couldn't have been better.

The first class we picked over greens and through mushrooms to feast on:

• Bitter Greens Soup with Smoked Paprika
• Sauteed Mushrooms with Croutons and Baked Egg
• Celery Root, Cauliflower and Golden Beet Salad (raw)
• Mixed Citrus and Avocado Salad

It was amazing to see the reactions of the group when taking everyday ingredients and doing unexpected things with them. A bit of stretch for some and definitely new ways of thinking for all.

A couple days later we cooked up 2 HUGE batches of soups, Winter Minestrone and Carrot Red Lentil. Not only did everyone go home with 6 quarts of freezer-ready soup, but we all refined our soup-making techniques. Hopefully, we'll feel freed up a bit from recipes and gain the confidence to do what soup does best - the whole will be completely different than the sum of its parts.

An Overdue Introduction

Hello, friends. I'd like you to meet the newest member of the Essen product line, Essen Edibles.

Whatsa Essen Edible? Essen Edible fills the gap between best-of-intentions and no-time-to-fart. Essen Edibles provides you with seasonal (local is noted with excitement!), homemade food gifts, wrapped and ready-to-Essen. Essen Edibles are made with 100% natural ingredients; nary a trans fat, drop of high fructose corn syrup (exception noted with drool for the homemade marshmallows), sulfites or fake food in sight! Packaging is as "earth friendly" as possible. Essen does not use styrofoam and really tries to avoid plastic.

Whatsa Essen Edible today? We're thinking Super Bowl and putting a kick in the snacking for your and your game party hosts. Fennel-spiced Potato Chips and Indian-spiced Mixed Nuts will keep the energy up and the attention focused with the aromas of far away locales. For a grilled cheese sandwich that will take you to another planet, while staying rooted in your armchair, slather the Organic Blood Orange & Pummelo Marmalade on your best bread, add a soft cheese like Brie and throw it on the griddle. You and your friends will be speechless, or at least moaning for more.

For your convenience, Essen Edibles are available in downtown Lancaster at Apron Strings (Hagar Arcade) and Green Circle Organics (Central Market). You can also count on stocking up on Edibles at Essen Classes or just give us a holler at cook@breathelivegrow.com or 717.391.8270.

Check back often as you never know what’s waiting for you in our gift closet, excited to find a home in yours. For you or your friends, Essen’s here for you.