January

Sustainability is way of living in Upper Valley, where winters are harsh and summers are short. Proper use of key resources, such as soil, water, and timber, has always required ingenuity, hard work, and planning. As we see the earth’s resources depleted, sustainable living becomes not only an ethical and moral obligation, it becomes a fundamental necessity for survival.

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Wikipedia defines sustainability as “the capacity to endure…. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which in turn depends on the well being of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources.” The key words of that definition are “endure,” “well being,” and “responsible.” In order to endure, we must act responsibly in order to preserve well being.

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January is an appropriate time to consider sustainability. During this often bitterly cold month, how we have lived throughout the past year either promotes or diminishes our well being. Have we stored enough fire wood to provide adequate heat? Have we preserved excess food for consumption during this nonproductive period? Have we prepared our livestock and other animals for the extreme conditions with shelter, food, and water? Have we saved our financial resources to buy enough fuel oil? Can we endure until spring?

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In the eighteen and nineteenth centuries, when transportation was unreliable, a rural farm had to be self sustaining to survive. The yearly plan was exacting: each component of the farm contributed throughout the productive months in order to endure the winter.

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The primary crop was corn, easily grown in the rich soil of the river valley. When it was harvested in August, it was fed to the livestock, eaten by the family, or dried for future consumption.

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The kitchen garden provided vegetables and fruits that were eaten during the harvest season and stored, dried, or preserved for the cold months. Potatoes and onions were stored in the root cellar, as were apples. Many fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and okra, were preserved in vinegar and stored in the cellar as well. Peaches were dried and rehydrated for future use.

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Chickens were raised for eggs and meat. They foraged free range and fertilized the soil in the process. Eggs were generally eaten fresh, but they too were sometimes hard boiled and then preserved in vinegar.

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The family cow provided milk during her producing period of the year, while she was nursing her calf. Excess milk was consumed by the family. Any remaining milk was converted to cheese, which aged well, or fed to the family’s pig. In November, the pig was slaughtered and the meat smoked or processed into ham or bacon, which remained edible in natural cold storage throughout the winter.

So progressed the yearly cycle on the closed system farm.

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No paean to the Upper Valley would be complete without a tribute to Noel Perrin, one of its patron saints. Ned, as he was known to his friends, was a professor, author, farmer, and ecologist. He was a visionary well ahead of the rest of us, understanding that we, as stewards of this beautiful place, are required to preserve and sustain it.

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In 1961, Ned bought an eight-five-acre farm in Thetford Center, Vermont. He was then a 35-year-old English professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, about fifteen miles from his farm. He was passionate about conservation, particularly with regard to local rural farming. Determined to preserve his eighty-five acres as a farm and out of the hands of developers, he deeded his development rights to a charitable trust. His foresight resulted in a conservation easement that protects his farm in perpetuity.

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Ned was equally committed to energy conservation. He installed solar panels on the south-facing roof of his barn in the early 1980’s, long before solar generated electricity was mainstream. He somehow acquired an electric car, also in the 1980’s, and drove it cross-country. His voyage is delightfully memorialized in his essays.

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His commitment to his farm represented an attachment to the land, a connection that bespoke reverence and affection. He cared for his land as a steward honor bound to enhance and preserve it. He was a tireless supporter of the Dartmouth Organic Farm, assisting in ways financial and moral to establish a local crucible for sustainable agriculture.

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Perhaps his most notable contribution was his work as an environmental evangelist. He helped establish the environmental studies at Dartmouth College, and served as teacher and mentor to many, not just to science students, but to those in other disciplines, so that as wide a group as possible would share his vision.

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january food

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When winter truly sets in, and cold weather promises to last forever, thoughts turn to warm, filling comfort food. Winter calls for nourishing, heavier food, consisting of preserved or frozen food and root vegetables stored in the cellar. The notion of a root cellar is apt: a cool, but not frozen place out of the way to store root vegetables such as onions, beets, turnips, and garlic. These foods are important winter fare because they have a longer shelf life than summer fruits and vegetables. The cellar is also useful for storage of preserved and dried fruits and vegetables. Older homes in the Upper Valley have really scary basements with rickety stairs, inadequate light, and earthen floors. But they serve an important purpose: moderating the temperature of the home, providing storage space for food and assorted collectibles, and housing furnaces.
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Venison Sausage and Chicken Gumbo
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12 servings


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1 cup all purpose white flour
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1 cup olive oil
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2 cups chopped onion
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1 cup chopped green bell pepper
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1 cup chopped celery
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1 tablespoon chopped garlic
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10 cups chicken broth
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Shredded meat from 1 roasted chicken
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2 pounds cooked venison sausage, sliced in ½ inch pieces
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4 tablespoons gumbo file
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Salt and pepper to taste
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Hot sauce to taste


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In a heavy Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until almost smoking. Quickly add all the flour at once and begin whisking vigorously. Keep whisking until the flour begins to thicken and turn dark brown, at least 10 minutes. Do not allow the roux to burn.
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Once the roux is dark and thick, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
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Add the stock and stir to incorporate the liquid into the roux. Add the chicken and sausage, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and gumbo file. Partially cover and cook over low heat for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the hot sauce to taste and serve over white rice.






Spinach Soup with Beans
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8 Servings


2 pounds of spinach
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 ½ cups chopped onion
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1 cup chopped celery
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1 cup peeled and chopped carrots

.2 cloves garlic minced

.4 cups cooked beans

.5 cups vegetable broth

.1 bay leaf
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2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Grated parmesan cheese


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Carefully wash the spinach and remove spines and stems. Place spinach in a medium pot over moderate heat and cover, cooking just until the water clinging to the spinach has evaporated and the spinach is wilted. Remove the spinach and coarsely chop.
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Heat oil in medium pot over moderate heat. Saute onions, celery, and carrots until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add beans, broth, and bay leaf. Heat until the soup begins to boil. Serve with chopped parsley and grated parmesan on top.


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Lentil Soup with Venison Sausage
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8 servings

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1 cup olive oil
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2 cups chopped onion
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1 cup chopped green bell pepper
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1 cup chopped celery
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2 tablespoons minced garlic
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2 quarts chicken stock or water
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11/2 cups brown lentils
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1 tablespoon ground cumin
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2 tablespoons cumin seed
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Salt and ground pepper to taste
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2 tablespoons lemon juice
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1 pound sliced venison sausage


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Heat olive oil in a Dutch Oven. Saute onion until soft. Add pepper and celery and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté one minute.
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Add stock or water to the Dutch Oven. Add lentils, ground cumin, cumin seed, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
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Saute the venison sausage in one tablespoon of olive oil until cooked through. Add to the lentil soup.
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Winter Split Pea Soup


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Serves 12
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2 cups chopped onion
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1 cup chopped celery
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1 cup peeled and chopped carrot
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2 teaspoons minced garlic
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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3 cups dried green split peas, rinsed and drained
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Hambone
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3 quarts water
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1 bay leaf
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Salt and pepper to taste
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3 cups minced cooked ham


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In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the olive oil over moderate heat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.


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Add the dried split peas, water, hambone, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Partially cover and cook for 1 hour until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
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Remove the hambone, and when cool enough to handle, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Add the minced ham and return the soup to the Dutch oven. Heat until hot.


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Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a slow cooked bean casserole containing vegetables and meat of some variety.  It originated in the south of France and is named for the cooking dish in which it is traditionally prepared, a deep, round pot with slanting sides, called a cassole.  The preferred bean is a white haricot.  Traditional meats include pork sausage, lamb, and duck confit.  I prefer an easier, equally tasty version using sausage and cooked chicken.  Cassoulet is an ultimate winter comfort food, rich, varied, and delicious.


 8 servings
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2 cups dried great northern or navy beans
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4 tablespoons olive oil
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1 ½ cups chopped onion
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1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
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1 cup chopped celery
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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4 cups chicken stock
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1 cup dry white wine
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1 ½ cups canned diced tomatoes
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1 pound cooked sausage chopped in ½ inch pieces
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2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
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3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
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Salt and pepper to taste




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Place the beans in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and remove from heat. Keep the beans in the covered pot for one hour.
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In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the stock, wine, tomatoes, and drained beans. Heat to a simmer, then cover. Cook over medium heat until the beans are tender, about 1 ½ hours. Add the sausage, chicken, vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes.




Red Beans with Sausage and Rice

8 Servings
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2 cups dried red kidney beans
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 cups chopped onions
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1 cup chopped green bell pepper
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1 cup chopped celery
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2 tablespoons garlic
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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Salt and pepper to taste
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2 bay leaves
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6 cups chicken broth
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1 pound cooked sausage sliced into ½ inch pieces


Hot sauce to taste






Place beans in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, cover the pot, and let the beans stand for an hour.


Saute the onions, bell pepper, and celery in the olive oil until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the drained beans and the chicken stock, cover, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

Add seasonings and sausage and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over white rice and garnish with chopped green onion and grated cheddar cheese.