Out with the old, in with the new!

God help me if any of you were to really see my root cellar right now. For likening myself a tidy and kept individual, this cellar is anything but. Spiders have taken over the flat of shallots that are well-past their prime and dust has settled on the remaining bolted onions. A few moldy cabbages still linger in the cold room - my ambition of winter coleslaw long gone. 

Note to self: grow a few less cabbages this year.

Truth be told, it’s time for a major overhaul down there. The dirt floors and walls create a constant film of dust over all my beautiful jars, the shelving units now crooked from the feet sinking into the dirt under the weight of said jars over the past few years.

But, like many of you I assume, we are bound by time and budget. So a good ol’ fashioned clean-out will have to do. 

For now, since there are more important farm tasks at hand, “out with the old” means just that. The last of last year’s carrots, cabbage, onions, shallots, and potatoes have to go to the compost pile before I close my ever-loving-homesteading-mind.

To celebrate getting all that old food out of the root cellar, feeding the compost pile, and focusing our energy on the season ahead, I’m going to show you how to assemble one of my favorite salads: Pantry Salad.

It’s a wonderful way to make sure of pantry items + new produce.

I hope you enjoy our time in the kitchen (and dirty root cellar) together today.

Cheers,

Shaye