Britesea - Living the good life in rural Oregon

[lcertuche]

Oh, how lovely. I would love to have cucumber sandwiches and tea. My daughters' when young and I would have tea and scones. They would dress up in their pretty dresses and we would talk so civilized. They set the table beautifully. I miss those days. Now their brothers are another story. There is hardly a meal that doesn't speak of farting, puking, or pooping in the conversation. They won't use a napkin and doesn't understand why I want to set the table properly. Never mind the candles and beautiful fold napkins and lovely glassware. My sons have broke all the glassware, used the flatware for digging in the yard and forget the napkins, cloth or paper because it makes no difference when you can use a sleeve to wipe your face (if that). I love it when my granddaughters visit. Sooo different. I love them all but I miss the little girls.

 

[Britesea]

@MoonShadows I make cucumber sandwiches by first lightly pickling paper-thin slices of peeled cucumber. Pat them dry and set aside. Cut the crusts off your white bread and spread with cream cheese. Layer with some cucumbers and dust them with salt, pepper, and a bit of dill. The sandwiches should also be small; two-bite sized.
I also like to make pate sandwiches. Those use the same type of bread (crusts removed) but I use three slices for each sandwich: one layered with foi gras or other pate, the other with cream cheese.
And then, of course, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. yum!

@Icertuche I LOL'd at your description of your boys. I can really relate to that! The business with the sleeves made me remember a story of why the French army uniform has buttons on the sleeves that don't button anything. It seems that during his ill-fated invasion of Russia, Bonaparte got tired of seeing his men wiping their runny noses on their sleeves so he ordered the buttons to be cut off of the uniforms of the dead and sewn onto the sleeves of the living so they couldn't wipe their noses anymore.

The serving tray is lovely! I will take a picture after I get it polished up a bit as it's pretty tarnished right now.

 

[MoonShadows]

Sounds delicious. I am going to have to try them when my cukes come in this summer.

 

[lcertuche]

I would never have thought of pickling them first. What a great idea. I love cucumber sandwiches, so yummy. We often eat cucumbers marinated in yogurt or sour cream with onions and dill. My boys would eat cucumbers anyway however.

 

[Denim Deb]

I've heard of cucumber sandwiches in books, but never made any. I just may have to. I love cucumbers.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Cucumber, cream cheese, and a little dill! Yummy!

 

[Britesea]

Our Tai Chi class has been expanded to 3 days a week, and my body is telling me about it, lol. Since we are there for Tai Chi anyway, we also go for a swim session right afterward. I hope this will get my body in some kind of shape (other than round).

I spent yesterday figuring out my seed orders for spring and getting them ordered. I had to really work at it- continually reminding myself that A) my garden is only so big and B) I already have a lot of perfectly good seeds. But we are trying some new ones this year. Uprising Seeds had an interesting selection called Cicerchia. Here is what they have to say about it:

... Also known as Chickling Vetch, Grass Pea, Khesari and Almorta, among other names, the legume has played an important role in the diets of drought prone regions of the Mediterranean, East Africa, and India for centuries as an "insurance crop" on account of its extreme drought tolerance, but therein lies the rub. When eaten daily for months as a primary protein source (such as during prolonged drought periods when it was the only surviving crop), it can cause irreversible nerve damage and even paralysis due to low concentrations of a compound, diaminopropionic acid, found in the seed. The disease is even named "Lathyrism" after the Latin name of the plant. Moderate consumption is not considered dangerous however and the bottom line is: Cicerchia is delicious, sometimes described as a cross between lentils and chickpeas, hearty and earthy and with a tender skin. The "beans" are angular little, white, pebbly things and grown on 3-4 foot vines that, appreciated a little support but really need very little from you, as they are well suited to poor soil and general neglect. Sometimes grown as forage in India they are also one of the best nitrogen fixing cover crops known and can be an excellent component of a crop rotation and soil building regimen. We encourage you to try this unusual and ancient food. Enjoy occasionally with people you like, or serve it often to people you don't!

(note: on further research, I found that thorough soaking and cooking apparently leaches out *most* of the neurotoxins)

I've decided I want to try growing this little villain. We live in an area called "high desert", and drought happens. If SHTF and drought both happen at the same time and this is all we have to eat, well... que sera sera. I figure if that happens, I'll be in danger of dying one way or the other. In less extreme conditions, it still might help expand our diet; it apparently tastes delicious.

 

[hqueen13]

Interesting seeds, Britesea!!

I'm bummed we haven't gotten any snow this season almost at all. The temps have been bounding wildly between 50's and 60's and then down into the low 20's, sometimes below. We've had a lot of rain, and quite a bit of wind.
I am dreading what this is going to do to the bugs and heat this summer

 

[lcertuche]

@Britesea looks like a sweet pea flower. So pretty and edible, cool. I've been thinking about permaculture lately. I wonder if these could be grown in the wild (sort of). I have also thought about Jerusalem Artichokes, multiplying onions, roses for rose hips, herbs. If someone decided to steal your supplies at least you could still eat. Of course in Arkansas I know lots of common weeds that are edible along with hickory nuts and wild berries. Most of that is only good during the summer though. I believe that Jerusalem Artichokes would store under ground during the fall and winter.

 

[Britesea]

@Icertuche I think you're right about the Jerusalem Artichokes. Just make sure they are somewhere you don't mind them taking over! I don't know if they would winter over here because I've not seen any around. Maybe I'll try sticking a few in the ground and see what happens (although what will probably happen is the deer will eat it to the ground!)

I think the Cicerchias would naturalize easily- it did mention that it is grown as forage in India and of course being so drought tolerant it probably wouldn't have any trouble growing pretty much anywhere.