A plastic dough rising bucket and two loaves of freshly baked whole wheat bread (made with just four ingredients).
Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#473)
Three-Color Gazpacho Shooter
Tonight we’ll serve these gazpacho shooters as a component of a cocktail party menu…pureed gazpacho made from perfectly ripe red and yellow tomatoes topped with yogurt and green onion puree. Easy to make, delicious, nutritious…and pleasing to look at. There’s a basic gazpacho recipe below (omit the breadcrumbs to puree it smooth) but if you’d like additional recipes or to read about cold soups and the stories behind them, read this article that I wrote for Artvoice a little while ago (the carrot vichyssoise recipe–included in the article–would be a delicious layer in the as well).
Gazpacho
Makes about 5 cups
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
2 slices bread, crusts removed, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and pulse until desired consistency. Let stand 10 minutes; served chilled or at room temperature. Optional garnishes include but are not limited to: diced raw onion, hard cooked egg, parsley, and olives.
Salade Niçoise
Mmm…I love this salad; delicious; one of my favorites. I’ve also been fortunate enough to visit the beautiful city of Nice on a couple occasions, which of course is the namesake of this particular recipe. Anyhow, we served this salad for a luncheon today and thought it appropriate to post the recipe…it is also the 100 birthday of Julia Child, the person who not only influenced much of how America cooks today but also introduced this salad to us as well. While it is an easy salad to assemble–tuna, cooked egg, potato (the potato in the foreground were boiled with a bit of turmeric for added color), green beans, olives, etc–it is also a really delicious and healthy meal. The original recipe also includes anchovies, which I love, but for some reason the average American recoils at their mere mention. This is usually served with a simple vinaigrette sauce, but I prefer if with a light but garlicky aioli or spicy rouille; recipes are below.
Aïoli
(Garlic Mayonnaise)
Makes about 2 cups
6-10 peeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon cold water
The juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
2 cups olive oil
Combine the garlic, water, lemon juice and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the egg yolks and continue to process until the yolks become frothy and much lighter in color. With the machine running, begin to pour the olive oil through the feeder tube in a thin steady stream until all of the oil is incorporated into the aïoli. Store the aïoli in a refrigerated and covered container for up to 3 days.
Rouille
(Spicy Red Pepper Mayonnaise)
Makes about 1-1/2 cups
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemonjuice
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 leaves fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Combine the eggs, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, basil, cayenne, and roasted peppers in a food processor. Puree until smooth and aerated, and with the motor running drizzle the olive oil into the mixture. Add the breadcrumbs and pulse the food processor until they are combined. Transfer the rouille to a clean container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Thoughts on Vehicles and Personal Transport
vehicle
–n
Any conveyance in or by which people or objects are transported, especially one fitted with wheels.
It’s interesting, I think, how some people are just baffled. Okay, I’m often baffled on many things myself, but what I’m talking about is that people are stunned–sometimes rendered speechless momentarily–when I tell them that I voluntarily choose not to own a car. Some (many) are convinced that it is impossible to get by without a car…this is the car-centric society in which we live. Here are two brief examples of conversations I had today; the first one was with a co-worker.
She: So Joe, are you going to get another vehicle?
Me: I already own multiple vehicles.
She: You know what I mean.
Me: Yes I do, but I’m serious…and actually I hope to never own a car again.
Moment of speechlessness, then a quick succession of questions.
She: But how will you get to your sister’s houses (who all live in the suburbs), to the airport or train station when you travel, to the grocery store in the winter.
Me: Buffalo Car Share to my sisters; taxi, bus, or another ride to the airport or train station; and bus or bike in the winter; but mostly bike and walk to everything else.
Our conversation ended soon thereafter, but here’s another example; this took place as I was coming out of the health club and unlocking my bike. There were two guys sitting in chairs nearby.
He: Hey buddy, what type of bike is that…it’s pretty interesting looking?
Me: Thanks, it’s a Torker Cargo-T but based on the Batavus Delivery Bike.
He: What’s with the large racks?
Me: It’s for carrying stuff; this and another bike, which is larger and can carry even more stuff, have enabled me to go car-free.
He: You mean you don’t own a car, you do everything by bike?
Me: For the most part, yes.
He: Wow, that’s awesome. I’d love to do that.
Me: (thinking this to myself but not saying it aloud…You can if you really want to, then) Thanks, have a nice evening.
And as I pedaled home it was drizzling a little. It has hardly rained at all this summer so it felt good. Really good. Normally I try to avoid the rain, but I didn’t tonight. At one point I was stopped at a traffic light and just stood there straddling my bike in the light drizzle, being conscious of how it felt as it landed on my face and bare arms. I realize that going car-free is not for everyone (and may not even be permanent for me…we’ll see how I fair a WNY Winter), and I’m certainly not trying to cram a car-free lifestyle down anyone’s throat…I only talk about it if people ask me (except on this blog, where you can close the page or un-follow if it bothers you). Anyhow, as I pedaled home and felt the light rain on my body I felt like an active part of my surroundings, not a passive one. At that very moment it felt good to be on a bike coasting slowly in the light drizzle. I am grateful for many things in my life, and at that very moment this was one of them.
A Few Old Bikes plus a Few Words
Pictures of old bikes. Or more specifically, old pictures of people on bikes. I love them. I haven’t posted them in a while, so here are a few. Oddly, I started thinking about bicycles as transportation tonight–and their role in the history of transportation in the last few centuries–when I saw a bumper sticker on my way to the gym. I was on my bike and an enormous SUV was in front of me with a sticker that read “Say Yes to Clean Energy.” Was this a joke, I wondered? Were they being sarcastic? Pretty bad if they were. Maybe they were sincere and were powering their house with wind power. Who knows. Anyhow, that’s what got me thinking about bikes and all of the positive things they bring to the person riding them and those around them. With this said, I thought I’d post a few pictures (and sorry I don’t have sources; most I downloaded quickly by doing a simple search for 1910 bicycle). Anyhow, the above photo is of Leo Tolstoy, who is said to have learned to ride a bike at the age of 67, which would make that around 1895. The photo directly below was taken in 1886 and it’s one to which I have a personal connection…it’s taken in front of the house in which I currently live. In fact, if you look at the window on the right hand side of the house, the one with one shutter closed, that’s where I am sitting as I type these very words…separated by 126 years. Pretty weird, huh? To read more about the story behind that picture, click here. The picture directly below that was simply titled “1895 France,” but it looks more like an American neighborhood to me (but I may be wrong). And the one just below that was taken in 1894, the same year the place that I work was established. Anyhow, this is what I was contemplating as I pedaled and coasted home this evening thinking about how bicycles really are the most efficient form of transportation…and they have been used as such for quite a while. If you are interested in this sort of thing, or at least old photos of them, try Googling old bicycle photos, or 1895 bicycle photos…or other derivatives of those searches. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll stumble across…and there are definitely worse ways to waste time 🙂 Happy searching.
Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#472)
Five Photos of Flowers
This is Just One Reason I like to Grow Food
There are of course so many reasons why a person should grow at least some of their own food. I do it to save a bit of money, to keep me connected to the earth, but mostly because the food tastes so damn good. This recipe is a perfect example. It is, of course, the classic eggplant (aubergine) Parmesan. Most, but not all, of the ingredients were grown in my front and rear yards. The eggplant, for example, were grown in my front yard about a foot away from the sidewalk (pavements). The sauce for this recipe was made with tomatoes, garlic, and basil grown there as well. As were the hot peppers–I love spicy peppers–that I sauteed then layered in between the eggplant. That said, if there were one really good reason I went through the trouble to prepare, plant, care-for, and harvest food from my tiny yard this summer it would singularly be this recipe…it was that good. There is something really special about walking out your door, picking food, and cooking it just a few feet/meters away. And I’ve mentioned many times that you don’t need a lot of space. I live in the middle of the city and the entire plot on which my house sits measures a mere 25ft/7.6m by 100ft/30.4m (and 3/4 of it is taken up by the house). Okay…alright…I’ll get off my little soapbox. Anyhow, this was/is so good I couldn’t stop eating it. I didn’t type up a recipe but it’s pretty straight forward. If you do need a recipe this one looks pretty good.
Five Quotes from Pete Seeger
Image found here.
“I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs.”
“I am saying voluntarily that I have sung for almost every religious group in the country, from Jewish and Catholic, and Presbyterian and Holy Rollers and Revival Churches.”
“I feel that my whole life is a contribution.”
“I have sung for Americans of every political persuasion, and I am proud that I never refuse to sing to an audience, no matter what religion or color of their skin, or situation in life.”
“I have sung in hobo jungles, and I have sung for the Rockefellers, and I am proud that I have never refused to sing for anybody.”
To read more in the Five Quotes series, click here.
Substitutions and Experimentation…there’s more that one way to make a cheesy cracker
This recipe is the outcome of substitution and experimentation with ingredients to alter a recipe to fit my needs…and the outcome–if I do say so myself–is outstanding. But as usual I’m jumping ahead; let me begin again.
Next week I’ll be serving a cocktail party showcasing the heirloom tomatoes from Tom Towers Farm. He gave me a beautiful sample pack today of many of his incredibly lovely tomatoes and I plan on turning them into many delicious finger foods. Sure, I’ll do some of the obvious–gazpacho, BBQ sauce, pizzas, homemade ketchup for frites–but I also wanted do to something a bit different, in a kitschy sort of way…hence this recipe. This is based on the popular snack food, Cheez-It. There are plenty of recipes floating around the Internet for this tasty little cracker so I chose a few, combined them, changed the ingredients, and this is the outcome.
The basic recipe is really nothing more than a basic savory short dough that is loaded with cheese. But in this recipe I replaced the water (just a couple tablespoons) with fresh pureed tomato (about 3 times the amount of the water due to its pulp), and instead of dry mustard in the original recipe I spiked it with Cajun seasoning, giving the cracker a bit of a zip. The result was/is delicious…I couldn’t stop eating them. They’ll go great with cocktails (which of course is the intention). Anyhow, they are really easy to make; here’s a few photos and the recipe.
Spicy Tomato-Cheddar Crackers
Makes about 7 dozen small crackers
1 plum tomato (6-8 tablespoons pureed)
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Puree the tomato in a blender and set aside. Combine the flour, butter, cheese, Cajun seasoning, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a minute or two, until it resembles course cornmeal. Add 4-6 tablespoons of the tomato puree and run the processor for just about 15 seconds, or until the ingredients form a rough dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for about 30 seconds. Shape the dough into a square disc, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate it for about 20 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350F, then roll the dough out until it is a square measuring approximately 10-inches by 10-inches and 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares, and using chopstick or other small dowel, poke an indentation in the center of each square. Place the crackers at least 1/2-inch apart on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Bake the crackers for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. Allow them to cool thoroughly before serving.
A Food Photo and a Parallel Universe
Just a quick note…
The above is a photo of something I made as a side dish for dinner last night….tomatoes, peppers, onions, and whole garlic cloves basted and braised slowly in a cast iron Dutch Oven just five feet from where they grew. Delicious (and easy)…my mouth waters as I type these words. It’s really just a modern version of the French poele method of braising and basting things in butter.
Also, and I haven’t mentioned this in a while, but Urban Simplicity has a Facebook page as well…mostly photos and links, but it’s a quick way to keep up to date. Hope to see you there. Peace.
Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#471)
A Few Things I Saw While Riding a Bike
Yesterday was such a beautiful day, idyllic really. Bright sun and slightly hotter than I’d like, but really nice. And for whatever reason, I was feeling a bit melancholic. Not sad, per se, but just askew. Annoyed. Something was missing. I didn’t make it to the health club for a power-swim, which is always a mood alteration. So instead I went for a rather long (for me) and lazy bike ride through some of the city and to the waterfront and back. Looking at things through the lens of a camera–and before and after taking a photo–and contemplating the view in front of me, is also a good uplift. Because I’ve found that if you look at something–nearly anything–it is interesting and attractive in it’s own way. Sometimes I don’t see it and some things are more overt or obvious than others, but it’s all just in front of us. After the ride–and having a couple beers at the waterfront–and snapping a bunch of photos, I felt better. It’s amazing what a little physical exercise, a little contemplation, and being a little creative can do for a person and their soul. Anyhow, here’s a few of the things I saw while riding my bike yesterday; I thought I’d share.
“…the kingdom of the father is spread out over the earth, and men do not see it.”
The Gospel of Thomas
Saying 113
THings That Can be Carried on a Bike (#470)
A dough rising bucket, 5lbs of whole wheat flour, a cardboard box containing three loaves of freshly baked Ezekiel Bread, 36 slightly used tapered candles, and a canvas bag containing–among other things–a journal, a book, a magazine, a cell phone, and an extra camera.
Food Not Lawns
Though I have a small garden in the front of my house this (pictured above) was plucked this evening from the garden in the rear of the house. Beautiful, isn’t it. I have only about six broccoli plants (two out front and four in the back) but this time of year it grows almost quicker than I can consume it. Tonight I sauteed it simply with onion, garlic, and a hot pepper from the garden as well. This is a great vegetarian main dish as itself or tossed with pasta. But tonight I ate it as a side dish with pasta in a 20-minute tomato sauce. There’s a recipe below, but if you want additional recipes and background info on broccoli feel free to read this article I wrote for Artvoice a few years back.
Spaghetti with garlic, oil, and broccoli
Makes 4 servings
3/4 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot pepper
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Cook the spaghetti and drain it. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet with the garlic and hot pepper flakes. When the garlic just starts to change color add the chicken broth and salt. Cook the broth for one minute, until it reduces by half, and then add the broccoli. Toss and turn the spinach for a few minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti, and stir it until thoroughly coated with the other ingredients. Stir in the cheese just before serving.
The Amazing Journey of Chen Guanming
Photo copied from this location.
This story, I believe, is truly inspiring on many levels. That’s Chen Guanming pictured above, who says that he has traveled more than 60,000km/40,000miles in the past 2 years–traversing 16 countries–from his homeland China to London to see the Olympics…and doing it all on his large cargo trike. What’s more, he’s in his late fifties. I wonder if he and Heinz Stücke met each other in passing along the way. To read a couple brief stories about him click here or here, and the below video is interesting as well.
After the Rain (four photos and a few words)
Well it finally rained today. A crazy heavy downpour with thunder and lightening. I stood on the porch and watched it for a while. It lasted only about an hour. The rain is so infrequent this summer it seemed really special. I wished it would rain all day. It’s not very often I hope for rain (my least favorite element to ride a bike in) but geeze o’ man did we need it. Anyhow, after it stopped I went out to the garden to pick food for dinner. Everything had that strange misty hue that only happens after a heavy downpour on a hot and humid day. I grabbed a camera and snapped a few photos and thought I’d share. Click for a larger view.
Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#469)
A nylon bag containing–among other things–a laptop computer, an extra camera, a book, a journal, a small magazine, and two granola bars.
Bursting with Color and Flavor…
Beautiful aren’t they…just picked this morning. Like much of the nation it has been hot in Western New York and the vegetable plants are loving it. Yesterday when I picked a perfectly ripe tomato for dinner it was not just warm from the sun but actually hot to the touch…it felt like it was cooked, and I suppose it sort of was. Anyhow, with it being so hot, and that I face a stove for most of the day as my job, the last thing I want to do is come home and heat up my teeny kitchen. Thus said, I have been eating variations of chopped vegetable salads for the past two weeks…and I’ve yet to tire of them. Delicious and full of nutrition. And to make a chopped vegetable salad is about as simple as it gets. With summer vegetables in season you can really use whatever you like or have at hand. And during the heat of the day this will definitely keep your kitchen cool.
Chopped Vegetable Salad
Choose and wash whichever vegetables you like. My favorites are tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), and cucumbers, but anything will really work. Sometimes I add diced or crumbled cheese as well, such as feta, mozzarella, or Parmesan. Dice the vegetables and combine them in a bowl. If it looks like you’ve made to much do not worry because leftovers—after the flavors have thoroughly married—taste equally good. Add whatever other seasonings you like. I usually add sliced onion and minced garlic, plus a good handful of basil, mint, or parsley, or all three. And using a ratio of 3-parts oil to 1-part vinegar or lemon (or a combination of both), dress the salad lightly. A tablespoon of mustard tastes good, too. Mix the ingredients and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
A Few Thoughts on Theology, Car Ownership, and Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#468)
Yup. That’s me in the above photo. Very rarely do I post pictures of myself on this blog but here’s one. And what’s even more odd is that it shows me getting into a car. My son took the photo of me getting into a Buffalo Car Share car last weekend. But as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself.
If you’ve been to this blog before you know a few things about me. One of them is that I’ve voluntarily given up car ownership a few months ago, and that I choose to walk or bike whenever possible. If it’s out of (my) biking range I take a bus or use Buffalo Car Share (which I joined around the same time I sold my truck).
Well, you may ask, what does have to do with theology (or at least my personal theology)? Plenty. Firstly, at a most basic level, living simply (using a bike instead of a car, for example) helps me be more in touch with our Source, the Divine within me, you, and each one of us.
But there is another relevance when discussing (car) ownership. What is ownership and do we really “own” anything? The house I live in, for example, is nearly 150 years old; Civil War era. I’m just one of many who have occupied it (click here to see what I mean). I’m sure there will be more; I just happen to live here now.
To take this a step deeper, think of our bodies themselves. Do we really own them? Is this all we are…just flesh and bone? I think not to both questions. We just happen to occupy them at present moment. Okay, some of you reading this may have atheistic views, and that’s fine; I can respect that. Personally I believe that there is more–way more–than we can comprehend. And while I consider myself a practicing Christian–meaning I try to follow the teachings of Jesus the best I can, but usually fail miserably–I also believe that all major religions carry the same truth and that all lead to the same outcome and that all are pure at their core if you look sincerely within them and within yourself. Is there an afterlife? I surely don’t know. Likely, I like to think, that after an undetermined period of time, rejuvenation, and learning we are offered a new body and life to live (for additional learning). Reincarnation. And this is not outside Christian doctrine because the original Christians did in fact believe in reincarnation (please do not send me hate mail), as do many other religions.
So what does any of this have to do with car ownership? Well, overtly maybe nothing. But underneath, maybe everything. My point is that whatever your views we will all eventually leave these bodies…we can’t take them with us. So to bring this back to a more materialistic level–car ownership–they (cars) are just things, like everything else, and you can’t take them with you. You, if you have one, are simply occupying it.
I have to admit that in a culture where our very core is embedded with cars it was difficult if not a bit scary to renounce ownership. But I did and hope never to have another. Since not having a car of my own I have only used one on three occasions, but the first was mostly out of novelty. And on all three occasions the car share worked seamlessly. When I needed a car to get me outside my biking distance I had one.
I don’t believe that I have to “own” everything that I use. I can share some things, even big things in my life. and this is what I was thinking about as I pedaled home tonight carrying my son’s guitar after his music lesson. It was a hot evening. I had a couple beers across the street while I waited for him. And as I pedaled home into a slight headwind with a warm breeze on my face it felt good. I felt free.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32
Urban Simplicty 