The Slowcook at Spydog Farm The Slowcook at Spydog Farm

News from Up North

March 16th, 2014 · No Comments · Posted in News from Up North

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There’s really no comparison between the sauerkraut you ferment at home and what you find in the store. But if the only kind of kraut you can find is store-bought, try dressing it up a little for dinner.

Slice an onion thinly lengthwise and in a heavy pot saute it in bacon grease until soft. Peel an apple and grate it into the pot with the onion. Stir in 1 pound sauerkraut, preferably “fresh,” meaning out of a plastic pouch rather than a can. Add 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds and five crushed juniper berries. Stir in 1/2 cup German or Alsatian wine, such as Gewürztraminer. Bring the mix to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer gently for about an hour, or until the kraut is very aromatic and suffused with caraway and juniper.

At this point I would add a smoked Kielbasa and continue simmering for another half hour or so. We served it last night with pierogies dressed with sour cream and lingonberry jam. Since I’m not eating carbs, I watched my wife and daughter eat the pierogies and sipped some Gewürztraminer instead. Damn good….

Only a week till Merck Forest and Farmland Center’s annual maple celebration and pancake breakfast! Open house commences 10 a.m. Saturday and continues on Sunday. Take a wagon or sleigh ride up to the Frank Hatch Sap House where staff will be serving locally grown pork sausage, eggs and pancakes drizzled with Merck’s own certified-organic maple syrup.

St. Luke’s Church in Cambridge offers a cure for cabin fever this Saturday, March 22, with a barbecue chicken dinner. Seatings are at 4 p.m., 5 and 6, with advance tickets going for $10, or $11 at the door.

The Cambridge area branch of the Woman’s National Farm and Garden Association holds its first meeting of 2014 on Thursday, March 20, at noon at the town hall in Center Cambridge. Tony Eastwood of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service will present, “Preparation for our Summer Gardens.”

Hubbard Hall in Cambridge is throwing a “beat the winter blues” party Saturday, March 29, at 7 p.m. with music from the Roadside Blues Band, dancing and all the chili, jambalaya and corn bread you can eat. Cost is $25 with beer and wine available at a cash bar. You must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

The Hoosick Falls fire department recently raised $600 at a pancake breakfast for families of the Center Street fire who were burned out of their homes January 23. Ed Hulbert’s family lost its dog as well. The families have received clothing as well as use of a storage unit from Hoosick Self Storage. “This town is beautiful,” said Hulbert. “In times of trouble we come together.”

More than 70 people attended the first of several Wednesday Lenten lunches at Hoosick Falls Baptist Church. The first half-hour consists of a worship service that includes a short message and two or three songs. A light lunch follows, with soup accompanied by a variety of sandwiches.

Students in Greenwich recently heard about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving. Jacy Good visited Greenwich Central High School to talk about a driver distracted by his cell phone who ran a red light and caused an accident that killed both of Good’s parents and left her seriously injured on the day she graduated college. “My college graduation day should have been a time to celebrate,” Good said. “Instead, my entire world was shattered because of an unnecessary cell phone call.”

St. Patrick’s Church announces it will be offering a Lenten fish fry Friday evenings through April 11. Dinner is from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Eat in or carry out.

Finally, Rensselaer County Dairy Princess Lindsey McMahon says farmers won’t be attending St. Patrick’s Day parades. Instead, “they will be tending to their animals, milking them in the morning and evening and making sure that they have fresh food, water and clean bedding.”

McMahon suggests honoring the traditional Irish holiday with old-fashioned soda bread. Mix together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons white sugar and toss in 1/2 cup raisins. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and add 1 beaten egg, 1 cup buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir until all of the ingredients are absorbed, then turn out on a floured surface and knead a few quick turns. Pat the dough into a flat circle, place in a greased iron skillet and bake 40-45 minutes in a 350-dgree oven, or until the edges of the bread are golden. Serve warm.

Bon appetit!

This edition of News from Up North was culled from actual news reports in the Washington County Area and is presented here for the enjoyment and edification of our readers. As always, stay alert and please drive carefully.

 

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