New Videos – Aquaponics – Tree Collards – Baby Chicks and Polts and Zoodles

In this first video we check out some stuff in the aquaponics and aquatics systems, including Tree Collards that you can order at projecttreecollard.org

We also look at the progress of the white Hubbard squash. Watch the bees working the Pickerel Rush and see the recent failure of the aquatic system and our temporary work around.

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Next in Season Three – Episode 18 of The Duck Chronicles we have a duckless duck chronicle episode because the new babies are here. Today we have to intercept the mail lady to get the birds out of the truck early in the day, we unbox the babies and get them settled into their brooders.

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Lastly I have put together the long promised how to make zoodles video. Zoodles are zuchinni noodles, we use these in dozens of ways and they make a great way to use left overs. In this instance we used some left over meat balls, some of our cherry tomatoes and basil out of the aquaponics system with some salt, pepper and garlic to make something pretty outstanding.

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Hey Jack!

I heard you mention the slicer you use for zoodles on previous shows, and imagined something small like a zester and figured it’d be super slow to make any quantity of zoodles. Man, I feel like an idiot for buying my (comparatively) expensive and ridiculously complicated spiralizer that we hardly even ever use because no one ever feels like cleaning the thousand fiddly plastic pieces afterwards.

Something that you and the TSP-niverse should try if you like zoodles is zucchini lasagna! It’s by far our favorite low-carb dish to make and like normal lasagna once you’ve got all the ingredients to put it all together prepared it’s just as easy to make a giant pan to eat all week as it is to just make enough for dinner. I use a mandolin slicer to have consistently sized slices, but if you’ve got good knife skills, you could just cut long thin slices of zucchini with a kitchen knife.

You similarly salt your slices and let the water drain off, then just use your favorite lasagna recipe as a basic guideline, but with the zucchini slices behaving kinda-sorta just like pasta. Zucchini lasagna lives and dies by how much liquid you’re able to get rid of from the recipe, as unlike using normal pasta, zucchini noodles come to the party with loads of liquid (even with good draining) and don’t absorb the other liquids that make up lasagna like traditional pasta does.

For instance, if you’re using a ricotta cheese and spinach mix, I wrap it all in a cheesecloth bundle of sorts, then tie one end around a spoon and leave it suspended over a pot for a half hour or so. A LOT of liquid will drain out. Also, I make my sauce from scratch, and let it simmer down as much as I can so the sauce is a lot thicker than what you’d usually use. If you do both those things and salt/drain your zucchini slices well, you’ll be pretty happy with the results.

Regardless, I’m still trying to perfect the whole thing. Things I’ve thought about trying but haven’t yet include using a food dehydrator to REALLY get the zucchini dry (I don’t have a dehydrator, so, that’s a stopping point) and I was talking to a friend about the recipe and they suggested trying to include dehydrated mushrooms, thinking the ‘shrooms would rehydrate with the zucchini and tomato liquids and behave sort of like the no-cook lasagna noodles you use dry. Definitely trying that next time.

Comments

New Videos – Aquaponics – Tree Collards – Baby Chicks and Polts and Zoodles — 8 Comments

Sue Larkin on May 17, 2017 at 10:51 am said:

Hi Jack. Thanks so much for the Zoodles video. Steve and I were talking about it and I wanted to get your opinion on dehydrating Zoodles. I’m still working on our food pantry and plan to can different sauces. I thought Zoodles would be great to use with them.

Thanks,
Sue Larkin
- Modern Survival on May 17, 2017 at 11:43 am said:
  
  Nope don’t do it, salt and drying squash equals leather. You can dehydrate it but it will never make a good zoodle.
Betty Montgomery on May 17, 2017 at 12:00 pm said:

Thanks for the Zoodle video! Think I might try it. Sounds tasty and healthy! Want to try those tree collards as well.
Eli on May 17, 2017 at 2:24 pm said:

Hey Jack!

I heard you mention the slicer you use for zoodles on previous shows, and imagined something small like a zester and figured it’d be super slow to make any quantity of zoodles. Man, I feel like an idiot for buying my (comparatively) expensive and ridiculously complicated spiralizer that we hardly even ever use because no one ever feels like cleaning the thousand fiddly plastic pieces afterwards.

Something that you and the TSP-niverse should try if you like zoodles is zucchini lasagna! It’s by far our favorite low-carb dish to make and like normal lasagna once you’ve got all the ingredients to put it all together prepared it’s just as easy to make a giant pan to eat all week as it is to just make enough for dinner. I use a mandolin slicer to have consistently sized slices, but if you’ve got good knife skills, you could just cut long thin slices of zucchini with a kitchen knife.

You similarly salt your slices and let the water drain off, then just use your favorite lasagna recipe as a basic guideline, but with the zucchini slices behaving kinda-sorta just like pasta. Zucchini lasagna lives and dies by how much liquid you’re able to get rid of from the recipe, as unlike using normal pasta, zucchini noodles come to the party with loads of liquid (even with good draining) and don’t absorb the other liquids that make up lasagna like traditional pasta does.

For instance, if you’re using a ricotta cheese and spinach mix, I wrap it all in a cheesecloth bundle of sorts, then tie one end around a spoon and leave it suspended over a pot for a half hour or so. A LOT of liquid will drain out. Also, I make my sauce from scratch, and let it simmer down as much as I can so the sauce is a lot thicker than what you’d usually use. If you do both those things and salt/drain your zucchini slices well, you’ll be pretty happy with the results.

Regardless, I’m still trying to perfect the whole thing. Things I’ve thought about trying but haven’t yet include using a food dehydrator to REALLY get the zucchini dry (I don’t have a dehydrator, so, that’s a stopping point) and I was talking to a friend about the recipe and they suggested trying to include dehydrated mushrooms, thinking the ‘shrooms would rehydrate with the zucchini and tomato liquids and behave sort of like the no-cook lasagna noodles you use dry. Definitely trying that next time.
- Modern Survival on May 17, 2017 at 3:55 pm said:
  
  You know you can just use a regular wide peeler for that right? LOL
  - Eli on May 17, 2017 at 3:59 pm said:
    
    *face palm*
Salima on May 17, 2017 at 4:34 pm said:

I have seen these in the organic market for big bucks (relatively speaking)
Alan Johnson on May 25, 2017 at 6:17 pm said:

Jack,

Long time listener (from the Jetta days).
Have always loved the show, you’re looking good, you’re an inspiration to many!

Be well, mi amigo!

Alan