08.11.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:07 pm by trueepicure
I promised chicken pictures, and here they are. Don’t say I never gave you anything! 
This is Mootsie:
This is Phyllis:
And I don’t know who this is, but we’ll call her Tina (as in Turner):
These are just a few of the chickens living on the cul-de-sac in North Phoenix. If you are local and you need some chickens, let me know. Make sure that your city or town allows poultry within the city limits. Most cities in Arizona seem to allow it, but make sure before you decide to adopt. (Further proof that we’re not in NYC any more!)
(Pictures are posted with permission of the photographer, which is not me.)
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Posted in Uncategorized at 1:32 pm by trueepicure
Eating locally is being a pretty big challenge here in Arizona. Supposedly we are an agricultural state, and we could potentially grow food all year here, but we import SO much of our food. I’ve decided not to let it get me down, because this Challenge has been allowing me the opportunity to explore the available resources, and talk to people about local food.
My friend J of the Chickens (pictures soon, I promise!) has attempted a similar personal challenge in previous years. He says that one of the problems is that the state and local governments here are not really focused on supporting local agriculture in a way that would give growers incentive to keep food in the state. There is much more money in, say, exporting lettuce from Yuma to New York City.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Uncategorized at 10:01 am by trueepicure
‘Nuff said.
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08.10.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:21 am by trueepicure
Last night I made a quiche with local eggs. My eggs are from a friend in North Phoenix who adopted a bunch of chickens and keeps them in a hen house in their backyard. J and M adopted the chickens (I’m not quite sure how many, but more than 5) after a friend of theirs contacted them to see if they knew someone who would like chickens. Apparently the original chicken owner had a request from someone else for fertilized eggs. (I’m not quite sure what this woman was planning to do with fertilized eggs - I know that they are sometimes used in making vaccines for flu and such, but I’m don’t think this is why she wanted them.)
The requestor never picked up the eggs, and fertilized eggs have a funny way of turning into chickens. So J and M now have a bunch of chickens, including polish ones. They bring several dozen eggs to our monthly garden meetings, and I usually go home with a dozen for a $1 donation to the club.
I use a recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking:
Preheat oven to 375°
Prepare a deep dish pie shell, 9-inch (I usually use whatever brand I can find at the store, premade) by pricking it well with a fork or knife (or use pie weights). Bake the empty pie shell until it is just golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
Clean and chop one leek (just the white part), and saute in olive oil for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
While the pie shell is cooling, mix the following in a bowl:
3 eggs
2 cups of milk or cream (I use whole organic milk)
a pinch or two of salt
freshly ground pepper
sauteed leek (You can add other fillings if you like, but you may have to adjust the cooking time.)
Prepare 1/4-1/2 cup of swiss cheese. Cube and set aside.
Fill the bottom of the cooled pie shell with the cheese and pour the custard mixture on top. Put it in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Check the quiche at about 30 minutes, and if the edges of the crust look like they are deep brown already, but some foil or pie shields around the edges (to keep them from burning).
The custard will have puffed up and will be golden brown when the quiche is done. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Trust me on this. If you cut into it when it is just out of the oven, you will have nasty, runny custard everywhere. Bleh.
This recipe makes approximately 6 servings, and is fantastic with a salad of arugula and baby greens.
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08.09.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:31 pm by trueepicure
A man lost his life tonight because he thought that he was stronger than Mother Nature. A New River, Arizona man drove his truck, horse trailer, and two horses into a rain-swollen wash tonight, after checking to see if it was traversable. It was not. He couldn’t tell because you can never tell until you are in the middle of the torrent of water.
The horses were saved. The man could have been safe at home tonight, but he made a terrible mistake that was completely avoidable if he had used common sense. Please, if you are in a situation where you know that you could be putting yourself in harm’s way, make the choice to be extra cautious and avoid the situation. Don’t lose your life because you think you can beat the odds.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 4:15 pm by trueepicure
Okay, the word eatable was cute when Willy Wonka used it, but it’s not so cute any more, now that I keep hearing people use it. It sounds like horrible English.
Then I discovered that the word eatable is in the dictionary as an adjective and a noun. I stand corrected. (But I still think it sounds goofy.)
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08.08.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:22 am by trueepicure
Heather asked about the cactus rescue I went on, where I got my beautiful Mammillaria microcarpa. Read on for more information.
Larger Arizona municipalities, such as Phoenix, now require developers to survey land to be developed and mark all trees, saguaros, and barrel cacti over a certain size. The law also requires developers to harvest these large plants. There is a market for these plants and the developers are willing to cooperate. There are companies that do nothing but harvest large plants from land to be developed, and they wholesale the harvested plants to retailers. Unfortunately, the small plants don’t have to be saved unless the plant is federally protected. The smaller specimens usually get bulldozed. (CACSS) There don’t appear to be any federally protected species in the Phoenix metro area.
The Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society (CACSS), an affiliate of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, sponsors periodic cactus rescues in the Phoenix Metro area, in which smaller cactus and succulent specimens are collected, tagged, and then sold to the general public to raise money for future rescues and other Society activities. The work of the rescuers has multiple benefits to the Society and the larger public. The Society gets money to put on different activities supporting educational efforts regarding cacti and succulents, and you and I can purchase otherwise unavailable or unaffordable cacti and succulents for reasonable prices.
To participate in a rescue event, you need to be a member of CACSS. I think that this is because of liability issues. You don’t have to sign up ahead of time, you can show up and become a member at the rescue event. You can either participate as a digger/collector, or you can help out with tagging and recording. It’s a really interesting few hours out of your weekend, and you are doing something good for the world. More more information, visit CACSS and review the information under the “Cactus Rescue” link.
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08.07.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:31 pm by trueepicure
Ibrahim Ferrer of Buena Vista Social Club fame died on Saturday…
Peter Jennings died today…
May you both rest in peace.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 12:26 pm by trueepicure
Just when you think that summer can’t get any worse, and the 110° heat makes you think you are going to plotz…
Zephyranthes sp. ‘Labuffarosa’
Mammilaria sp. (collected at the joint cactus rescue sponsored by the Phoenix and Tucson Cactus and Succulent Societies)
…It rains, and Mother Nature brings me gifts. And there are more coming:
Zephryanthes sp.
Today is a good day. 
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08.05.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:23 pm by trueepicure
I saw a really disturbing bumpersticker on my way home from work today:
“Some people need killing. That’s why we have Marines”
Yeah, Semper Fi guys, Semper Fi. Sheesh!
ETA: I have to clarify that I have several friends who are Marines, and I know that they don’t share this sentiment. I think this is partly why the bumpersticker bothered me so much.
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