happy earth day all!sorry for the lack of posts lately. i’ve been super busy getting ready for my upcoming spring shows. i just wanted to pop in to wish you a happy earth day! be sure to check out my latest post over on the zupas blog.i listed some great tips on how to be a more earth friendly “foodie.”check it out here.
With recent natural disasters all over the world, the topic of stockpiling or storing food has probably come up in conversations. I know that I am trying to be more aware of being self sufficient if an event were to arise, and we needed to rely on our own resources. After reading accounts of individuals not receiving food or clean water for days in Haiti, or going to the grocery store during the snow storms in Washington DC only to find bottle water and many essentials cleaned out from the shelves; I am trying to be more aware of fulfilling the needs of my family if we found ourselves in such a crisis.
But where do you start? It is very overwhelming, and many people lack the storage space or resources to begin.
While trying to prepare my little food storage room [pictured above] over the past little bit, I have found the best place to start is to buy a little here and there.
Here are a few tips that helped me build a small supply of food:
Buy what you will eat – Buy ingredients of meals you prepare a lot and have them on hand. That way you can rotate through your storage, and you will not waste any food to expiration dates. Plus, it saves a lot of those last minute runs to the grocery store.
Shop sales – Many stores have great case lot sales where you can get canned fruits, vegetables, or beans for 50 cents a can. Buy a little extra when you see it on sale, and it will save a lot of money in the long run.
Coupon – Couponing is a great way to start building up a supply of food. Many items can be purchase for less than half the retail price.
Water – You need at least one gallon of water per person per day. Bottled water is great to have stored in case your drinking water is contaminated. You can also store water in used plastic soda bottles as long as they are properly cleaned.
Gardening – if you have a little land, or porch, you can grow a garden. Fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden taste the best, and cost very little.
Canned foods – canned foods are a great item to have on hand, and most have a two year shelf life! Also, start canning your own foods. They taste so much better than store bought! See my previous post about canning peaches here.
Storing items – store items in a cool dry place, and off the ground [yes, I know some of my stuff is on the ground. I just organized it and didn’t put my other shelf back] Also, if you are worried about weevils [very yucky little bugs] you can put your flour in tin cans.
So, hopefully this will help you get a start. I know I still have a long way to go.
One of my very favorite vegetables to use is leeks! I loved the idea of pairing leeks in my scalloped potatoes.
It gives them such a nice flavor, and it goes amazing with the nice gooey gruyère cheese. This potato and leek gratin goes nicely with ham, or any kind of roast. It’s a great addition to a nice Sunday dinner.
I thought it would be fun to bake the potatoes in individual ramekins. There is something fun about having your own individual serving. But, a regular baking dish is fine as well. {Potato + Leek Gratin}
serves 6 to 8
2 1/2 pounds potatoes [about six], peeled and thinly sliced 1 leek, trimmed, thinly sliced, and rinsed well (about 1 cup) 2 tbs unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder or paste 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper 3/4 cup gruyère cheese shredded, and about 1 cup more for the top of the potatoes. pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
slice potatoes very thin [about 1/8 of an inch] and place in a large bowl.
in a medium skillet, heat 2 tbs butter and saute the leeks over medium until soft, about 4 minutes. set aside.
in a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, and flour. heat over medium heat and whisk until just about to boil and the sauce slightly thickens. about 2-5 minutes. remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the gruyère cheese, salt, pepper, bouillon, and nutmeg. stir well.
add sauce mixture to the potatoes just until all of the potatoes are coated well [there may be some sauce left over]. then add sautéed leeks, and stir well. butter a 9×13 inch baking dish and transfer the potatoes to the dish. push all the potatoes down making sure they are well coated with the sauce mixture. top all of the potatoes with a layer of gruyère cheese. cover with parchment paper, then foil and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet [in case it drips] at 375 for 45 minutes. remove the cover, and bake at 425 for another 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through and fork tender. let rest about 15 minutes before serving.
