Friday, 30 March 2012
Check your Garden!
Topic: Garden
I took a walk in the Farm garden yesterday morning to find plenty of activity! I had been busy completing grape vine pruning the last couple of weeks and even got out and mowed the lawn (can you believe it?) but had neglected going into the actual garden.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find all sorts of herbs ready for use. Here are a few photos--
A bed of Oregano...
The BEST Thyme around...
Super Sage!
The local advice for farmers planting corn this year is to plant now. This is most unusual for northwestern Illinois but I think I'm going to follow the advice and put some seeds in the garden this weekend, too.
Posted by Karen
at 11:58 CDT
Updated: Friday, 30 March 2012 12:10 CDT
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Greek Easter Bread
Topic: Recipe
I DID IT! I followed the recipe I found on-line (and noted below) and made a HUGE Greek Easter Bread for the Religious Ed kids tomorrow. We are talking about Easter and Lenten traditions and clearly the Greek Christian culture traces its roots right to the Apostles. The traditional red-dyed eggs will be added in the middle, when I transport it tomorrow morning.
I doubled the recipe in order to make a huge circular braid, I have a lot of kids to feed from the single loaf. I also made a mini-brioche loaf (because a spiced, fragrant brioche is what this bread is)--for my husband.
I also added about 1 tsp of freeze-dried orange peel for extra fragrance.
GREEK EASTER BREAD
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
- 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
- Dash of salt
- Dash of sugar
- 2 packages dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons each)
- 4 3/4 cups bread flour, divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 large egg yolk
Preparation
- Place allspice and cinnamon in a spice or coffee grinder, and process until finely ground. Set aside.
- Combine water, dash of salt, dash of sugar, and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Let stand for 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour to yeast mixture, stirring until well combined. Let stand 20 minutes.
- Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in allspice mixture. Add yeast mixture to butter mixture; stir with a whisk until well combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Add 3 1/2 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
- Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
- Divide dough into 3 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 14-inch-long rope. Place ropes lengthwise on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (do not stretch); pinch ends together at one end to seal. Braid ropes; pinch loose ends to seal. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg yolk, stirring with a whisk. Brush half of yolk mixture over loaf. Let stand for 5 minutes. Repeat procedure with the remaining yolk mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Note:
Use leftovers to make French toast.
Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light
MARCH 2005
Thank you Lorrie Corvin and Cooking Light!
Remember, if you want to make the huge braided loaf (and an extra for your hubby), then double the recipe and make sure your bowls for prep are SUPER-HUGE, too! I baked my big loaf on a 16 inch round pizza pan. It will have to go to the church on that pan too, because it's larger than any of my (current) cake serving pans. (Note to self--look for bigger circular serving dishes.)
Posted by Karen
at 18:16 CDT
Friday, 23 March 2012
Can you find the new baby calf?
Topic: Harvest Hills Farm activity
We checked the herd this morning to find three new births overnight. The farm is bursting with new life, we are blessed (I hope) with an early Spring and the cattle, horses and vegetation are all bursting with life.
I was at a Local Food Producers meeting at Clarke University in Dubuque last night and talked with a local orchard producer. He says worrying about this early budburst is fruitless (pun intended)--you can't do anything about it, just go with it.
So, I wonder...is this what cattle raising is like in Florida? Every morning when I walk outside, I feel like I'm in Disney World.
Can you find a baby calf in these pictures?
Posted by Karen
at 17:22 CDT
Those little Italian Lights
Topic: Home environment
I sure hope you didn't pack away those little Italian lights we all use for Christmas holiday decorating. I love to use the white lights mixed with floral or vine garland around fireplaces during the "off season"--they make great mood lights and night lights and they are especially easy when you have them pre-set on a timer.
Outdoors, the Italian lights can be strung in ornamental trees--if you look around, you can find the lights with variable twinklers that "flicker".
Another idea is to string them around or in the base of a larger planter. Again, it's best to put them on a timer--maybe one or two sites on a dusk-to-dawn timer so when you look out onto your garden from inside the house at any point during the night, you are drawn to the drama.
Posted by Karen
at 08:20 CDT
Updated: Friday, 23 March 2012 08:20 CDT
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Last Minute St, Pat's Day Cocktails
Topic: Party planning
I know you were planning to go out for St. Pat's Day but the beautiful weather makes you want to sit on the porch or deck instead.
So, make a festive Kelly Green Martini and stay in. Serve with some Dubliner cheese and sliced apples or crackers.
Kelly Green Martini (for the Irish in you)
One part each: Blue Curacao, Limoncello, and Vodka
Shake vigorously with ice and pour into a frosted martini glass.
Sip gently and don't drive. Happy St. Pat's Day!
Posted by Karen
at 15:20 CDT
Updated: Friday, 23 March 2012 08:11 CDT
Spinach Potato Gnocchi
Topic: Recipe
I KNOW it's St. Patrick's Day, but I made Spinach Potato Gnocchi last night and I thought I'd share the recipe, in case you want to make it for next Friday's no-meat Lent dinner.
I think if I were on a cooking reality show and I had to make something homemade in 15 minutes or--worse--had to cook for my life, then I'd look for a couple of eggs, some flour and any available veggies and make Gnocchi.
Not only is the prep and cook time simple and quick, but you can put ANYTHING on top of them and they're happy. I happened to have some White Truffle Butter, but a little pesto, a little tomato sauce, some olive oil--ANYTHING works, whether elaborate or simple.
Here's the recipe:
Spinach Potato Gnocchi
1. Cook and drain/press dry 1 cup of chopped spinach.
2. Cook 2 potatoes (after scrubbing, remove any blemishes, it's OK to leave skin on) in boiling water.
3. Drain potatoes and coarsely mash. Let cool down.
4. Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup flour and the spinach, right into the potato pot.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and a few good shakes of ground nutmeg.
NEXT IN MAKING THE GNOCCHI.
Flour a board, your hands and keep about 1/2 cup of flour in a measuring cup to sprinkle on your gnocchi as you roll it.
Take about a handful of batter, place on the board and roll into "logs". Then cut the log into 1 inch "pillows." Repeat until all batter is rolled and cut up.
This makes at least 4 servings so you can divide the gnocchi onto plates to use now and put extra on paper plates to freeze for future use. Use waxed paper between layers.
Refrigerate dough until cold and firm.
Boil salted water in a large pot. When it's truly boiling, then drop the gnocchi one-by-one into the pot, where they will drop to the bottom initially.
Let them boil until they float to the top--it only takes a few minutes-- then remove with a slotted spoon because they're ready!
I served the Spinach Potato Gnocchi with a light buttering of White Truffle Butter and along side the Pan Fried Salmon over lemon-vingarette Spring Mix greens.
Posted by Karen
at 08:39 CDT
Updated: Saturday, 17 March 2012 08:44 CDT
Friday, 16 March 2012
Misty Spring Morning at the Farm
Topic: Harvest Hills Farm activity
You'll have to look closely to find the cattle on the ridge, hidden by the gray mist. The weather has been so warm, while the ground is still cold so clouds of misty fog have been scattered in the nooks of the farm every morning.
In winter, the cattle are fed large round bales of hay (organic, made from the cultivated fields maintained for the purpose of creating winter grass hay for our herd). They can't graze when the ground is snow-covered. But as soon as the snow cover is gone, their natural instinct is to roam freely and attempt to graze. Although they have to return to the areas where their round bale feeders are located to get enough calories, you can still find them wandering around the center pasture 40 acres throughout the day.
Cattle are actually very smart, it's said that their brains have as many sulci as human brains. And we know they have retained knowledge (memories). Of course, it's common knowledge that cows and their calves identify and "know" each other. But they also know toxic from edible plants and remember their favorite grazing spots and watering sites.
They also form relationships and organizations within the herd. We love to watch the cows define an area of pasture to be the "nursery" and then "assign" each other to watch the babies while the rest go off to eat. They often enlist 1 year olds and sometimes we'll even see a bull supervising in the nursery when they join the herd for the Summer.
Right now at the farm, it's preparation for delivery. The calves should be born in April and May. We have later deliveries because USUALLY it's still quite cold in March in northwestern Illinois and our cows deliver outside. And, we want to prevent undue stress on our calves. But, it looks like this year, weather won't be an issue.
Though I suspect one year with an early Spring will not make us change our plans. We haven't had a problem yet and other farmers have lost calves to freezing, something we would never risk.
Meanwhile, we can all enjoy the early Spring and get other chores and garden prep done.
Just resist the urge to plant!
Posted by Karen
at 11:27 CDT
Updated: Friday, 16 March 2012 11:31 CDT
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Carrot-Apple-Nut Muffins
Topic: Recipe
This weekend we have to "Spring forward" something I always dread since I really feel the loss of even one hour when my days start so early. I envision chasing out of the house in the darkness, grabbing a couple of coffee for the car and...
...A Carrot Apple Nut Breakfast Muffin to boost my energy...with nutrients!
This recipe calls for things you probably already have at home and does not add any more sugar than that which is in the "No Added Sugar" apple pie filling and the carrots. My particular brand of pie filling has 42 grams of carbohydrates--but that will be divided between 30 muffins!
Yes, this recipe makes 30 muffins--you can easily share with your friends and family (like I plan to do--I know a lot of people who will have the same time adjustment problems I'll have.) OR you can half the recipe or freeze extra muffins for the future.
BTW- if you are coveting that giant mixing bowl, I bought it at Sam's Club for $10--it's perfect for these large recipes and a godsend for large batches of granola.
Carrot Apple Nut Muffins
4 medium carrots
1 (20 oz) can of NO ADDED SUGAR Apple Pie Filling
Shred the carrots and add the pie filling in a large bowl. Take a spoon and using the edge, cut up the pie slices into chunks.
Mix and blend in:
4 eggs,
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Combine in a separate bowl:
2&1/2 cups of flour
2tsp baking powder and 2 tsp baking soda
Mix the combined dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, until just mixed in--remember overmixing makes tough muffins--
Finally, mix together 1/2 cup milk with 2 tbsp cider vinegar and stir into batter. And then stir in 6 oz. chopped walnuts.
Distribute into muffin pans that have been prepped with spray baking oil (my preference) or muffin baking liners.
Bake in 350 degree oven about 25 minutes until done. They'll spring back when done. Cool at least 5-10 minutes on counter before removing from pans.
Posted by Karen
at 10:30 CST
Updated: Saturday, 10 March 2012 10:57 CST
Friday, 9 March 2012
Veggie Pizza (from canned vegetables?)
Topic: Education
This pizza set up looks pretty good, doesn't it? It's even more inviting when you realize you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator right now.
First, remember that you need to get proficient at rolling out your own thin crust pizza from prepared dough you can find in the freezer section of your local grocery or from prepared mixes--or you have to substitute the low carb, high fiber tortillas for your base.
That aside, let's concentrate on the pantry items. As you can see, they're mostly canned items. Why am I excited about using canned veggies? Because some veggies are even healthier for you AFTER the canning process than before, like tomatoes whose phytonutrients are more bioavailable after cooking, than raw.
This pizza uses:
Pesto sauce, pressure canned in a jar
Canned black olives, drained and chopped
Canned, diced tomatoes, drained
From the freezer, chopped spinach (always keep frozen chopped greens available to sneak in soups, stews, pizza) .
Also from the pantry- finely chopped onion
From the refrigerator- some shredded Italian cheese
Easy, huh? And, you've got everything available right now, don't you? I could have opened a can of chopped artichokes--that would've been good, too!
A bit more about canned foods...
The commercial canning process also destroys harmful bacteria. While we certainly wash all of our raw vegetables, there's always some residual bacteria left, the world (and your kitchen counter) isn't sterile. But subsequent appropriate cooking takes care of those bacteria. And your own gut acids and enzymes work on most of the rest. That is, unless you are on certain medications or have an immune deficiency or low white blood cell count--that may compromise those protective mechanisms. Then, you really should be careful about eating anything raw!
But you don't have to worry about compromising any nutritional value in eating commercially canned, organic fruits and vegetables. And, you'll find that you have a large assortment of items available. We're in a rut in the Midwest now--no local fresh veggies or fruit. Everything is imported from southern growing zones. The farther away from home you go, the less traceable the source, in general. Granted, I still marvel at the generally wonderful food safety profile the industry has, but don't discount the canned foods either. It's a good time to explore them until your own garden is sprouting.
Posted by Karen
at 08:54 CST
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
Topic: Recipe
I'm sticking with the Black Bean to star in this recipe. I'm so impressed by the nutritional value of black beans, the high fiber content vitamins and protein, who can blame me for focusing on it? If this recipe is made without the little bit of cheese on top, it's even vegan! And, because it's still Lent, it's a great Friday no-meat recipe!
Black Bean Stuffed Green Peppers (for 2, adjust as needed for more)
Prep a Pyrex baking dish with a little spray canola oil.
Wash 2 green peppers, slice off the tops and remove the center veins and seeds, and the stem from the top. Use a small paring knife if needed.
Prepare in a separate bowl, 1 cup of reconstituted, cooked dry black beans or 1 (15.5oz) can of rinsed and drained black beans.
Finely dice 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 1/2 small onion and 1-2 cloves of garlic. Saute these in a small pan in 1-2 tbsp olive oil until the vegetables are soft. Add these to the beans along with any residual olive oil in the pan.
Stir in 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano.
Fill the green peppers with mixture, replace the pepper tops and place in the baking dish.
Pour 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce (plain or with any seasonings, it won't matter) over the stuffed peppers.
Add a sprinkle of shaved parmesan, or any shredded cheese over the tops of the peppers acc. to your preference--this can also be omitted, if keeping vegan.
Tent the peppers and pan loosely with Aluminum foil and bake 45-50 minutes until the peppers are cooked.
Serve over brown rice or barley or mashed, steamed cauliflower, as desired.
Posted by Karen
at 10:22 CST
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