Brent Borchardt

Advent Candy Countdown

Experts say that restorative rituals have widely positive effects on mental health.

So during Advent we ate candy.

I hope this day finds you, and all those important to you, healthy and safe. The temperature here should be good for this time of year so Deb and I will be putting a duck in the smoker and getting Brussels sprouts and purple carrots out of the garden. Deb will fancy-up some potatoes andContinue reading “Happy Thanksgiving, 2020”

Rhubarb Shrub Recipe

The fourth day of July in the year of our Lord 2020 brought forth a country in the grip of pestilence and the Presidency occupied by the Antichrist. It also brought forth an abundance of rhubarb due to some pretty decent growing conditions this spring. Life goes on. I harvested a huge amount from sevenContinue reading “Rhubarb Shrub Recipe”

Rhubarb Juice

I needed to replenish electrolytes this past Sunday because it was hot – July come early hot – and I had a lot of outdoor work to do. Rhubarb is a surprisingly decent source of potassium and trace minerals. I came up with this recipe a few years ago and it’s a refreshing way ofContinue reading “Rhubarb Juice”

“Well, I was out in the Garden at the time …”

Tim Brooke-Taylor passed away on April 12, 2020 from Covid-19. His career ran the whole course of the great British satire movement of the 1960’s, from its early days when he was a student at Cambridge with classmates like John Cleese and Graham Chapman, on through various comedy troupes of the decade when he teamedContinue reading ““Well, I was out in the Garden at the time …””

Reinventing Home

I have a personal perspective on the psychological consequences of being caught in the crosshairs of a global economic meltdown. I was a small business owner during the 2008-2009 economic crisis. It was like standing in front of an avalanche and it didn’t make any difference which way I ran; there were no good options.Continue reading “Reinventing Home”

English Banger Sausage Mix

Lately, the stocking up I’ve been doing during The Great Sequestration has centered on using the FoodSaver™ vacuum sealer to preserve meat for the long term. I usually keep a couple large pork shoulders I find on sale in the chest freezer; I decided to run one of them through the fine-grind plate of theContinue reading “English Banger Sausage Mix”

Fermented Mushrooms

The Great Sequestration has started me thinking more about food preservation as a matter of necessity and not just as a good foodie thing to do. When we did our first ever online grocery order, button mushrooms were on a crazy-good sale and I found a recipe for Polish preserved mushrooms. Fermentation is the preservationContinue reading “Fermented Mushrooms”

Preserved Lemon and Cranberry Quick Bread

Everybody needs to have a quick bread recipe in their back pocket that they can throw together with ingredients they pretty much always have on hand. Preserved lemons and dried cranberries make this one my go-to. Ingredients: 1 cup Dried Cranberries, re-hydrated Dry Ingredients: 240 grams (2 cups) Flour 3 tsp. Baking Powder ½ tsp.Continue reading “Preserved Lemon and Cranberry Quick Bread”

Preserved Lemons

Food preservation is a household management skill that is taking on renewed importance now during The Great Sequestration. Preserved Lemons are a delicacy that’s so easy you’ll want to slap your forehead and say, “Why have I never done this before?” Just about any time a recipe calls for lemon zest – and , ofContinue reading “Preserved Lemons”