Transparency

Transparency is what makes small towns work, I think.  You can't talk about your neighbor without her eventually finding out.  You can't buy a new car or a new grill, or get a new husband, without the town talking about it.  Lots of folks find this aspect of small towns intrusive, aggravating, and they'll go to exhaustive ends to prevent the natural ecosystem of the town from finding out what they're up to.  They don't seem to understand that that just makes them all the more interesting.  And all the more worthy of discussion.

Even young folks, who've grown up in small towns, graduated from local high schools, still seem to find it surprising when their actions become the topic of town-ish chatter.  Why?  To a great degree causing a bit of a local stir was the point, after all.

So here's a nugget to chew on: we think we have secured third year funding. Not from the bank that promised us our original line of credit, but we aren't holding any grudges.  And it was not without the help of a generous benefactor who has come to our aid in the past.  We owe lots to his willingness to step forward (again!).

But, folks, this is the last year we can hack this without turning a profit.  We have literally taken a vow of poverty to run the store.  It has been a labor of love: love for this community, for the ghosts of the Bell's, for the beautiful place that is Medusa. 

There is little that we ask of you, but what we ask is critical.  Keep shopping here.  Spread the word to your friends.  Be clear about what's at stake here.  (I still struggle with the mentality shared by folks that say they are our friends, but simply can't bring themselves to actually purchase anything in our store.  Being "supportive" means spending money; it's pretty simple.)  Keep providing feedback - we want things to be better.  Also don't be offended if we don't take all of your criticism to heart - there are lots of divergent views out there, after all.

Mostly, keep the faith.  This year has been a struggle for lots of us, we understand.  But we still believe that together we have created something really amazing here, and together we will build a beautiful future.

Moving again...

Thanks to everyone to reached out - we have a new house to rent, and apparently we'll all be having a new neighbor, as Sal sold his house on Willsey Road, too.  Can't wait to meet her - and really can't wait to get my brood settled into somewhere semi-permanent.

(It occurs to me that this blog would be so much more interesting with pictures, so I am vowing to make that happen more regularly.  Or if someone has some amazing Medusa pics, send them to me to post.)

My babes and I have actually managed to spend quite a bit of time at the store lately, and I would like to renew my insistence that we have some of the most interesting people in the world, living right here in our little foot-of-the-mighty-Catskills burb.  Conversations are never light, and I think, just might have more than a few world-saving kernels.

The latest?  How do we become a sustainable community without the overwhelming problem that tends to facilitate action?  How do we become a Sustainable Brooklyn (or South Bronx) or Bellingham, without being big enough to matter or problematic enough for anyone to care?  Should we even care?  Why, after all, should we make our molehill address the problems of the mountain?

I guess there are no "have to's". But how about we focus on figuring out how to talk to each other again?  We're actually getting pretty good at that here in Medusa.  Even though I find the Tea Party movement a bit hard to take, the participants regularly entertain us with their theories, conspiracy or otherwise.  And I happen to love hearing about the dreams of my neighbors, many of which seem to touch on how to become more independent and self-sufficient.

So what if that's the hook: We become sustainable by learning how to rise about the increasing polarization of our communities?  How about here in Medusa, we plain folk decide that we are going to talk more, communicate more wisely and make the world a better place, one life-changing conversation at a time?

Summer in Medusa

What a spring!  We in Medusa have vowed.  There will be no more hospital visits.  No more illness.  No more injuries.  No more firemen in jail.  We're paid up for a while - at least for the summer.

I've personally decided that life is pretty amazing despite the angst and upset of the last months.  I'm counting my blessings, so to speak.  The Medusa Council, filled with bubbly realists and hard nosed optimists, have constructed a full agenda for the summer.  We have a lot going on, folks, and we'd love to see you join us.

There will be music on the porch every Saturday.  Except if it's seriously rainy and nasty, we'll be raising a ruckus with a good old-fashioned hootenanny.  Robert is our Medusa troubadour, a wild eyed long time friend of the Medusa family, who often drags along several neighbors for accompaniment, or joyfully conscripts his audience.  He'll play anything you want.  Last time he played a special song for our new babies, which, in typical Robert style, he calls the fire twins.  So far, he'll be playing June 9th and 23rd, July 7th and 21st , and August 4th and 18th.

We've also been planning for several other bands - Lumen Chichester's group will be back - LuChi and BRB, Locked and Loaded.  Playing an eclectic mix of new and classic rock, they are a fabulous addition to Medusa's venue.  We're hoping Just a Bunch of Guys and Gals will return from Knox, and that we can get Peckham Hollow here again, too.

We're also hosting Mad Medusa Art nights - a crazy, Seattle-ish brand of community art making, just to prove we're just as imaginative on this coast.  We provide materials and tables and maybe a teensy bit of inspiration - you make amazing art.  Open to all ages.  So far, we planning for June 29th, July 27th, and during our end-of-summer Gathering.  We have some cool folks coming to help out - if you are interested in volunteering, give me a shout or email me at april.roggio@gmail.com.

By popular demand - and that's the only reason, honestly, because I'm not sure if these events are quite our thing - we are hosting a cruise-in.  We're going to serve food and drink, and find a band.  It's scheduled for Tuesday evening July 10th.  Please spread the word!!

And - this time by popular demand and because we just had such a blast at our pre-Irene blowout last year - we're having another end of summer festival.  Rumor has it that the Firehouse dislikes our decision to call it a festival, so we are happily renaming it our *end-of-summer Gathering*.  It's very community-centered and feels like it embraces our localism flavor.  We're planning to showcase local farmers and artisans again, make art, eat food and listen to great local music.  Great kid fun planned, too!  The great Gathering is tentatively planned for Saturday, August 25th - if you'd like to participate, give me a shout.

We started a little late in the season, but we wanted to do some hamlet beautification, in a shameless rip-off of neighboring Preston Hollow.  The plan is for some hanging flowers on poles, to be replaced with other seasonal decorations.  I would really like to do something about that ugly bridge, too.  If anyone has any ideas for hamlet beautification - maybe some community art projects? - let me know.

Lastly, my thanks to everyone who has been there for us over the past two months - between a tough late pregnancy and then unexpected twins, we have been running ragged.  We could not have done it without you.

Life with little ones

I thought I would post a recipes from Mollie Katzen's Honest Pretzels.  My kids and I found this one the other day and are having a blast with it...  Lots of healthy, fun stuff to make and eat together!

Here's her Gingerbread French Toast recipe:

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 or 4 slices Italian or sourdough bread (or try it with the amazing Rudi's bread we've been stocking in the freezer!)  You could also use challah bread, which would be decadent; the folks at artisan bread in five minutes a day have a fantastic challah bread recipe (which I make for the store when I'm not so pregnant!)

Optional toppings:
* Real maple syrup (we get ours from Randy Grippin's Mountain Winds Farm in Berne - it is, without question, the best maple syrup I've ever had!)
*  Applesauce
*  Sliced peaches or strawberries
* Powdered sugar

Mix eggs, milk, and the spices together, whisking until the batter is all one color.  Dip each slice of bread into the batter, then then stack them on a plate.  Heat up a skillet on medium heat.  Place the wet bread onto the buttered skillet and cook till it is browned; flip the bread over and cook the other side.

Serve hot, either plan or with one of the toppings.

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Drop by on Sunday, too - we have an impromptu gathering of coffee lovers who join us in the afternoon and we often make them some special treats.  And we have a cupcake maker, with which, as you know, all things are possible!

Slippery morning!

And apparently snow and sleet with give way to arctic temps this weekend.  So in my unrelenting pursuit to convince you to use *this* store as your neighborhood grocery, I am posting a few more recipes and links to inspire your weekend cooking! 

(Don't forget to check out our sales items - circulars are available in the store and on my weekly email.  To subscribe, go to Weekly store updates and click on subscribe at the top of the screen.)

But first - fascinating trends report out from United Natural Foods, our natural and organic foods supplier.  Thought I'd mention a few highlights from their report, not the least of which is the fact that 78% of families say that they are consuming organic food, a trend that has continued to increase despite the global economic recession.  Also, there's an upward trend towards buying more specialty produce - if you ignore the strange fact that so few people cook that Brussels sprouts and squash have become "specialty" - and buying more of the bulk products, including the ancient grains and (often pricey) nuts.

I thought, in light of these interesting news bits, I would start with a lovely Brussel sprouts recipe from Heidi Swanson at 101Cookbooks, discovered via The Bold Italic food blog.  I also pasted an amazing beef recipe from Mark Hoffman, over at Morning Fog Farm's page.

Oregano Brussels Sprouts

To make a meal of this, serve over farro, quinoa, rice, or on top of a frittata. Use leftover oregano drizzle over everything from roasted squash, frittatas, baked potatoes, or with a good amount of fresh lemon juice, as a salad vinaigrette.

24 small brussels sprouts (less if you can only find larger sprouts)
extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
Oregano Drizzle
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 large garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
a big handful of toasted almond slices

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top (quarter, if using larger sprouts) and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact. Or if you're feeling lazy, just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil.

Make the oregano drizzle by pulsing the olive oil, oregano, parsley, garlic, and salt in a food processor until the herbs are just little flecks of green. Season with more salt if needed, and set aside.

Just a few minutes before you're ready to eat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Remove from heat and drizzle and toss with as much (or little) oregano pesto as you like. Season to taste, and serve sprinkled generously with the almonds as soon as possible. They really are best straight from the stove top.

Serves 4 as a side.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 8 min

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Sirloin Tip Roast

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 1 Sirloin Tip Roast (allow 1/2 pound per person)
 Salt and Pepper to taste, or
 Herb Rub (mix thoroughly in a small bowl):
  1 TB dried Thyme
  1 TB dried Rosemary
  2 TB dried Oregano
  1 tsp ground Fennel
  2 tsb Garlic Powder
  1.5 TB coarse Salt
  2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
 
Rub liberal amounts of salt and pepper or herb rub into the meat.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature
for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Set the meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan lined with foil.
Roast for 20 minutes per pound, or until the meat reaches
120°F for rare, 125° for medium-rare, 130°F for medium.

Remove the roast from the oven, tent loosely and let rest for 10 minutes
before carving. The temperature should increase another 5°F) while
the roast is resting.

Reprinted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, by Shannon Hayes.

Christmas cookies!

A new friend posted this link on her Facebook page, and I can't wait to try it!

http://www.frugal-mama.com/2009/12/holiday-traditions-making-candy/

We've got a bunch of different cracker/cookie style products that don't contain high fructose corn syrup and other stuff - and a lot of Ghiridelli chocolate.  Sounds like an easy, tasty baking project!

Will post pictures if we do it!
Happy holidays!  (And thanks to Meg for posting this!)

Almost Christmas!

Still no snow, nor any chilly temps, so our ice rink is still a wading pool.  But there is caroling at the store on Saturday, starting at 5:30pm, so join us for a little holiday spirit!

First, I thought I'd re-post a piece from a lovely new book from Leda Meredith, the Locavore's Handbook.  She concisely identifies an issue that I have discussed with lots of folks: how to adapt how we've learned to cook with the reality of what's seasonal and available.  In what Meredith calls it the "reverse approach to recipes", she suggests that instead of identifying recipes and then schlepping out to purchase everything needed for that recipe, check out what looks good that day, and then plan a meal around it.  Ideally, that would mean you'd be shopping every day or every other day, looking for what's freshest.  Here it means that this is the time of year to cook with lots of onions and garlic, using apples and kale and Brussel's Sprouts and squash and potatoes.
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I've always loved my German uncle's potato pancakes.  This recipe comes to us from the Locavore's Kitchen, by Marilou Susko, and seems wildly appropriate for a blustery December day in the Northeast.  Everything listed here is available right now at our store.

Laura's Potato Pancakes
(Makes about 14 pancakes)

9 large russet potatoes, washed and peeled
2 carrots, grated
2 medium onions, grated
3/4 cups matzo meal or cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dash of nutmeg
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Applesauce, to accompany
Sour cream, or creme fraiche, to accompany
Chopped chives, for garnish

Place the peeled potatoes in a large bowl of cold water to slow discoloration.  Coarsely grate, using a box grater.  Drain well into a colander, squeezing to eliminate excess liquid.

In a large bowl, cobine the poatoes with the grated carrots and onions, matzo meal, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add the eggs and mix well.

Pour enough oil into a large heavy frying pan to reach 1/4 inch up the side.  Heat over medium heat.  When a shred of potato dropped into the oil sizzles and browns quickly, the oil is ready.  Place about a 1/4 cup of the mixture into the hot oil and flatten slightly with a spatula.  Fry until golden brown on the edges, then turn to the other side and fry until golden brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven, arranged in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet.

Serve with homemade applesauce and sour cream or creme fraiche and garnish with chopped chives, if desired.