Chelsea Green Blog
Food & Drink
Carrot Cake Applesauce Muffins
If you’re looking for a kid-approved muffin recipe that is just as healthy as it is delicious, then look no further. Leah Webb, author and master chef, has found the perfect substitutes for sugar, grains, and dairy for these delicious muffins. Packed with nutrients AND flavor, they’re the perfect breakfast side or snack. No matter…
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How-To Turn Sap and Syrup into Beer, Wine, and Liquor
As much as we love to drizzle (or drown, let’s be honest) our pancakes in maple syrup, you may be surprised to learn that a variety of drinks are made with tree sap, with results that will far surpass your typical sugar buzz. Several companies have ventured into the world of sap related alcoholic beverages.…
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Eating Okra All Winter
Okra is an extremely productive plant and, if you choose to grow it, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor all year round! Let the winter weather inspire you to try okra in a different way—dehydrated and fermented. The following is an excerpt from The Whole Okra by Chris Smith. It has been adapted for…
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Tree Sap: Nature’s Energy Drink
There’s nothing better than kicking back after a long day with a nice cool glass of tree sap. Sounds sticky, but you might be surprised to hear that sap from maple, birch, or walnut trees is comprised mostly of water with 2 percent or less sugar and loaded with minerals, nutrients, enzymes, antioxidants, and more—an…
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A Feast to Warm Your Soul
Spring is just around the corner, but winter is still at our doorstep. What better way to stay warm and positive than a gathering centered around good food and drink? Here we offer culinary inspiration: Spicebush Duck Legs from Marie Viljoen’s Forage, Harvest, Feast, to be coupled with hot, mulled Wassail from Jereme Zimmerman’s Brew…
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Hunters’ Rabbit Stew
Looking for the perfect recipe to warm up the cold winter months? This hunter’s rabbit stew is the perfect twist on a cold-weather classic that the whole family will enjoy! With this simple and satisfying recipe, you can add a twist to your family’s comfort food this winter. The following is an excerpt from Raising…
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Hungry? Try These Holiday Appetizers (With a Twist!)
Adding an appetizer course is a great way to jazz up any holiday dinner. Next time you’re looking to celebrate, try out one (or both) of these delicious holiday appetizers; they’re perfect for the winter season and sure to be a hit with everyone at the table. The following is an excerpt from Black Trumpet by…
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What in the World is a Pawpaw?
Do you know what a pawpaw is? A few generations ago, most would say “yes!” You could ask just about anyone and they could tell you what this fruit looked and tasted like, and more importantly, where to find it. But today, the pawpaw remains a mystery to some and entirely unknown to others. With…
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Gift Ideas: 10 Books for the Foodie in Your Life
Do you love to cook? Does someone close to you love to cook? If you’re struggling with gift ideas for the foodie in your life (or if you’re looking for yourself), look no further! We’ve compiled our top 10 picks for foodies everywhere! Need more gift recommendations for the holiday season? Browse our Holiday Sale and…
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Sourdough: Starting One and Maintaining It
Sourdough is a simple wild ferment made from nothing but flour and water. You can start a batch today, use it in a few days, and keep it alive and bubbling … well … forever. If you have the patience, enjoy the flavor of sourdough, and can commit to feeding your quiet new “pet” frequently,…
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Dried Apples: Two Ways to Enjoy All Year Long
Autumn is undeniably apple season, but how do you take your apples after you can’t get them straight from the tree? Instead of buying mealy apples from your grocery store, try drying your fresh apples and enjoying them later! The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by The Gardeners & Farmers of…
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Bottoms Up! All-Natural Sports Drink (Plus a Recovery Tincture!)
When exercising for extended periods of time, we lose large amounts of electrolytes. Instead of picking up a sports drink from the store, you can use Jill Stansbury’s recipe for an Electrolyte Drink to keep you going without the processed chemicals and sugars. And if you’re feeling sore after all that work, try her tincture…
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Unbelievably Delicious Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake
Finding a recipe that produces a flavorful cake without having to compromise the texture is difficult, but this recipe delivers on both flavor AND texture. The unlikely combination of chocolate and sauerkraut yields an absolutely delicious and moist chocolate cake, perfect for your next craving! The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys…
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Fermentation Sensation: Turmeric Mead
Fermented honey, or mead, is widely thought to be the first intentional ferment. Honey is rarely fermented alone, although it can be. Typically, meads include botanical enhancements. Mead is a perfect way to share the flavors, aromas, and other powers of plants. Meads are also enriched by the additional yeasts and often complementary nutrients that…
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Kick Your Kimchi Up a Notch!
If you’ve been looking to spice up your kimchi game, this is it. Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys and award-winning book The Art of Fermentation, is here with a new spin of the classic kimchi recipe. The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz. It…
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How Do You Like Them Apples?
Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy apple-focused food & drinks and reflect on this staple of the American diet. Here are some Chelsea Green books that embrace the biodiversity of apples in all forms! The New Cider Maker’s Handbook by Claude Jolicoeur To make the very best cider—whether for yourself, your family, and friends…
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Take a Tea Break to De-Stress This Winter!
Life can be stressful! Sometimes there’s just no avoiding it. Luckily, taking a moment to brew and enjoy a cup of tea can actually help quite a bit– especially if you’re brewing a cup of Jill Stansbury’s Tea for Stress-Related Muscle Tension. So next time you’re feeling stressed, take a break and brew some tea.…
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Wild Apples, Real Cider, and the Complicated Art of Making a Living
“Loving apples or cider is not a prerequisite for loving this book. All that is needed is the willingness to follow a vibrant narrative voice driven by the pursuit of dreams.”—Alice Feiring Andy Brennan owns Aaron Burr Cider in New York’s Catskills region. Since its founding in 2011, Aaron Burr Cider has become well known…
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How to Get the Most Out of Your Wood-Fired Oven
What could be better than an oven you can build yourself, that allows you to cook an array of delicious foods outside, and can help restore the individual and communal resiliency we’ve lost in recent decades? Follow these tips to learn how to make and maintain your own wood-fired oven! The following is an excerpt…
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Okra With a Twist: Crispy, Dry-Fried Okra
Wood-fired oven are not just for baking bread and pizza! If you utilize the full heat-cycle, as Richard Miscovich details in From the Wood-Fired Oven, you can make a wide range of tasty eats during just one firing—from roasting meats and vegetables to drying herbs. With live-fire roasting, this recipe for Dry-Fried Okra comes out…
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Fake Meat is not a Miracle Food: Impossible Food
Nicolette Hahn Niman on the Fallacy of fake meat, as know as “Clean Meat,” and the Importance of Regenerative Farming The following is an excerpt from Defending Beef by Nicolette Hahn Niman. It originally appeared on Lit Hub. It has been adapted for the web. Faux Meats Silicon Valley-backed “clean meat” is now everywhere. Our…
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Koji for a Touch of Sweetness: Koji Sorbet
The possibilities with koji are endless; cheese, condiments, bread, the list goes on! Let’s not forget about that sweet tooth. It might seem crazy, but koji sorbet is sweet and tangy, making a perfect treat for a warm summer’s evening. If you’ve mastered the simple homemade koji recipe, put your koji to work in this delicious,…
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Defending Bovines, Butter, and Beef
Beef and dairy products have received a fair amount of backlash within the last decade or so. We have been told that beef is a big proponent in the increase of obesity and other chronic diet-related diseases, as well as dramatic environmental damage. However, more and more people are speaking out that this is not…
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Luscious Lemons: Classic Lemon Bar Recipe
Everyone loves homemade lemon squares and these refreshing sweet and lightly tart lemon squares are the best. With a buttery crust that is sturdy but tender enough to bite through and a thick and luscious filling with a balance of sweetness and tangy lemon brightness, you can’t beat this recipe. The following is an excerpt…
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Adding Some Pizazz to Your Greens
It’s difficult to come up with new and interesting recipes to spice up your greens, whether they’re store bought or foraged. In Alan Bergo’s new book The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora, he gives recipes like Greens with Garlic and Chili as well as Dotty’s Wild Green Salad to add some flair to what might…
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