Installing New Butcher Block Countertops

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

I've always loved the natural look and warmth of butcher block countertops.  So when our middle son offered to help my husband and I replace our old laminate countertops with butcher block this Spring, we couldn't refuse!  He also helped us install a new single-basin stainless steel sink, faucet, and wood backsplash.  He was a big help to us that week, and we couldn't have done it without him, or our youngest son, who hauled the heavy 10 foot counters by skiff last winter, from the City dock to our house on the beach.

We ordered the unfinished countertops online from Home Depot.  The instructions that came with the countertops advised sealing them on both sides with 4 coats of butcher block oil, or other food-safe sealant, before installing.  We used Howard Butcher Block Conditioner for this step.  We thought the butcher block conditioner (a mixture of mineral oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax), would darken up the maple wood.  It did, but only slightly . . .

They were pretty, but too light.  We really wanted darker countertops that would blend in with the existing wood tones we had in our kitchen.  So, we decided to go ahead and finish the other elements of the project, including cutting the hole for the sink while we had our son's help, and worry about the counter color later.  At least they were sealed, and now we could use them.

 So after a few weeks of online research, my husband and I decided to add food-safe Real Milk Paint Dark Tung Oil to the Howard Butcher Block Conditioner to darken the countertops.  We mixed a ratio of 25% dark tung oil to 75% butcher block conditioner.  Then we applied 3 coats of this mixture onto the countertops, letting each coat soak in, then buffing off the excess, with a soft, dry cloth . . .

Much better!  They're still light, but the warmer tones of the wood grain have been brought out, blending in better with our heart pine wood floors, oak cabinets, and adjacent livingroom . . .

 Water and liquid beads up on the matte-finish surface, which has made dish soap and water clean-up simple.  For maintenance, we plan on wiping our butcher block conditioner mixture onto the countertops every month or so, to keep the wood protected, and from drying out.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.  I'd love to hear from you!

Kim

Buffalo Tofu

Buffalo Tofu is a spicy vegan protein dish that can be grilled or baked, and easily accompanies many side dishes.  My husband and I might have it one night with brown rice and grilled veggies, or broiled asparagus; and the next night, the leftover tofu reheated, and tossed into a salad.

Tonight, I grilled and diced the tofu, then tossed it into a roasted butternut squash, kale, onion, and red cabbage salad, then added a little vinagarette dressing and roasted pumpkin seeds.  Yum!

I've broken this recipe out into four sections:

Ingredients, Marinade Instructions, Baking Tofu, and Grilling Tofu.  There's also a note about pressing tofu at the bottom of the page.  It might look a little complicated, but it's not.  It's really a pretty simple recipe once you decide whether you want to grill, or bake the tofu.

 Let me know in the comments if you have any questions, and enjoy!

Buffalo Tofu

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 (14-15 ounce) block extra-firm tofu, pressed (see note below)

1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce

3 Tbsp vegan butter, melted

Marinade Instructions:

1. Whisk together hot sauce and melted vegan butter.
2. Slice pressed tofu into 4 steaks.
3. Marinate tofu steaks in hot sauce marinade for at least one hour in refrigerator, flipping occasionally.  If baking, marinate the tofu directly in your baking dish, for simplicity.

Baking Tofu:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bake tofu steaks in marinade for 30-35 minutes, flipping each one midway through baking.
3. The tofu is done when the marinade has been absorbed, and the tofu is brown and sizzling.

Grilling Tofu:

1. Oil grill and sear marinated tofu steaks over direct heat for 5-8 minutes on each side.  It's best to use a thin stainless steel spatula to flip tofu.
2. The tofu steaks will be done when they are firm, and show char marks.

Kitchen Note:  Tofu needs to be drained and pressed before using.  Open the tofu and drain off liquid.  Then press the tofu by placing a paper towel on a dinner-size plate, then place tofu on top of that paper towel.  Top the tofu with another paper towel, then weight the tofu down with another smaller plate.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pressing tofu looks something like this.

Recipe adapted from VBQ The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook and the Show Up For Salad Cookbook.

Summer Days, and Kelp Salsa

It's so good to be back home in Alaska, surrounded by the beauty and peace of nature.

Last fall, when my husband and I closed up our home and went to Nevada for the winter, I froze my wild berries and sourdough starter.  Then when we returned this year, we had plenty of berries for breakfast smoothies and our favorite berry desserts, and sourdough starter for fresh bread.  I reactivate my frozen sourdough starter by feeding the thawed starter with a 1/2 cup of warm water, and 1 cup of flour.

Earlier this summer, our youngest son and his lovely girlfriend visited us for a week.  And even though we were all under coronavirus travel quarantine restrictions, we had a great time together, and it was such a treat to have them here!

One of the projects we all worked on together was harvesting kelp from our skiff, and canning kelp salsa.  Kelp Salsa is a unique summertime recipe, and a favorite of Southeast Alaska.  My recipe is adapted from the book; Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska, by Dolly Garza.

Kelp Salsa

Makes about 13-14 pints

Ingredients:

8 cups bull kelp, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
9 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
15 cloves garlic, chopped
2/28oz. cans Diced Tomatoes
2/15oz. cans Tomato Sauce
6oz. can Tomato Paste
6oz. can Chopped Jalapenos
2 cups vinegar
6 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
5oz. btl. Habanero Pepper Sauce (optional)

Helpful Tools:

Canning Funnel

Jar Lifter

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients together in a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for one to two hours.
3. Spoon into half-pint or pint sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" headroom.
4. Screw on lids, and boil in hot water bath for 20 minutes.
5. Remove jars from hot water, and cool for 12-24 hours.
6. Check lids to make sure they are sealed.

Kitchen/Harvesting Note:  Avoid kelp with white splotches, they are past their prime; and do not collect floating kelp.

~~~

His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.
~ J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit

Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

Happy New Year!

Let's start off the new year with this very healthy, and delicious breakfast smoothie recipe.  The banana and strawberries are frozen, so it blends up thick like a milkshake, and is best savored with a spoon.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

Makes 1 (16 oz.)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use Orgain brand)
1 handful of baby spinach or kale
3 large frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana, broken into pieces

Instructions:

1. Using a blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Pour into a large cup or mug and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 280
Fat: 7.9g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 210.2mg
Carbohydrates: 44.3g
Fiber: 10.2g
Sugars: 20.3g
Protein: 15.5g

Kitchen Note: Bananas freeze easily by placing peeled bananas in a gallon-size freezer bag, and freezing overnight.

Broccoli Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Broccoli Noodles with Peanut Sauce is a nourishing vegetarian main dish meal that serves two to three.  The red pepper flakes make it hot and spicy, but can be left out for a milder version.
Tonight, I made it for my husband and I with ramen noodles, but the soba (buckwheat) noodles taste good too, are a healthier choice, and are gluten-free.
Enjoy!

Broccoli Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

8 oz. dry ramen, or soba (buckwheat) noodles

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup orange juice

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 tsp. maple syrup

1 Tbsp. soy sauce, or tamari sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

Instructions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. While the noodles are cooking, blend all the peanut sauce ingredients together.
3. In the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add broccoli and garbanzo beans to pot of noodles, and continue to cook.  Drain.
4. In a large bowl, combine peanut sauce with drained noodles, broccoli, and garbanzo beans.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.

Kitchen/Nutrition Note: Adding orange, lime, or lemon juice (Vitamin C) to bean dishes, helps the body absorb iron and protein more easily.

Sourdough Bread

  If you started your sourdough, and have it bubbling and brewing on your kitchen countertop, then you're ready to make sourdough bread.
This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour website, and makes perfect sourdough bread every time.

Sourdough Bread
Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup fed sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
2. Allow the dough to rise in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
3. Gently divide the dough in half, it will deflate somewhat.
4. Shape dough into two oval loaves.  Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour.  Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
6. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each loaf with a serrated knife.
7. Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, until the loaves are a deep golden brown.  Remove from oven, and cool on a rack.

***

Kitchen Note: This is not an essential tool for making bread, but I mix and knead my sourdough bread in my KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer - it makes breadmaking a little easier and quicker.  But use the ceramic attachment, instead of metal, for sourdough recipes.
 The plastic cover on the mixing bowl is also handy to have for covering yeast-rising dough - and for keeping a recipe covered in the fridge for later use, or for covering and storing mixer attachments.

Flax Eggs

Flax eggs are a simple and healthy egg replacement, and binding agent for cookie, bread, or cake recipes.

 It's so simple.  Just mix together:

1 tbsp. flaxseed meal

and

3 tbsp. water

Let rest for 5 minutes, and it's ready to use.

 This recipe is equivalent to 1 egg.

Sourdough Starter

Sourdough starter is a staple in many Alaskan kitchens for making delicious sourdough breads, pancakes, waffles, pizza crust, and even chocolate cake.
 I started making my own sourdough starter only about a year ago, after I found this simple recipe from Alaska from Scratch.

 I keep my sourdough starter in this old cheese crock from Wisconsin, but any 1-quart glass jar

or ceramic bowl would work.

In an upcoming post, I'll share a simple recipe for making two loaves of delicious sourdough bread using one cup of sourdough starter.

Sourdough Starter

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. dry yeast
2 cups All-Purpose Flour

Instructions:

1. Pour warm water into  1-quart glass jar or ceramic jar or bowl.
2. Add and dissolve the sugar and yeast in that order.
3. Stir (always with a wooden or plastic spoon) in the flour gradually.
4. Cover the jar or bowl with a clean dishcloth and place somewhere warm.  Keep an eye on your starter, because it will grow exponentially the first day and may overflow your container (mine did!), so watch it closely.
5. Let it work anywhere from 2 to 5 days, stirring it about once a day as it will separate.
6. When the bubbling has subsided and a yeasty, sour aroma has developed, stir your starter once more and put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.  The starter should have the consistency of pancake batter.
7. Feeding Your Starter - Refrigerated starter is fairly dormant once chilled, and only has to be fed once every 2 weeks.  Add 1 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup warm water and stir to combine.  Cover and allow to sit in a warm place for 24 hours.  Stir again and refrigerate.
8. Using Your Starter - If in the fridge, take out of fridge and put on kitchen counter the night before.  The next day, follow recipe directions for the amount of starter to use.  Then replace the amount of starter you took out with an equal amount.  Example: If you used one cup of starter, add to your starter one cup flour, and 1/2 cup warm water.  Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon.  Cover and allow to sit in a warm place for 24 hours.  Stir again and use, or refrigerate for later use.

~~~

And finally, if you have any questions or problems with your sourdough starter at all, please leave a comment.  I'd be happy to help!

Beach Asparagus

Last week, my husband, middle son, and I walked out to a nearby beach to pick beach asparagus.  Beach asparagus is a perennial beach plant that grows along the sheltered shores and bays of Southeast Alaska.

Beach asparagus is harvested by cutting it at the base of the plant with a small knife, and collecting it in a plastic bag.  The beach was so peaceful and quiet that day.  The only sounds I heard were the caws of ravens.

Once home, the beach asparagus is rinsed, then blanched for about one minute, then rinsed again in cold water, and finally drained in a colander.  I then froze it in freezer bags.

 Beach asparagus is salty and slightly crunchy, and can be eaten raw.  In cooking, it is treated like a vegetable, and is delicious added to stir-fries, quiche, and salads.  It can also be frozen or canned for later use.

A very helpful book on the harvesting and cooking of beach asparagus, kelp, and other edible seaweeds of Alaska is Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska by Dolly Garza.

***

Kitchen Note:  Blanching means to boil or steam a vegetable briefly, but not until it is fully cooked.  Blanching vegetables before freezing is an important step in the preservation process.  Blanching stops the enzymatic activity that decays vegetables.  These enzymes can survive freezing temperatures and continue the decaying process, even though the vegetable is frozen.  Preheating the vegetable in boiling water or steam kills off these enzymes.

Kale Pasta

I love this simple kale dish and make it almost every week.  The combination of garlic, onions, and lemon juice mixed in with the kale gives this dish its delicious flavor.

Kale Pasta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of kale, large center ribs removed, chopped or torn into small pieces, and rinsed

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

5 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

4-6 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti pasta

Juice from 1 large lemon

Generous sprinkling of sea salt

Red pepper flakes, to taste (we like a lot!)

Sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onion and and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2. Add kale, remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil and salt, toss until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low, and cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.  Add drained pasta to kale mixture, along with lemon juice.  Toss to combine.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and salt to taste.

A sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese over the pasta, and a side of garlic bread is delicious with this dish.

Kitchen Note:  Kale, like other leafy greens, cooks down to about one quarter of its raw size, so if you're not a kale gardener, buy one to two bunches of kale at the grocery store for this dish.