Welcome!  I am Rachel Tayse, keeper of the Hounds in the Kitchen. In my Columbus Ohio urban homestead, I garden, cook, and eat local sustainable foods. Read About the Hounds for more about the characters in my kitchen. I hope to see you soon at an Event.
 
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This Sunday is March fourteenth, 3.14, aka Pi Day. Something about celebrating the Greek letter that represents a numerical constant appeals to my inner dork.
The obvious thing to do to celebrate Pi Day is to make pie! Not only is pie delicious but its round shape is the perfect jumping off point to challenge children (or yourself) to practice geometry with π.
If you are a blogger and would like to participate, I am hosting a Pi Day Pies blog carinval on Sunday. I will post a recipe with a Mr. Linky on 3.14 at 1:59 AM (first six digits of π are 3.14159) for you to add your recipe, story, or song about pies/pis. Please join in the math geek fun!
Today we ate our last winter squash harvested over six months ago. It was bitter and I’m sad about that.
I wondered exactly what is left in our larder. Here’s the count as of March 9, 2010:
8.5 quarts applesauce
10 half pints tomato paste
3 quarts tomato sauce
12 quarts whole tomatoes
2 half pints ketchup
3 quarts barbeque sauce
3 pints honey strawberry jam
1 pint peach jam
2 bags frozen blueberries (maybe a pound each?)
8 2-cup portions of frozen pumpkin puree
handful of dried tomatoes
As we deplete our larder, we are relying on purchasing produce more than ever. I try to find fresh vegetables at farmer’s markets and Clintonville Cooperative, our local natural foods store. Their selection of produce is getting slim and I can’t wait to see more green house grown produce available soon!
How are your preserves holding up?
 gratuitous picture of the little dog One thing I learned at my recent trip to the Blissdom blogging conference is that this blog might serve readers better if I ask readers what they want. Doh!
So I put together a little survey. The site I use only allows for ten questions for free, so I crammed in lots of comment boxes but it is still short. No questions or comments are required so you can skip anything you don’t feel like answering. Answers are completely anonymous. Even if you do leave comments, I estimate the survey will take less than ten minutes.
I would very much appreciate your input to guide this blog and Hound events. I hope to analyze responses on March 22. Please send your answers in soon. Thanks!
 We have so many plans this week that I am feeling exhausted just thinking about it! Our jack of all trades friend Krash is coming early tomorrow morning to install our wood burning stove, staying through Tuesday if necessary. Tuesday night I’m going to an orientation meeting for the FLOW rain barrel program.
The end of the week will be occupied with preparations for the School for Young Children scholarship benefit auction. I am in charge of organizing the donation information before and during the event; Alex and I will both volunteer at Saturday’s event.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a restaurant meal or two substitutes for some home cooking this week, but here are our good intentions:
Monday – homemade pizza, spinach salad and HAPPY BIRTHDAY brother in law Ben!
Tuesday – spinach feta pie, applesauce
Wednesday – chicken from Frijolito Farms, roasted red potatos from Carousel WaterGardens Farm, and the last of our homegrown golden nugget squash.
Thursday – macaroni and cheese, green beans
Friday – swordfish, risotto with peas
Saturday – sandwiches or quesadillas followed by snacks at the SYC auction
Sunday – family dinner
 There's enough sunshine to make a shadow chicken! I love my two bright blue rain barrels. They collected enough rain water last year that we did not use the hose even once to water the garden! Not only does this lower our water bill, it saves the resources used to clean the water through the sanitary sewer system.
There’s a great opportunity for people who leave in Clintonville to install rain barrels for free in a small geographic location sponsored by Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed. From FLOW watershed coordinator Heather Dean, “Eligible households who agree to participate in the program will receive 1-3 free rain barrels to install on their property. The target area is:400-500 blocks of E. Tulane, 400-500 blocks of E. Tibet (south side only), 400-500 blocks of E. Crestview (north side only), 400 block of Kelso, 2700-2800 blocks of W. Kensington Pl., and Indianola Ave, between Olentangy Blvd. and Tibet. Rd. (east side only).” We live two houses from the 400 block of E Tibet, sadly out of the zone.
FLOW is holding an orientation meeting with Mayor Michael Coleman on March 9 at 6:30 PM at Overbrook Presbyterian Church at 4131 N. High St. I plan to attend to show my support for this type of program and home gardening in general. Heather Dean is collecting RSVPs at hdean@olentangywatershed.org or 267-3386.
Columbus residents not in the targeted area who would like to obtain a rain barrel may do so through the FLOW cost share program, which allows you to purchase a barrel for a discounted price of $30 when you attend a rain barrel workshop. You can register for that program on-line at www.olentangywatershed.org. Reports are that the workshops are filling fast!
 My favorite source for barrels is the friendly folks at Rain Brothers. I chatted with them at the OEFFA conference where they showed off their newest barrel, the Rain Station pictured at left. It holds 60 gallons and hooks directly into your gutter through a clever insert. At $109 for the whole setup, it is a great decorative addition to any garden. I’m also attracted to the culvert rain catchers. We are adding some beds this year so a new barrel might be useful.
There are places where catching water is not legal. We’re lucky in Ohio to be surrounded by resources that enable rain collection. Let’s show them our support!
 We whipped up a batch of these dairy free, healthy breakfast substitutes in a recent Kids Cook class. The banana oat bars are easy to prepare and keep well for a quick meal or snack several days in a row.
1) Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats
2) Whisk together in a smaller bowl or measuring cup:
1/3 cup brown sugar (could probably be reduced to 1/4 cup if you want to try)
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp flax seed meal
2 tbsp warm water
3) Mash one ripe banana into the liquid mix.
4) Stir all together. Optionally, add 1/2 cup dried fruit or chopped nuts.
5) Spread in a oiled 8 x 8 inch pan.
6) Bake for 25 – 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Allow to cool and cut into squares.
The snow is melting and spring is around the corner. Columbus has an abundance of interesting local food and gardening events again this month. Enjoy!
Hounds in the Kitchen events
 Kids Cook – Thursdays from 11:15am-12pm at Sprout Soup. This month we’ll be going bananas on the 4th, serving up maple syrup on the 11th, and cooking the exotic quinoa on the 18th. $4 per child.
Kids Cook EGGstravaganza – Saturday March 20 from 12 – 1:30 pm. at Sprout Soup. Kids of all ages can join in the fun of decorating an egg, making a late lunch, and visiting with a laying hen. $5 per child; $15 family maximum. Please RSVP to Rachel.
Urban Edible Gardens - Tuesday March 30 from 7 -8 pm at Greenovate, 9 East 2nd Ave Columbus 43201. Come to Rachel’s workshop filled with techniques on how to include an edible garden in your environment, be it a backyard, patio, or deck. She will share information about raised beds, containers, plants best suited to Ohio conditions, and low impact low budget tips to start gardening this season.
Events hosted by others (in chronological order)
Maple Syrup festivals are being held around the city. Check out the Maple Syrup 2010 post for dates and locations.
Columbus Winter Farmer’s Market March 6 and 20 from 9 am – 1 pm at First UU Church, 93 W Weisheimer Dr. Purchase Ohio grown and made goods, enjoy live music and space to sit and chat at the Winter Farmer’s Market. (Here’s my review from a January visit.)
Urban and Container Gardening- Saturday, March 06, 2010 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Stratford Ecological Center 3083 Liberty Rd., Delaware, OH. Stratford’s farmer will gear this class to the small backyard or patio grower, sharing information on rainwater harvesting, composting, maximizing your space, extending the growing season, and using containers to “grow your own.” $20/person or $30/family.
Hills Market Oscar Dinner – March 6 – $35 per person – 6:30 p.m. at Hills Market. This dinner, served in the Wine Department, is a compilation of courses inspired by all five 2009 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture. This evening will feature five courses, four wines and three film critics: John DeSando, co-host of WCBE’s It’s Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee, Johnny DiLoretto co-host of WCBE’s Cinema Classics and entertainment reporter for Fox 28, and Kristin Dreyer Kramer, co-host of WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and On the Marquee and editor-in-chief of NightsAndWeekends.com. $35 per person. Call 614.846.3220 or e-mail manager@thehillsmarket.com for reservations.
North Market cooking classes include Seafood Suppers on Sunday March 7, and Eastern European on Wednesday March 24. Their chef series continues with The Refectory on Thursday March 18 and Trattoria Roma on Wednesday the 31. All classes are $50 per person or $125 for 3. Visit their events calendar for more information.
Ohio Market Day – March 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. At Hills Market. This event features dozens of our favorite Ohio vendors, more than 100 prizes, free hot dogs from Boar’s Head (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) workshops and a day-long midwest beer sampling in the Wine Department. Free.
Composting Workshop – Tuesday March 16 7 pm at Worthington Library, 820 High St. Attendees will learn safe, simple and effective methods to start their own home composting program in this FREE workshop. All are welcome!
King Corn and Big River movie screenings – March 22 at 7 pm at Studio 35. This event is held in celebration of World Water Day, while we also kick off Earth Month with Aveda Institute Columbus. Join us and find out more! Doors open at 6pm and the movie begins at 7pm. Admission is $7.50 and a portion of the proceeds will go to Sierra Club’s Central Ohio Clean Water Campaign.
Ohio Maple Dinner – March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Hills Market. Enjoy a perfectly-balanced three course meal (paired with wines hand selected by Wine Director Constance Begue) to complement the delicious maple syrup harvested by Lewisville, Ohio’s Misty Mountain Estates. $35 per person. Call 614.846.3220 or e-mail manager@thehillsmarket.com for reservations.
What’s on Your Table? – Saturday March 27 from 9am – 1:30pm at Columbus Menonite Church, 35 Oakland park ave. An intriguing discussion led by trailblazing Cleveland chef & well-known food advocate, Parker Bosley. Local foods pioneer, Mary Holmes, will give the keynote, followed by presentations from area food activists arranged by the Clintonville Farmer’s Market. $12 for materials and lunch.
Organic Gardening - Saturday March 27 from 10 am – 12 pm at Stratford Ecological Center, Delaware Ohio. Gardening without chemicals is nothing new; humans thrived on naturally-grown food for centuries. In this class, you’ll observe the organic perspective of viewing your garden as a natural and diverse system, learning the basics of composting, companion planting, crop rotations, pest control and more. Pictures will inspire and clarify. $20/person or $30/family.
Raised Beds and Natural Gardening 101, Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Blue Rock Station, Zanesville, Ohio. Learn how to use thermal mass, passive solar,
and lots of other easy techniques to enhance your garden growing knowledge
and become a true eco-manager. $35 per person. E-mail Annie at annie@bluerockstation.com or give her a call at (740) 674-4300 for reservations.
We LOVE cast iron cookware. We own two skillets, one dutch oven, and one griddle. Here are the top ten reasons that cast iron rocks:
1) It lasts forever. Seriously. The cast iron skillet pictured above is from my great grandmother. She died four years ago and probably owned this skillet for decades before then.
2) Non stick. Cast iron is naturally non stick when you season it.
3) Easy cleanup. Simply rinse with hot water. That’s it. No scrubbing; definitely no dishwasher needed.
4) Convenient storage. With hooks on the end you can hang skillets like we do or stack them easily on the stovetop or in a drawer.
5) Even heat. Cast iron retains heat for a very long time (Alex the materials scientist says it has strong thermal capacitance) and heats evenly in a well made pan. Because it is thicker and has more mass, adding cold food will alter the cooking temperature less than in stainless steel or aluminum pans.
6) Added nutrients? Cast iron pans may add iron to foods. The amount of iron may vary based on how well seasoned the pan is, but many people are deficient in iron and the added nutrients can’t hurt for most of us.
 7) Versatility. You can do virtually everything in a cast iron skillet: cook eggs, brown sausages, pan fry potatoes, toast grilled sandwiches, bake tortillas, make roasts, and more.
8 ) Odd Usages. These pans are heavy. You can use them to weigh down paneer, hold the lid on pickled vegetables, or clobber an intruder. More than a cooking vessel, cast iron skillets are good to have around the house.
9) Ease of manufacturing. Manufacturing a cast iron pan is simple and relatively eco-friendly compared to aluminum and stainless steel pans. It requires fewer steps, materials, and waste than other pans. Lodge, the most common brand available, is made in the USA.
10) Value. Cast iron is readily available as hand-me-downs from relatives, at estate sales, and in retail stores. Save 15% in my Open Sky store today through Monday on Lodge cast iron skillets in several sizes! Use coupon code SKILLET15.
 There are oodles of books about starting seeds from people far more qualified than me to be dispensing advice. If you really want to know everything, I suggest searching out references at your local library.
What we do here is a casual process guided mostly by the backs of the seed packets and our own yearning to be outside.
Indoors we will soon start some peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Our setup is a simple plastic tray with peat pots and a hardware store fluorescent light suspended on top.
As soon as we can work the soil, around the end of March, we will sow potatoes outdoors in our potato tower (post in progress). Peas, shallots and greens will come soon after in early april. Greens can be started indoors but with our limited seed starting space we just start them outside.
This year we’ll add asparagus to the garden and sow the crowns sometime in mid April. They need deep and well drained furrows according to the OSU extension fact sheet. The extension publishes fact sheets on most varieties of home garden vegetables and are worth a look. They are hybrid and chemical proponents, so just ignore that advice if you are going for a more natural approach.
Everything else will be direct sown around May 1. The traditional frost free date is May 15, but I am usually willing to take the risk by May 1. I cover beds with old sheets for the night if there is a late frost.
 Direct sowing is one of Lil’s favorite garden projects. She is good at punching her finger down to make holes and covering the seeds back up. We label rows with old plastic silverware, popsicle sticks, or whatever else is available. I lust after reusable metal row markers.
Around mid May there’s an inevitable trip to the garden center and we can never seem to resist buying a few more seedlings. This year we plan to visit Jon Fisher tomato greenhouse on the recommendation of neighbors to add some variety to our tomato plantings.
We sow many seeds two or three weeks in a row to extend their production. Peas, squash, beans, carrots and greens are all good candidates for this. In the fall after early season vegetables (peas, broccoli, greens) have gone by, we will sow late season vegetables like carrots, beets, chard, kale, and lettuces in their rows.
To keep everything in order, I generally arrange seed packets in a box based on their planting date. I put them at the back of the line after they are planted.
A friend just shared this awesome planting calendar calculator. I will probably print a copy for the seed packet box so I don’t have to keep everything in my head.
What’s your seed starting plan?
Today we welcomed four chickens to our urban homestead. These twenty week old pullets have not yet started laying but they will soon. They are heritage dual purpose breeds with good heartiness in cold temperatures, many laying years, and calm personalities. The orange ones are Buff Orpingtons, the black is an Australorp, and the speckled is a Sussex breed.
Alex built the coop of his own design. Lil and I painted it to match our doors and porch trim. We have pictures of the coop building process and will post about the costs and procedure in the near future.
So far the dogs are far more interested in the chicken food than the chickens themselves. We haven’t left them out alone with the fowl yet but we are confident they can remain peaceable.
 I guess I'm a chicken farmer now! We are all very excited to have hens and can’t wait for that first egg!
PS. I hope you’ll read my poem honoring three great people born today – my sister Sarah, uncle Mike, and Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.
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