Growing Corn Nourishes My Heart
I have practiced growing flint, flour and dent corn for 6 seasons now. After harvest the corn is brought inside and hung up, laid on screens or carefully placed in boxes to dry and cure. From winter through summer I look forward to finding time to cook a batch of cornbread or corn pancakes using…
The Gifts of the Mountain
It so happens that here in southern Oregon, the wild elderberries ripen near the fall equinox and it has been an impromptu ritual that we go to the mountains every fall to collect this delicious medicine. It’s common among homesteaders to find ourselves so rooted in our land that we seldom make a trip elsewhere.…
Deeply Nourished From Afar
Our family just returned from a beautiful homestead wedding. For several days leading up to the wedding we camped on a rural property a long day’s drive from our home. Our good friends chose to get hitched on the land where they currently homestead. I am feeling especially grateful for the people that came to…
How to Make Your Own Miso (It’s Easier Than You Think)
If you love probiotic, nutrient-rich, and flavorful food, then homemade miso would be a great addition to your homestead pantry! Miso is a very versatile seasoning for a variety of dishes. You can use miso like boullion in soups or like soysauce for dips and dressings or as a marinade for any meat. The flavor…
Herbal Pesto (and Pistou) Recipe
Our family loves eating herbal pestos. Several years ago we branched out from basil and started making pesto with new herbs. That exploration has opened up a lot of fun and new ways to cook the various herbs that grow abundantly in our garden. Opening up pesto to other herbs has also allowed us to…
Delectable Dandelion Hamburger Recipe
I am often trying new ways to cook with weeds so that our family’s bodies can benefit from their abundant nutrition while leaving our tongues and bellies craving more. Dandelion is one of our favorite weeds because she is free, self sowing, abundant, easy to harvest and beautiful! Nutritionally, her leaves and roots are packed…
Homestead Sourdough Bread Recipe
For centuries, people have made sourdough bread in their own homes using just flour, water, salt, and household tools. In Europe and many parts of the world, sourdough was used as a natural leaven and baking sourdough bread was integral to agrarian life as bread was the main source of energy for long days of…
Sourdough Culture: From Then to Now
Sourdough came to me, along with many other homesteading skills and interests, at Camp Joy Gardens, where I apprenticed between 2016-2017. At that time, because my heart was open, I learned everything with the sponge-like curiosity of a toddler. I didn’t have any judgments or preconceived notions about what a “good” sourdough bread was supposed…
Garlic Harvesting, Tasting, and Braiding
Oh the amazing garlic. Garlic is one of our staple crops and a key ingredient in most of our meals. I could write tomes on garlic, but today I’m going to focus on how to obtain two harvests from garlic, the results of our garlic tasting (we trialed 10 different varieties this year), and curing…
Nourish
Food is a way that we can deeply connect with ourselves, our traditions, and nature. That’s why we not only share recipes but also the cultural roots and personal stories around each ingredient or dish. As much as possible, our meals feature the plants growing in our land and garden and locally grown food.
