Manic Publishing

Summer Intermission

Andrew Thomason — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:57:57 +0000

Wow. It’s been awhile. Lots have been happening in my small world. I got a new job, I got happily trapped in San Francisco for 18 hours and have endured a drought that colored everything green various shades of brown. Here are just a few pieces of eye candy ranging from throughout the summer …

Map it: shirking number of farmers

Andrew Thomason — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:30:11 +0000

I live in the land of black dirt. Actually I live in the land of Drummer silty clay loam (the official state soil). It’s the stuff you see in commercials about the great farm lands and bread baskets. It’s made rich farmers out of the descendants of immigrants. But, as time moves forward, those descendants’ descendants have …

Father’s Day

Andrew Thomason — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:18:16 +0000

That’s my dad in the garden from our first house. Thanks for everything pops, especially the love of being outside and the confidence that always says “yeah, I could do that” no matter the situation.

Cook it: Fresh Garden Potatoes!

Andrew Thomason — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:12:39 +0000

We got our first substantial harvest from the garden yesterday. It was pretty damn exciting. We planted a lot of potatoes on Good Friday (as prescribed by my long-time gardening Father) and they had bloomed and shed their flowers about a week ago. Curiosity got the better of me, and I dug up a mound of the sorriest looking potato plant. …

Farming in a city

Andrew Thomason — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:30:04 +0000

Urban agriculture, it sounds so wonky. I think better terms for growing edible stuff in a city are either gardening or farming, depending on what someone hopes to get out of it. Those people like me and the wife who have a small plot of dirt with some tomato plants, green beans, potatoes, et cetera, …

Can it: fresh blueberries

Andrew Thomason — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:01:28 +0000

My coworker took a trip a few hours south of here where the land is rolling and the weather is warmer. She makes an annual trip southward to pick up berries and was kind enough to pick up 10 pounds. You read that correctly, 10 pounds of fresh blueberries. Unlike the store version of the …

Quote it

Andrew Thomason — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:34:25 +0000

Quote of the day: “Bloody Marys and bacon fat do strange things to people, I guess.” Accompanying article about BL-Green-Ts

Link it: A new steak?

Andrew Thomason — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:49:00 +0000

Apparently there’s a cut of cow that’s never been used for a steak, at least not in modern memory. It’s a small cut from the shoulder that’s super tender, if the marketing materials are to be believed. From Vegasstripsteak.com There’s nothing else quite like steak and it epitomizes the pleasure of eating beef. That’s what …

Can it: Vanilla-Rhubarb Jam

Andrew Thomason — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:26 +0000

The Farmers’ Market has finally opened downtown. Two glorious days a week three blocks are transformed into an open air market filled with colors and smells that triggers a flood of endorphins and serotonin in my brain. As the wife and I strolled by the booths last week I saw some of the biggest, deepest scarlet …

Can it: Thai Peanut Butter

Andrew Thomason — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:54:29 +0000

Don’t worry, you’re not losing your mind, you read that title correctly. But just in case you’re second-guessing yourself I’ll say it again, Thai peanut butter. If you’ve been to a Thai restaurant this shouldn’t be a huge shock. Peanut sauce is common in those eatateriums. I just turned what is usually a sauce into …