My grandmother-in-law still makes rice “salad” with cool whip and canned fruit. Her grandchildren think it is food of the gods and it is requirement on all family dinners. She also makes her own buns, noodles, pickles, perogies, stock and the best soup ever! All at 84 years of age. She is kind of like my hero (except I still have not figured out the appeal of the rice salad).

Thank-you for this well written article on hunting for food. So many people do not realise this great gift that is ours to go out into the woods and, with the low cost of a license, provide food for our families. I am very grateful for a freezer full of organic, sustainable deer. I will be able to eat some of the best meat available over the winter (and into grilling season!) mainly because I live in a country that said that everyone should be able to provide for thier families.

My hubby and I are planning on raising meat rabbits next year. Our muncipality has by-laws restricting chickens and bees but “pet” rabbits are ok!

I love my mom’s potato salad! She mixes in dill pickles, not too many eggs (only one or two for a big bowl!), and a dressing made from mayo, sour cream, mustard and more dill!!! Then she mashes it all together so that there are only a few small chunks of potato and the rest are mashed. So good! Best served with farmers sausage and fresh veggies.

Wild kitchens are great. The food tastes so much better if you have caught and cooked it yourself all in the great outdoors. I enjoy foraging for a few extras like morels, stinging nettles and fiddleheads too!

CAn you invite me to your kitchen sale? I am in serious need (ok, want) of a mandoline, and while I’m there I’ll pick up that bundt loaf pan...

I would love to see lard added to this list. Obviously the shelf stable lard is hydrogenated and has additives etc. However last summer I rendered some lard at home from leaf lard and have been using it for frying and in pastry (great for meat pies but tastes a little “porky” in a fruit pie!) My dh loves to spread the cracklings mixed with the lard on bread with salt (he has a German background!)

I would like to know more about how it compares to other fats in the list. It has less saturated fats than butter with higher monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Anyway it would be good to know. Thanks!

Oh, it is so true that many of the things we find interesting and exciting to look at eventually become just “part of the background”. My mother had jars of lentils, pasta and beans on her counter at home for years and never used them! I always wondered why she left them for so long when those were things we ate everyday!

At family dinners we all help getting things ready and there is a lot of hustle and bustle leading up to the meal. I always love the feeling when we are all done and I look at the table and see what each of us have accomplished and marvel how great it all looks. Its always nice to grab a photo and reflect a moment on all the hard work!

I missed the chat again!!! Oh well Canadian Thanksgiving was over a month ago (harvest and winter comes early up here!!!) and all this talk of Turkey is making me hungry. Just wanted to make a suggestion on the dinner rolls. I made Farmgirl Susans Carrot herb rolls last year and they were awesome!!!! Here’s the link: http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2007/11/beautiful-bargain-bread-book-for.html

Breakfast: almond butter and honey sandwich on whole grain bread
Snack: spinach quiche, pieces of various brownies that my co worker brought in.
Lunch: leftover roast chicken, spaghetti squash, alfredo sauce on whole wheat fettcini. more brownies!
Snack: banana
Supper: beef and bean taco on whole wheat wrap with extra lettuce and cheese.

I recently made pizzas with my neice (6) and nephew (4) who were visiting from Austria. I don’t speak german and they don’t speak english very well but while we were working together in the kitchen we were able to connect. They rolled the dough and placed the toppings on, whatever they wanted... and then they ate them up!

Ahhh missed the time again for table talk. At least I still get to read the conversation.

As for this weekend I am thinking of spicy garlic pickles and whole tomatos. Will have to see if I can get a box of romas at the farmer market yet.

Speaking of crispier pickles I am planning on trying an oak leaf or a fig leaf instead of grape leaves since I don’t have grape leaves.

My mother makes a great soup in the summer time using summer savory. It was a bean and potato soup made with smoked ham broth and whole bunches of fresh summer savory with a little cream at the end to round it out. It is the perfect combination and is best served with fresh buns slathered in butter.

The only thing this is missing is a slice of cheese melting over the egg to take it over the top! I also put a slice of summer tomato on when I have it. Soon I hope!

I grow mizuna and the leaves seem to be just like the ones in the picture. I pick them when they are fairly young (about two weeks after seed emergence)

As for Tat soi, I tried planting it this year and did not get great results. I was expecting much larger leaves but got ones around the size of a nickel and then they all bolted. I enjoyed eating the small broccoli-like flowers that emerged but was hoping for larger leaves!

The thyme worked wonderfully in the mushroom crepes! Thanks for the suggestion. I used dried thyme while cooking the mushrooms and then fresh lemon thyme at the end while filling the crepes.
The recipe I adapted from is here: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/mushroom-crepe-cake/ except that I didn’t make it into a cake but rather rolled them with the mushroom filling and a spear of roasted asparagus.

I’m making crepes with a creamy mushroom filling and am wondering about which herbs to pair with it. I was thinking of sage and italian parsley, but was thinking that the sage may overpower the mushrooms, any suggestions?

I would also suggest lining the baking sheet with a sheet of wax paper or parchement. I have found that it makes removing the strawberries much easier. Or you could dip the bottom of the pan in warm water.

I have also got local bakeries to try things that were not on their regular menu. Often they are anxious to try something new!