It’s nice to be woken at 5:30 by birdsong and first light. I think I could go for that every day of the year. Each morning I feel compelled to pour a cup of coffee and head to the garden to walk the rows, tend a bed or two, but the only vegetable we have in the ground is garlic, planted last fall. It feels strange not to be growing much yet, things are normally well established at this point: potatoes, carrots, greens, peas, beets, onion and more would be planted by now. Inside, we’re surrounded by a couple hundred plant starts that I may have started sooner than necessary, given their northern destination. I’ll get the hang of gardening in such a drastically different zone, but I don’t think it’ll be this year. In the cool garage we’ve got 80 pounds of seed potato eager for planting. We are planning to go north this weekend and finish getting the beds ready, but it looks like a week straight of rain is on tap so it might have to wait. Meanwhile, we’re going crazy down here with wild leeks, dandelion greens and flowers, violets, lilac, garlic mustard, cleavers, morels, raspberry leaf… and as usual for our property, not a nettle in sight. I’m establishing a patch from seed this year but it takes time, patience is key when starting nettles from seed.
We’ve used the last bit of salmon from our 2016 share, and are down to a few pounds of cod remaining. Last night we made fish tacos which were simply cod fillets cooked in a skillet with butter, cumin, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper for just a few minutes (maybe 6-8) then the fish was coarsely flaked for serving. Into the tortillas went sour cream, summer salsa, cod, and ramp pesto (recipe will be in Country Kitchen). Lettuce would have been nice, lime too, but we didn't have either. If you’ve never made homemade tortillas they are super easy, plus they are cheaper and tastier than anything you’ll find at the store.
Homemade Tortillas
makes 8-10
2 cups flour (get creative with wheat, spelt, all-purpose, a combination)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup lard
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 – 3/4 cup warm water
- Sift flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut in lard with a fork or pastry blender, until combined and sort of crumbly.
- Add water, starting with 1/2 cup, working into the dough until a sticky ball forms. Add the extra 1/4 cup if needed.
- Wrap in plastic or bee's wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes. I leave it right on the counter.
- Divide dough into 8-10 balls, cover dough balls with damp towel.
- Lightly dust a counter or board with flour and roll each ball into circles. You’ll get the hang of your own preference for tortilla thickness and size; I roll them to about 8". We like them on the thin side, maybe 1/8” thick at best. This is flexible so don’t be afraid to experiment. Get the skillet heated while you are rolling out tortillas.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Cook the tortillas for 30-60 seconds on each side, until a few brown spots appear. Do not overcook or they will harden. As the cooked tortillas come off the skillet, stack them on a plate and cover with a damp (not wet) towel to keep warm and moist.
Sky’s the limit when it comes to tortilla use. Fish tacos are great, but tortillas can be a vehicle for just about anything. Enjoy!