Church Hill Lemon Marmalade, An Easy Brunch, And Lazy Borscht

Did you know a secret lemon grove exists in Richmond’s historic Church Hill?

Neither did I, until visiting friends gifted us a bag of the freshest, most delicious Meyers I have ever encountered. Involved in sustainable, efficient transportation, our guests enjoyed visiting the High Bridge Trail, Farmville, and the revitalization of Pamplin City before heading to our off-grid farm and modern prefab. 

While their visit was too short, I will savor the lemon marmalade I made until spring.

Lemon Marmalade:
I recently shared how to make lemon marmalade, but in short:1/3 sliced thin and minced (I like a mix of slices and minced) Meyers (with ends cut off, sliced into quarters so seeds & membranes are removed easily), 1/3 sugar, 1/3 water, stir and cook until it thickens and is slightly translucent and syrupy. For a twist, feel free to add fresh, minced lavender (or ginger) to the pot! Cool and store in a mason jar in the fridge.

Easy Brunch:
On Sunday, local friends came for brunch. Our original plans were for dinner, but snow was coming. Why not make a day of it, visiting while it was nice, to then head home and hunker down to weather?

We keep certain items on hand in the pantry for quick entertaining, which came in use this weekend. “Tins of interesting stuff” like sardines, smoked oysters, jars of jams and relishes, butter (buttr for alpha-gal allergies), cheeses (for those who don’t have alpha-gal), pickles, olives… Served with fresh bread and eggs, chicken salad from the country store, and suddenly, there’s a feast!

Late afternoon, with our guests departed, the dishes washed… it began to snow.

Off-grid, We Embrace Bad Weather

Ah, Monday. Here it is: a new day, the first Monday of the year! Traditionally I dedicate this day to finish any prior year’s accounting reconciliation and file my corporate taxes. Why have the past hang over your head when you should be looking forward?

I look outside: the horses stand against a stunning, crystal backdrop of icy trees glittering and sparkling in the sun. Suddenly: a sound like shots fired! It’s the snap and breaking of heavy branches and trees. Across the state, in many areas, power is out.

In our off-grid energy-efficient prefab, we only notice because suddenly, our internet stops. WE have power and are cozy with the wood cook stove (it’s even hot - I just checked: indoors, it’s 74!), there’s plenty of food… but no internet. No taxes will be filed today. While many Virginia businesses are closed, Christoph is happily working at his DC job via his phone’s hotspot… but I pulled out unfinished books and projects.

What to make for lunch? It was time. Time to clean out the fridge and make soup!

Our off-grid fridge is, in the best of times, precarious. Bags of vegetables hang off two interior baskets, one on each side, keeping them elevated so not to freeze. In the baskets we store leftovers, deli items, and opened jars of jams, olives, and pickles. Below, on the right, is a shelf where larger items like opened mayonnaise, pickled beets, and pasta sauce can be found. On the very bottom, frozen items are stored.

Why does our fridge seem different? Years ago, instead of purchasing a fridge designed for off-grid living (the average price is thousands), we instead converted a $100 chest freezer into a fridge with a $10 thermometer sensor to keep it hovering in the 30s. The design, with a top lid vs. opening from the front allows us to keep the cold air in without it spilling out like a traditional fridge. Grocery storage is more compact (leaving more room for pantry storage!). Like our Amish neighbors (who use ice boxes with a similar setup that run on propane), the fridge is primarily for food already cooked and served, versus how we use fridges in the modern day as the week’s primary food storage.

We had been entertaining all weekend, thus there were opened jars of pickles, olives, and jams throughout… I peered further and pulled out a half-eaten quart of pickled beets.

Lazy Fridge Borscht:

Chop onions, mince garlic, slice leftover carrots from that party you had. Pull out chicken thighs from the freezer and toss them into a pot with the rest. Stir in a fave oil (today, Duke’s) and let it simmer. 

As the chicken cooks, use the spatula to cut it into pieces (remember it’s a snow day and we’re lazy, right?). Now go through your fridge. We had bok choy and not usual cabbage but that works, right? Slice it up thin and toss it in. Hmmmm… ah, see that jar of dilled cornichons? Toss a glug or two of the juice and dilled bits in. Now what… the beets. Take your knife and swirl it around to further cut them, stop really caring about whether they are sliced or not and dump that in. If you don’t have broth ready, you can now lazily swirl some water in that beet mason jar to rinse it out, then add that flavored water to the pot! It was so delicious I was asked to write it down, which is how these recipe stories get told. Serve with fresh-baked bread.

Now the fridge is cleared of a few jars and items. After a fun weekend with friends, the fridge is returning to its usual organization instead of being stuffed. Walk away from the dirty dishes for others to find, grab your book, and enjoy the snow day. Not bad for the first Monday of 2025!

When the sun set, the glittering woods turned pink. It was beautiful.

This week presents challenges for both rural and urban Virginians. Off-grid, I am surprised how often each loses power (and in Richmond this week, water). It underscores how communities should shrink their dependence on the grid and how easy and affordable it is, from storing a few gallons of water in the pantry to returning to neighborhood wells as a backup water supply. In my rural area, no one thinks a wood stove is "too expensive." It is a family investment they depend on when utilities fail.