Compost and Tea

Here in Dallas we experience strange climate changes regularly with irregularity...that is to say it may be 40 degrees in the morning but in three hours in the mid 60's.  Strange but true, so we must embrace it.  With that being said spring is fast approaching and the need for great plant foods and soil amendments is high.  Recently I started to compost and turn a small raised planting bed.  The current soil is dark and fluffy with good porosity and water-to-air ratio (holds water but allows oxygen into the root system).  Food garbage can be turned into black gold quickly and efficiently by saving your  organic materials.  The real obstacle to overcome when composting is restricting access to your compost.  Foodstuffs and other delicious smells will fill the air thus attracting unwanted visitors so precautions should be taken to insure critters do not help themselves to your goods.  Turning the compost on a regular basis aids in aerating and mixing the material top to bottom.  When its time for planting you simply take some of your gorgeous compost matter and use (roughly) a 10-1 mix of water to compost.  Remember this is all natural and organic matter so plants will not react in the same way if overdosed.  Synthetic fertilizers can and will burn/harm plants if used improperly (sometimes even if used as directed).  Organic nutrients may be wasted if overused and thus creating a situation for a water flush of the root system but they WILL NOT BURN the plants if overdosed.    Using a bucket agitate the 'tea' to aerate the mixture then proceed to topically, foliar or otherwise introduce the liquid to the root system.  Plants love this stinky liquid and will vegetate and bloom with lush results.

Soupy Weather

Indeed the 'Mother of Nature' (Texas Branch) has once again decided to throw some curve balls this week.  Rainy, dreary and colder weather will no doubt bring thoughts of snuggling loved ones, curling up somewhere cozy or enduring the elements to get that nice kill out on the hunt.  Weather will and does play hugely into what, how much and what types of foods we eat.  Personally I am an old soul so when my cozy-time-bear-mode kicks in I really NEED soup.  Hot and delicious soups are what gets us moving when the mercury dives during the winter.  When rainy days are here it increases my drive for a hot bowl/cup of soup so I need to find my ingredients and get this show on the road.  Two days ago I started a pig leg (bone) simmering for some great stock.  I reduced and added water a few times over the next two days.  Along with the stock-bones I threw in some rough-diced onion, celery, and a few juniper berries.  Juniper can get to a point of weird-flavor so I let them simmer a few hours then removed them to insure a really nice foundational stock that does not lean too far one way or another in the flavor department.  Obviously we want a rich, deep flavor from the ingredients but we are going to make a dish form this stock so we will profile the flavors in a bit later.   Last night was especially nippy so I dove in to the pantry  to find some ingredients to add to my stock.  After rummaging I located some organic soba noodles, water chestnuts and ham-steak.  This made for an interesting and hearty dish that cost very little money to make.  When making stocks I skim/strain as much fat as possible so the stock is fairly healthy.  When all was said and done the finished noodle dish was low in fat, homemade and extremely delicious.  Many of my friends are vegan, vegetarian and even piscaterian and they ask me how to alter recipes.  Here goes, this can be done with veggie or fish (fumet) stock and the finished product will be just as (if not more) flavorful than a meat based dish.  Carrots are a great binder/thickener...let the carrots become really soft from cooking the blend/puree them into the soup.  They add heartiness, nutrition, color and texture to the soup/sauce.  I took this pic when I lived in Northren California.  A bit of sunshine for this dreary day. peace

BigGreenEgg Smoking

One of the best things in my opinion is smelling the roasty aromas from a slow cooking piece of meat.  Combining the lovely smells of roasting wood, cooking meat and spices fills the air with an amazing aroma.  Trust me, it will draw people out of the woodwork searching for the source of the sweet food-smells.  BBQ.  Good old fashioned smoked meats...this is heavenly.  Two years ago I was at a clients house preparing a dinner party and as I walked onto their patio I was greeted by this large, oblong, green grill thingy.  Enter the BigGreenEgg!  Oh my goodness, this thing is amazing.  I smoked twenty pounds of chicken that night on this new grill and it was moist, tender and perfectly basted with a perfection of smoke flavor .  Of course I had to have one of these things in my arsenal.  They are not cheap but for the commercial cook it will pay for itself in no-time.  Speed, consistency, adjust-ability and versatility are just a few valuable attributes of these ceramic cookers.  Their website is great- www.biggreenegg.com (I will let you inform yourselves further).  My personal choice is a combo of woods to create my flavor profile within the meat.  It's important to find a wood that you like the smell/taste of.  Smoke can overpower the ingredients quickly so use sparingly and remember "you can always add...but you can never take away".  Remember if you use barrel smokers or propane cabinet smokers that moisture is a fleeting thing you want to harness.  Meats and other ingredients can and will lose their moisture while cooking in a dry heat environment.  Basting, spritzing or wrapping your food are all techniques to help maintain/preserve internal and external moisture.  This will lead to a better finished product that is juicy and full of beautiful flavor.

Road Trip to Delicious

The evil that is early wake-up times is enhanced by cold weather in my opinion.  My body does not like to be shocked by cold floors and frigid morning bathroom trips.  Anywhoo...today my girlfriend and I are going to Austin for a quick weekend (recharge-the-batteries) trip.  I love these excursions to one of my favorite places.  So many eclectic choices in the wonderful culinary mixing-pot that is Austin, Texas.  Some locals (of which I used to be) complain about the insurgence of new people that move to Austin everyday.  Well first of all a booming economy needs workers, creators and a multitude of other doers to make things run.  Second of all without the vast mixture of attitudes, ethnicity, cultures and beliefs there would cease to exist the awesome mantra "Keep Austin Weird".  It also pertains to the public/communal attitude that keeps Austin weird but its also the average age of '30', the amazing artists, free-thinkers and the allure of brilliance (food, art, music etc.) that keeps the exciting city turning.  My world focuses on the culinary delights and treats that destinations have to offer of which Austin, Texas is atop of the food 'Food Chain'.  There are so many different places that wish to frequent on every visit but there is always a shortage of time and stomach space.  Indeed I have a good amount of real-estate in the stomach region but even the most seasoned veterans will fall to the might of the rich culinary attractions in Austin.

Happy Valentines Day.  February in Texas is an interesting experience.  My cousin was visiting from Ft. Worth and we were joking about the 'Three Outfit' rule.  You know the drill...cold weather threads in the morning (layers) that can be removed and then replaced throughout the day as the temperature forms its bell curve.  This raises some concerns and unexpected bounties in this strange and changing climate.  Spring will probably bring lots of insects but along with the barrage of bugs we can expect a nice, long growing season.  Hopefully the rains will come and saturate the ground which will then feed the rivers and such providing thirsty foliage with much needed liquid.  This weekend my girlfriend and I are going to Austin to recharge our batteries and visit some great friends.  Of course we will be at the Downtown Austin Farmers Market Saturday morning to see what treats they have in store.  Usually I end up with bags of fresh breads, eggs (goose and duck) and random veggies that are in season.  Currently the Brussels sprouts are gorgeous and delicious and the root veggies are hitting right now.  Carrots are plentiful and rich this year and the dairy farmers' products have been really tasty as well.  In tow to Austin will be two dry marinated Boston Butts (top of the pork shoulder) that will be smoked on a friends' barrel smoker.  I will feel a bit naked without my BigGreenEgg but will manage somehow. : )

Greetings

Well this is the begginging of my life/presence in the world of blogging.  So 'Here Goes'...Cooking, Eating and Feeding others is/has been a great driving passion for me.  Early on I was exposed to wonderful foods/dishes that were created by people who were more than mere cooks.  Don't get me wrong, when I say 'mere' cooks.  In no way is that an insult to the millions of people who cook professionally, passionately and with convictions not found in or around other professions.  What I was in awe of were the people who transcended the production/line cook and were in the realm of Chef de Cuisine.  Shortened to 'Chef' for the laymen these people expressed skill, artistry and commitment to food to say it plainly.  Ingredients I never knew existed were coming into my view slowly but surely as my life started to revolve around everything edible.  Foods are like people and come in various shapes and sizes with variances in flavor dependent on location.  That is to say if I eat a fresh grown tomato in Texas and eat the same exact vegetable (grown same/identical) in California the flavors would be nothing alike.  This is what intrigues me about ingredients and food in general.  The infinite possibilities that are rearranged according to the creator, the almighty Chef.  Let's journey, eat and learn together about the wonderful world of food.  Bon Appetit!

Thomas Mattson @BigTomFoods
Dallas, Texas
Highlander Food Company