Although we have all been enjoying the especially mild winter we've been blessed with here in Green Country, I have noticed some people saying they really missed having a "real" winter. Not me! As a transplant from South Texas, I vividly recall the 39" of snow we experienced last winter.
The mild winter has given me ample opportunity to work in my garden this winter. Last year it was buried under feet of snow, this year we are warm and sadly rather dry. Nonetheless, I still have broccoli, turnips, spinach, radish, bok choi and kale happily growing and providing us with abundant fresh vegetables. Gardening always leads me to cooking as I am inspired to utilized the nutritious fresh vegetables straight from the harvest. The following recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, utilizes soul satisfying ingredients guaranteed to warm your tummy and delight anyone dining at your table.
These dishes, known also as strata, can be rich, but they are
just as satisfying when made with low-fat milk. The formula works well for any number of cooked vegetables tossed with stale bread and mixed with milk, eggs and cheese.
1 bunch kale, any type, stemmed and washed thoroughly in 2 changes of water (more if necessary)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound stale bread, preferably whole-grain, sliced about 1 inch thick
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 eggs
2 cups low-fat milk
1. Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.
2. If using garlic, cut one of the garlic cloves in half and rub the slices of bread with the cut side. Then mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy, wide skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, and add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for another minute or two, until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Stir in the kale, toss together and remove from the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish, soufflé dish or gratin. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the mushrooms and kale, and the two cheeses and toss together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5. Beat together the eggs and milk. Add salt to taste and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread mixture. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before baking so that the bread can absorb some of the liquid.
6. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.
Yield: 6 servings.
Advance preparation: This can be assembled through Step 4 hours before beating together the eggs and milk and completing the casserole.
Nutritional information per serving: 296 calories; 5 grams saturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 144 milligrams cholesterol; 27 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 376 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 20 grams protein
Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”
Grand Lake Gardening Produces Delicious Recipes
This article is brought to you by Charlotte East, owner Green Country Shutters 918-783-5029 Serving Grand Lake and Northeast Oklahoma. Charlotte and her husband own East Crest Ranch near Vinita where they enjoy their Arabian horses, gardening, raising Angus Cattle, Boer Goats, and chickens.
An article appeared in The New York Times yesterday reporting that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization cut off financing to Planned Parenthood. The article, written by Pam Belluck pointed out that many women receive their preventive care screening mammograms, ultra sounds and breast exams at Planned Parenthood affiliates. Ms. Belluck reports, "The move will halt financing to 19 of Planned Parenthood’s 83 affiliates, which received nearly $700,000 from the Komen foundation last year and have been receiving similar grants since at least 2005. "
Personally, I find it admirable that the Komen organization carefully considered the values it represents and chose to halt support of the Planned Parenthood due to their concerns regarding Planned Parenthood investigations, not due to the preventive health care services. A spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, Leslie Aun, told The Associated Press that the main factor in the decision was a new rule adopted by Komen that prohibits grants to organizations being investigated by local, state or federal authorities. Ms. Aun told The A.P. that Planned Parenthood was therefore disqualified from financing because of an inquiry being conducted by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, who is looking at how Planned Parenthood spends and reports its money.
Decisions grounded in moral values are very difficult. Certainly in the case of abortion vs health care, a deeply decisive one. My hat is off to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization for standing up for their beliefs.
Cancer Group Halts Financing to Planned Parenthood
This article is brought to you by Charlotte East, owner Green Country Shutters 918-783-5029 Serving Grand Lake and Northeast Oklahoma.
Even in the winter I enjoy combining two of my favorite activies: cooking and gardening at my custom decorated Green Country home. I recently read this article : "ah something I know I can make----------------Omelets: The Ultimate Fast Food" By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
Since my dear chickens proudly provide 5 or 6 eggs a day, and my garden is still producing tasty greens. I knew this recipe was a winner. Read what Ms. Shulman has to say about eggs in our diets:
"For some time now the medical literature has been countering the myth that the cholesterol in eggs goes straight to the arteries and that eggs should be shunned by anybody committed to healthy eating.
Studies have shown that only a small amount of dietary cholesterol passes into the blood and that saturated fats and trans fats have much bigger effects on cholesterol levels. In fact, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, the only large study that looked at the effect of egg consumption on heart disease found no correlation between the two, except among people with diabetes, who were a bit more likely to develop heart disease if they ate an egg a day.
That’s great news, because eggs are an excellent and delicious source of nutrients, rated by some nutritionists as the gold standard for protein, as one egg has only 75 calories but 7 grams of protein. They are also a great source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been associated with protection against vision loss.
It’s also great news because eggs cook quickly. Make an omelet if you need a quick, utterly satisfying meal. Omelets are my response to people who tell me that they’d like to eat a healthier diet but that it’s too time-consuming. In addition to the fillings in this week’s recipes, think of using up leftovers or little hunks of cheese that are lingering in your refrigerator, or search through your pantry for something that looks delicious."
Beet Green and Feta Omelet
For each omelet:
1/3 cup chopped blanched or steamed beet greens (about 1 ounce; see below)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
2 to 3 teaspoons low-fat milk
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
1. In a bowl, toss the chopped blanched beet greens with the garlic, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Break the eggs into another bowl and beat with a fork or a whisk until eggs are frothy. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste and 2 to 3 teaspoons milk.
3. Heat an 8-inch nonstick omelet pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Hold your hand an inch or two above the pan, and when it feels hot, pour the eggs into the middle of the pan, scraping every last bit into the pan with a rubber spatula. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the omelet with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first minute or two of cooking.
4. As soon as the eggs are set on the bottom, sprinkle the beet greens over the middle of the egg “pancake” and top with the feta. Next, jerk the pan quickly away from you then back toward you so that the omelet folds over onto itself. If you don’t like your omelet runny in the middle (I do), jerk the pan again so that the omelet folds over once more. Cook for a minute or two longer. Tilt the pan and roll the omelet out onto a plate.
Another way to make a 2-egg omelet is to flip it over before adding the filling. Do this with the same motion, jerking the pan quickly away from you and then back toward you, but lift your hand slightly as you begin to jerk the pan back toward you. The omelet will flip over onto the other side, like a pancake. Place the filling in the middle. Use your spatula to fold one side over, then the other side, and roll the omelet out of the pan.
To blanch beet greens: Bring a pot of water to a boil while you wash and stem the beet greens. Rinse in 2 changes of water to rid the leaves of sand. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the greens. Blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender, and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop. To steam the greens, place them in a steamer basket above 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam for 2 minutes or until wilted. Rinse and squeeze out excess water.
Yield: Serves 1
Advance preparation: The blanched beet greens will keep for 4 to 5 days in a covered bowl in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information per serving: 275 calories; 7 grams saturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 385 milligrams cholesterol; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 369 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 16 grams protein.
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I'm always looking for new recipes where I can use fresh ingredients which I gather daily. In addition to my chickens, and lovely garden, I also raise goats and have home-made feta cheese. How delightful to find this recipe where I could use so many ingredients from my ranch in Northeast Oklahoma.
Green Country Garden Gorgeous Slimming Recipe
This article is brought to you by Charlotte East, owner Green Country Shutters 918-783-5029 Serving Grand Lake and Northeast Oklahoma. Charlotte and her husband own East Crest Ranch near Vinita where they enjoy their Arabian horses, gardening, raising Angus Cattle, Boer Goats, and chickens.
THE DALTON’S ADAIR RAILROAD ROBBERY
………A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
This article is a continuation of a series of articles for Echos Of The Past provided by the Grand River Historical Society www.grandriverhistory.com
Most Northeastern Oklahomans are familiar with the Adair train robbery conducted by the Dalton Gang in July of 1892, that a sum of money was taken and that there were two casualties, both doctors, one of whom died from his wounds. But a less familiar story concerns the background of the Dalton brothers Grat, Bob, and Emmett and the 1 ½ year existence of the gang which would be decimated at Coffeyville, Kansas the following October.
Like many pioneers the boys’ family migrated to Oklahoma. Their father, James Louis Dalton, born in Kentucky in 1824 was a Mexican War veteran serving under the command of General Zachary Taylor. Following the war Louis settled in Westport Landing, Missouri (now Kansas City) and operated a saloon. In 1851 he married sixteen year old Adeline Younger. The Dalton family eventually numbered ten boys and five girls, not atypical for farm families of that era. Leaving Westport, they moved first to a farm near Lawrence, Kansas and later four miles west of Coffeyville. As they matured, various family members left home to find work as farmers or ranchers or to marry. Brother Frank who became a U.S. Marshall for “Hanging” Judge Parker, was killed in the line of duty in 1887 and buried in Coffeyville. Of those who later formed the infamous “Dalton Gang,” Grat
became a deputy sheriff and later moved to California, Bob became a deputy marshal for the state of Kansas and Emmett, a teenager, found employment first as a cowhand, and later as a lawman. In 1880, Louis and Adeline Dalton moved the remaining members of the family from Coffeyville to Indian Territory leasing farm land south of Vinita near Locust Hill. Later, following Louis’ death in 1890 while visiting in Coffeyville, Adeline moved the remaining family members to a farm near Kingfisher.
Various authorities who have studied western gunfighters and gangs estimate that one out of four were former law men who used their skills and turned to crime as a more profitable venture. Both Bob and Emmett were no exception and in 1890 their first venture into the more lucrative business of lawlessness was an unsuccessful attempt at horse theft near Claremore. Nearly getting caught, they fled west and on February 6, 1891, teamed up with brothers Bill and Grat in a failed attempt at a train robbery at Atilia, California. Returning to Oklahoma, their reputation as outlaws firmly established, Bob and Emmett organized a gang that included several other misfits.
Their first train robbery was on May 9, 1891 at Wharton Station, a way stop which is now part of Perry, where, according to their account, $9,000 was stolen. During that summer Bill Doolin, an Arkansas cowboy who was described as “fearless” joined the gang and on September 19, 1891 they robbed an M K & T train at the Lelietta water stop four miles north of Wagoner. During their stint as lawmen, the Doolins had learned that the express car on trains contained a “through safe” that was used to ship large amounts of money.
Supposedly, the combination to the safe was known only to those at the railroads origin and final destination. In fact, the Doolin’s as former lawmen knew that this was sometimes a ruse to prevent robbery, consequently the messenger in charge of the express car could often “be persuaded with a pistol at his head” to remember the combination. In this instance they apparently were convinced by the messenger that he actually did not know the combination and the gang escaped only with a bag of silver valued by railroad officials at $2,500.00.
Returning west to the Cherokee Strip the Daltons continued raids on banks in that region as well as another train robbery at Red Rock June 1, 1892. Just prior to the Red Rock robbery and after a 107 day horseback ride from California, brother Grat returned to the Kingfisher farm and joined the gang. The stage was now set for the Adair train robbery.
The three Daltons, Bill Doolin and four other henchmen first planned to rob the train at Pryor, but fearing a trap, moved their target to Adair. Bob and Grat had been lawmen in the area and knew Adair quite well so on July 15, 1892 they made their move. Securing the station, the gang waited until the train stopped. After a forty minute gun battle with railroad detectives and the robbery complete, they left headed north to Big Cabin then back west to Kingfisher to plan what would be their last attempt at robbing banks, two at Coffeyville just a few miles from their old homestead. Interestingly, Bob and Grat, both of whom were killed at Coffeyville, joined their father Louis and older brother Frank in the town cemetery. Emmett survived, served prison time and was released in 1907. He died July 13, 1937. The brief saga of the Dalton Gang had ended.
Wagoner to Adair to Vinita Hit By The Dalton Gang
This article is a continuation of a series of articles for Echos Of The Past provided by the Grand River Historical Society www.grandriverhistory.com
Northeastern Oklahoma abounds with pre-historic evidence. Archaeologists have identified nearly 350 sites in Craig, Delaware, Ottawa and Mayes Counties that provide clues of man’s early existence in this region.
Because glacial activity during the ice age stopped in the Kansas City area to the north the terrain in this region was never disturbed therefore providing concrete evidence of earlier life.
In recent years one of the most productive and well known archaeological sites, Woodard Hollow now inundated by Grand Lake, produced complete human skeletons and various artifacts now housed at the Museum of Natural History in Norman. However a lesser known site, the Afton Spring located two miles northwest of Afton in Ottawa County, revealed evidence of life far earlier. Dr. D. H. Harper, a resident of Afton, is credited with discovery of the spring and contacting officials at the Smithsonian institute in Washington DC. regarding its existence. The spring spewed sulfur water and is thought to be part of the Ozark Uplift a mineralized area 30 miles wide and 100 miles long. In more recent times this belt became an extensive mining region extending from Missouri into Kansas and Oklahoma.
Upon their arrival, the team of Smithsonian archaeologists excavated the spring and constructed wooden retaining walls around the site to prevent cave-ins while water was continuously pumped out of the shaft. They marveled at the collection on the gravel bottom of the spring. Man made artifacts were discovered dating back to 3000 BC and before. To provide prospective, elsewhere in the world history was about to be recorded for the first time by the Egyptians who had discovered papyrus and ink for writing and were in the process of building their first libraries. It was also about 1000 years before Native Americans began their migration from northern Asia across the Bering Strait to the Americas and when Stonehenge, that mysterious rock formation in England , had become a center of worship. The artifacts discovered by scientists that related to man included arrowheads, spear points, and flint instruments some believed to have dated back to the Stone Age.
But even more intriguing was evidence of ancient living creatures. Evidently a favorite watering hole, the spring yielded bushels of bones and teeth of pre-historic mammals, three toed horses and mastodons. Mastodon teeth as long as 18 inches were discovered. Interestingly, over the centuries the teeth had become coated with a metallic deposit that looked like gold under water. Apparently, this “fools gold” had attracted more recent settlers because during their excavation, scientists discovered remainders of a crude wooden shaft built in an attempt to recover the riches.
The appeal of the spring to thirsty animals was self evident, but the presence of artifacts led to speculation that centuries ago early man may have cast valued items into the spring to appease some ancestral god. In this regard and of particular interest to scientists were arrowheads among the artifacts that became known in archaeological circles as the “Afton Points” because they were unlike anything found elsewhere in the world.
The points have a distinct leaf like shape and are made of a different kind of flint. In more recent times, during the era when the Osage Indians
claimed the region for tribal hunting grounds, verbal history recounts that the tribe had known of the spring for centuries and frequently made pilgrimages to worship there. Their medicine men gathered at the spring chanting prayers and tossing spear points and arrowheads into the water as offerings. Much later after the region became part of Indian Territory in 1830 the spring became a “modern day” watering hole when cowpokes herding cattle on the Texas Trail stopped their herds at the spring on the way to Chetopa or Baxter Springs. However approaching the spring could be treacherous, after loosing a few head of cattle the cowhands had learned to build boardwalks from trees to reach the spring so the animals wouldn’t get mired down.
After the Smithsonian scientists left, the Afton Spring remained an attraction for several years until World War I. At that time lead and zinc mine employees around (Video of abandoned Pitcher Oklahoma and Cardin) were working feverishly to supply lead for the war effort and the spring began to go dry. Underground pumps 20 miles away apparently tapped the ageless underground stream that fed it. Man once again had interfered with nature and today there is only occasional dampness at the depression, a faint reminder of a historically significant site.
THE AFTON SPRING A LINK TO OUR PAST IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
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