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Perhaps counterintuitively, winter is the season that most makes me miss my farming days. Nothing compares to a steady stream of manual labor to keep you warm, but beyond the physical benefits of the job, working in nature gave me ample opportunity to appreciate the splendor of winter – the beauty in the stark contrast between the bare trees and the crisp sky, or the way newly fallen snowflakes glitter in the nooks and crannies of the final crop of savoy cabbage.
Particularly rewarding was the satisfaction of growing food in cold weather. You would be amazed at the heartiness of some plants, who refuse to stop growing despite the apparently unhospitable conditions. With a little help from some row covers or a simple structure covered in plastic, and kale, chard, and lettuce can thrive, a pop of color and nourishment hiding beneath the snow.
(One winter I even made a little video inspired by winter farming.)
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Brooklyn, on the other hand, gets no favors from winter. The cold feels particularly brutal upon leaving my small apartment, and sidewalks are hazardous. The snow is bright white for maybe five minutes before it’s punctuated with litter and dog pee. Even the sun is hesitant to come on scene and we’ve spent so little time outdoors that when we do leave the house, Zane dramatically shields his eyes like the vampire and cries “Bright! Bright!”.
To cope, we are filling up on comfort food and hot beverages. Hot cocoa is a staple, since we almost always have cocoa powder and milk on hand. I’ve been experimenting with little twists on my standard recipe, and one I keep coming back to is this version with matcha. The powdered green tea adds a subtly sophisticated flavor – the best descriptor I can think of is “grassy”, but I mean that in the best of ways. Rather than my usual maple syrup, I sweeten it with honey, whose floral notes pair perfectly with matcha.
The little jolt of caffeine and warming effect of matcha hot cocoa make it my ideal afternoon pick-me-up these days. While I’m enjoying it on an almost-daily basis, I have to admit I’m desperately looking forward to the days when a smoothie is my snack of choice…
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Matcha Hot Cocoa
1 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 tbsp honey (or to taste)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp matcha
1. Heat the milk and honey in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and continue to cook, whisking often, for about five minutes.
2. Put the matcha in a mug and add a small amount (about a tablespoon) of the hot cocoa. Use a pastry brush to incorporate/dissolve the matcha into the hot milk mixture before returning the contents of the mug to the small pot. Whisk and cook another minute before serving hot in the mug.
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