Purslane and Lake County's The Veggie Girl

Esther Oërtel, "TheVeggieGirl," writes for online Lake County News. She recently wrote about purslane which is very nutritious and overlooked as a food and cultivar in the United States. It's delicious, and we buy it canned at the local Mexican grocery stores. She bought hers at a Farmer's Market, and it was grown by Full Moon Farm in Kelseyville, CA.
http://www.localharvest.org/full-moon-farm-M31065

http://lakeconews.com/content/view/20622/919/

RECIPE:

Mexican Beef Ribs with Purslane (Costillas de Res con Verdolagas, Estilo Mexicano)

Buy at least several pounds of the Mexican ribs, (cut differently from what you get in non-Mexican markets). Boil them until tender. Add the can of Verdolagas and heat. You can add some onion, if you want.

That is all. The verdolagas are canned with chili and have a slightly sour flavor.

íQué comas bién!

Shopping Farmers' Market and Other Venues

A Farmers' Market convenes every Saturday in the Splash Pad Park near Lakeshore Boulevard less than 2 blocks from my house, offering not only fresh organic fruits and vegetable, but honey, nuts, plants, flowers, ready to eat food, clothing, massage, music, and much more. I don't go very often even though it's so close because the vegetables are expensive with the cost of transport and the certified organic status contributing some to the price.

I sometimes buy items because I like to support farmers and local food availability, although I like some providers more local than Lodi, Stockton, and Capay Valley. I bought 3 heirloom tomatoes from Wild Boar Farms, 4 exotic squash from Lucero Organic Farms, and 2 lemon cucumbers from Capay Organic. That came to about $8.00.

I went to Lakeshore Produce, 3260 Lakeshore Boulevard, and bought a few things, including some bulk dried garbanzo beans, maybe 2 cups, some dried lima beans, maybe another 2 cups, and a 16 oz. jar of Taj Ethnic Gourmet brand Calcutta Masala Simmer Sauce. The jar of sauce was $4.29, and the whole purchase was about $7.00. Link to Ethnic Gourmet products

http://www.ethnicgourmet.com/products/index.php

Another Indian food product I like that is available at Lakeshore Produce is Patak's Taste of India: http://pataksusa.com/products/

These simmering sauces are a quick way to make a tasty meal with next to no preparation.

The heirloom tomatoes from Wild Boar Farms are delicious and my favorite purchase, so much more flavorable than those that are bred to be perfectly round and solid red. I really recommend these tomatoes. Link to Wild Boar Farms, Suisun: http://wildboarfarms.com/wild-boar-farms-tomato.html

Link to Lucero Organic Farms, Lodi

http://www.localharvest.org/lucero-organic-farms-M23490

Link to Capay Organic Farm, Capay Valley (a beautiful valley to visit) http://www.capayorganic.com/

I took these things home, and put about a cup and a half of the dried lima beans into the crock pot before going off to Chinatown to buy a few more things.

With very little money, say $10.00, I can by a lot of vegetables in Chinatown, in fact, so many that I haven't used up all of the vegetables I bought the last time. I just bought a few things-3 good-sized oriental eggplant, 3 long carrots, a large head of Romaine lettuce ($0.49; 3 for $1.10), and some a pound of Chinese broccoli. This all came to $3.00 even.

The Chinese broccoli is excellent and is mostly leaf and fleshy stem that is never tough; an excellent buy.

I began shopping for vegetables in Chinatown after borrowing a library book showing all the types of Chinese vegetables and giving their names. Oversimplifying some, but 3 major classes are the cabbages with various types of bok choy alone, the rapes ( I know, I don't like the name of this class of plant) which include leafy vegetables like the Chinese broccoli and a bunch of others, and a bunch of squash types that are called melons. They are not sweet, fruit melons, but squashes or pumkins for soups. There are many other types of vegetables and fruits such as amaranth, watercress, and the usual things you buy in the chain grocery stores. I think the book I used might be out of print, but this book by Rosa Lo San Ross looks like a fair equivalent covering possibly fewer varieties.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Bok-Choy-Cooks-Vegetables/dp/1885183232/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310914041&sr=1-3

For gardeners, you might try this book by Geri Harrington:

http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Chinese-Vegetables-Your-Backyard/dp/1603421408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310914696&sr=1-1

NOTE: At this time, I am not getting paid by any company for endorsing products, and I would only accept paid endorsements for products actually used and liked. I am a little upset that Amazon is not paying local affiliates as part of its disgruntlement with the State of California wanting to collect sales tax on internet sales, but that said, rural people get great access to books through Amazon.com.

Then I ate a Sticky Rice Tamal, some pork in probably orange sauce, and a soda at Sum Yee Pastry shop, 912 Webster Street, where a variety of things are available in more variety and better prices than those at the Chinese chain restaurants you find in suburbs. Communication is a little slow and with repetition before I get what I want, but the value is good, and I think it's good to get outside one's linguistic comfort zone occasionally. That came to about $5.50, an was a lot better than McDonald's.

When I got home, I made a Succotash Soup.

RECIPE: THIS-ISN'T-YOUR-MOTHER'S-SUCCOTASH SOUP

About 1 1/2 cups of dried lentil beans, cooked in the crock pot with enough water that they won't burn while out of the house.

1/4 white onion, chopped

2 medium to large heirloom tomatoes

1 medium zucchini squash, chopped up but not too fine

1 yellow summer squash, also chopped as above

1/2 red bell pepper

7 0z. drained, canned corn

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1 serrano chile, seeds removed

1 California bay leaf

pepper, and salt to taste

chopped cilantro, added before serving

It's as easy as can be, but it's important to cook the lima beans thoroughly before you add tomato because it will stop the beans from cooking completely.

World's Healthiest Foods- Lima Beans link

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=59

We have quite a few options to choose from, and if you have a yard, you can grow a bit yourself.

Old Creeks Don't Go With A Dog Park

My Rocky doesn't play well with dogs off leashes in dog parks, so there is no reason for me to take him to any dog park. I think dog parks are nice where properly located, and Astro Park is not the right location. It is in a busy pedestrian area with an adjacent play structure for small children, and the Canadian geese come chomp the grass. Now I suppose one could argue that the geese have plenty other grass by Lake Merritt to chomp, but I'd like to see someone get them to listen and cooperate.

The area is used happily as an outdoor gym across the street from Gold's Gym which some people might not have the money to utilize, or perhaps some people like to do their pull ups in the fresh air. Soccer games are played on the grass by groups of mentally disabled individuals, and small children take a soccer class in the same area.

What truly amazes me is something that I observe during the rainy season and no one mentions it as a problem. When the rain comes on strong, all you have to do is look out at that piece of field, and all little and various creeks that used t naturally drain into the Lake Merritt estuary area begin to surface despite all the urban build up. Over on the other side of the Lakeview branch of the Oakland Public Library, you can find the names of the various creeks, like Indian Gulch that ran out of the hills from the Trestle Glen area, recorded in the walkway area near the lake. Right about where you see the geese in the photo is where the outline of the creek begins to build up in winter.

Who wants their dog running in muddy water? Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

When it's dry, do we really want to run off the grass until we have an eyesore? I don't think so, and I am glad other people aren't so keen on this dog park, either. There is a very nice dog park up Grand Avenue within maybe a mile away across the street from the Rose Garden, on the border of Oakland and Piedmont. We have enough going on with the Farmer's Market and all the weekend activity without adding a dog park to the mix.

You can try to take the country out of the city, but it just keeps trying to come back.

http://www.saveastropark.org/

http://www.contracostatimes.com/montclarion/ci_17950017

Trestle Glen- from Country to City of Oakland, CA

I live on the edge of the Trestle Glenn/Lakeshore neighborhood of Oakland, and as charming as it is, I wish I could step back a century and board a train or electric trolley car for a summer picnic or camp meeting in the hills of that bygone era. The neighborhood with its charming, European-style homes on a street that winds its way up the hill, was designed in the early 1920s by the Olmsted brothers, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, to be Oakland's version of San Francisco's exclusive tony St. Francis Wood.

Trestle Glen, begins, or ends, on Lakeshore Avenue, across from a Starbucks and a Noah's Bagels, and many residents in the area start their day with a stop at one or both places.

As for the picnic, I'll just have to content myself with eating it down by Lake Merritt. Suggested menu:

Bread, Cheese, non-alcoholic beverage so you don't get arrested for open container ( I know, no fun) and a nice marinated asparagus and artichoke salad.

RECIPE: MARINATED ASPARAGUS AND ARTICHOKE SALAD

Do this the night before so it has a chance to marinate and chill.

Take 2 bunches of asparagus stalks, and snap off the tough, lower ends. Just flex the ends until they snap, and then you know you are left with edible, delicious asparagus.

Slice the asparagus on the diagonal into lengths of about 1 1/2 inches. Place these into a steamer in which the water is already boiling, and steam them for only about 5 minutes. You want them just barely cooked.

Cool the asparagus, and add canned artichoke hearts, chopped onion, pimento, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt to taste. Use enough vinegar and olive oil to coat and provide a marinate. Refrigerate and stir occasionally.

It's even nicer to buy baby artichokes on the San Mateo coast, and cook them yourself. This is a job, but well worth it.

You need to soak them in water with some salt and vinegar, clean them really well. Cut them in half or fourths lengthwise, cut each leaf back to leave mostly just the tender parts. Steam these until they are cooked but not mushy and falling apart. Strain, and then saute in olive oil until tender and then you can add them to the salad, or to a lamb stew.

For a more detailed history on the transition of Trestle Glen from Ohlone environ to Spanish and Anglo ranching to recreational area and to residential neighborhood, see the Lakeshore Home Association link below.

http://www.lakeshorehomes.net/history.html

For information on the Olmsteds, especially Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York's Central Park and Oakland's Mountain Cemetery, see the National Park Service links that follow.

http://www.nps.gov/frla/index.htm

Olmsted's house at the National Historical Site looks like it could look right at home on Trestle Glen.

Olmsted was influential in the preservation of Yosemite, as well.

http://www.nps.gov/frla/historyculture/index.htm

The photo of the trolley in Trestle Glen is from Calisphere, a free digital collection of primary sources documents and images created and maintained by the University of California, Berkeley. The photo is from the Joseph R. Knowland collection and was donated by Oakland Public Library. The image was created in 1898 by Britton and Rey, lithographers from San Francisco, and depicts trolley cars from the Oakland Transit Company in operation from 1894-1904.

Most images are public domain, but users should check the details on each item before using, especially if for commercial purposes.

http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/

Textile and Fiber Fair

Starting over after such a long absence, and I'm embarrassed to see how long ago I did a post on this site. Plenty goes on between the city and the country; it's just me that dropped the ball of yarn. I have been crocheting recently and was happy to attend the second Textile and Fiber Fair at the Splash Pad Park near Lake Merritt. Present were spinners, weavers, knitters, crocheters, and quilters. Also on site were great fleece fibers including alpaca in glorious, natural shades.

A couple of interesting vendors, both from the Vacaville, CA area: http://www.fanfarefarms.com/ Alpacas, Fleece, and Yarn

an http://www.fiberwisemill.net/ French Angora Rabbits, Natural Colored Sheep and Alpaca

I have to keep this going, and do it regularly. I have been trying to write fiction but am finding the learning curve a bit of a stretch.

Skunked

It's three-thirty in the morning, and I reach for my gas mask, only to remember I don't own one. What is this smell ripping at my lungs? Is plastic burning? Is gas leaking from the kitchen stove? I struggle out of bed and begin checking space heaters for proximity to flammable materials, and go to the kitchen. Negative results on both concerns, and then I suspect the wall heater which is quite old and not perfect.
Fearful we'll not wake up in the morning, I rouse my husband who doesn't seem interested in his own mortality, but with some persistence on my part, he stumbles out of bed and dresses. Purse,keys, cell phone, Rocky (our Chihuahua mix) in hand, we head for the front door, and Fausto is about to vomit from the smell. We get into the Nissan, and the dog is so thrilled to be going somewhere. At this early hour,this trip must be special. We call 911, and ask for someone to perform a safety check on the house. The Fire Department arrives in 5 minutes with two big trucks, much to their credit, but to my frustration, I have a hard time convincing them to enter the house and check for gas leaks.
"Lady, it's a skunk."
"I know it smells like skunk out here, but inside, it smells like something different and stronger. The living area is at the top of a flight of stairs, not down here at entry level. How could it smell stronger up there? Would you please just check for a gas leak?"
He probably decides to get things over with and get back to bed as quickly as possible by entering and checking the apartment. "Lady, it's a skunk." We now feel we have to put aside our reservations and accept his professional assessment. "Sorry, Rocky, no more drama for the night." We go back to bed, wondering how many neighbors we woke up.
By morning, I'm thinking over the skunk smell and recent conversations with neighbors. Both of us grew up in the country, so we found it humorous when the neighbors below had called the landlord asking for an exterminator for skunks. We've smelled them occasionally in the mornings for twenty years, and it never was a problem. And there was the other neighbor who claimed a mother had raised five babies under his house, and that they made a mess eating the grapefruit that fell from the tree in his backyard. We wondered if he had entered the crawl space to conduct the census, and were amazed he had noticed anything going on in the mostly unused backyard. Now we are feeling a little sheepish/skunkish at our own lack of sympathy and our inability to recognize skunk musk.
I grow more curious about the smell mimicking plastic and want to know what chemical components of skunk spray could account for that impression, and I hit the Internet which leads me to the website of the Dragoo Institute for the Betterment of Skunks and Skunk Reputations (http://www.dragoo.org/), an anti-defamation league for skunks. Grasping for any straw of plausible explanation to my relatives, all of whom think I should never have left the country and that I have been gone far too long now that I can't recognize skunk musk, I am so glad to find that some skunk species produce thiols and thioacetate compounds. I am sure the thioacetate compounds might make a reasonable explanation for plastic-like qualities to the smell, and perhaps I might not seem quite so dumb.
Just as I'm preparing to put all of this skunk episode behind me, I find our neighbor in the adjacent apartment coming home with large quantities of tomato juice. Biff, the sweetest and most docile Australian-Shepherd-Corgi mix, had been outside during the night and didn't like the skunk anymore than we had. Biff grabbed it by the neck, and the more Biff shook the skunk's neck, the more the skunk sprayed, and the more the skunk sprayed, the more Biff shook its neck until dog evolution won out over skunk evolution. Biff still walks about resembling a large, battery-operated toy dog, but demands more awe and respect after his transmutation to Exterminator. Whether he started it or ended it, Biff clearly considers himself a hero, and we now know a skunk(ing) when we smell one.

Living the Good Life: Country Living Made Possible by the City

This is a blog devoted to trying to live country life but sustaining it through work and contacts in the greater urban areas. While we want to be permanently in a rural area, economics keeps us in the city for the time being. This blog is about exploring this dual existence with others and gaining information about issues related to rural areas and those who live there either on a year-round basis or something less. It is a place to share observations and joys of rural and small town living. I am looking forward to reading your contributions.