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Published on Leave a comment on Herbs and ‘The Hugo’

As the tops of my basil plants start to flower, I'm reminded that summer is soon over and the kids will be back to school routines and soccer games next week.  I'm not ready yet, but will make the most of the last weekend of pool & play before going back to the demands of that 4-kid, color-coded, whiteboard activity calendar!

My sad basil plants need answers now so I thought it would be good to do a refresher on what you can do with all your herbs for the season. Since you can find a thousand recipes for pesto on the interwebs right now, we're going to skip that suggestion here and cover things in general.

However, as a reward for the hard work of cleaning up your summer garden, I'll share the recipe for the trendy drink of the summer from Europe (and a new way to use some of that peppermint that has spread across your garden over the summer).

...continue reading "Herbs and ‘The Hugo’"

Published on Leave a comment on A Different Kind of Vacation: Farm Stays

Remember my post on making cheese a couple weeks back where I said I dreamed of having goats in my backyard to make my own supply of yummy goat cheese? At the time I wrote that, it was definitely wishful thinking.

BUT, guess what I just learned about in the past couple weeks?? Farm Stays! The next best thing!

I first came across an article on farm stays while skimming our Mid-Atlantic Region AAA travel magazine about a month ago. And then, while visiting my parents in Kansas a couple weeks back, we just happened to watch an agricultural news show that featured a segment on farm stays.

I felt unseen forces were speaking to me =). So of course I had to investigate further.

...continue reading "A Different Kind of Vacation: Farm Stays"

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Published on 10 Comments on Stirum: Summer Supper Solved

Too hot outside to be standing too long in front of the stove or grill?  Maybe it's time for a Stirum dinner. Stirum is a traditional prairie supper as old as the days of the sod shanty - a meal that could fill you up to work long hours without being too heavy and one that was easy to make in times of few resources.

And now that I have more fresh lettuce than I know what to do with, it's an excellent time to make it the main meal!  Stirum is basically salad with little pieces of broken-up thick pancake on top served with a light dressing - a  perfect fast easy meal for days when no one wants a big dinner.

...continue reading "Stirum: Summer Supper Solved"

Published on Leave a comment on Whistle While You Work

Digression alert! I'm taking a break from talking about food. I really like listening to music while preparing dinner or tackling one of my baking experiments on the weekend so let's do something different and talk about what kind of music keeps you movin' and groovin' while making food!

I love when people share clips of what they enjoy so I can check them out too, and I like to explore roads a little less traveled than just what's on the radio. 

I'd love to hear about what you like to whistle to while you work!

So take a break and take a listen.....

If music be the food of love, play on.
- William Shakespeare

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...continue reading "Whistle While You Work"

Published on Leave a comment on Cheese Please!

“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
- Anthony Bourdain.

I confess, I do hold romantic notions of owning goats and making my own cheese someday.  Alas, my 'farm' at the moment consists of 2 chickens and a garden badly in need of weeding. With full time work and kids - the goat thing ain't gonna happen.

But I have found something to fill the gap.  I'm having a ton of fun with my new Lékué cheese maker - this Spanish company's tupperware ensemble makes creating soft cheese fun and easy - and something the kids could do together with me to have a better understanding of what 'real' food is.  (FYI, I got it from Gardener's Supply but I saw that it was on Amazon too.)

...continue reading "Cheese Please!"

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Published on 3 Comments on Rhubarb Rules!

Growing up in North Dakota, it seemed like everyone had patches of rhubarb in their backyards. It was one of those plants like zucchini, where for a period of time, it seemed you couldn't find enough ways to use it all up. The fact that I now go to Whole Foods to buy rhubarb still seems completely bizarre to me - it was just one of those foods that didn't come from a store!

As children, the elephant ear leaves were the perfect size to lie in the grass under a warm sun and pretend to be Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, fanned by her minions (i.e., a younger sibling you talked into playing along with your Egyptian drama).

I also have memories of sitting outside on summer days licking the end of a raw stalk and dipping it in a bowl of sugar before chomping away.....for reals people.  Anyone else do that?

...continue reading "Rhubarb Rules!"

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Published on 3 Comments on Veggie Highlight: Hakurei Turnips and Watermelon Radishes

In my last post on Jerusalem artichokes, I mentioned there were a couple other new (for me anyway) discoveries in my CSA delivery.  I couldn't believe I had never had either before!  They were so delicious, I've already ordered seeds from Amazon and got them planted in my garden so I can enjoy more!

The first is the Hakurei turnip. This lovely white small turnip is a salad turnip - no cooking required! Love that. There's also a similar variety you may see called the Toyko Cross turnip.

They are grown primarily during the cooler months, in Spring and Fall, so can be found in stores now.

...continue reading "Veggie Highlight: Hakurei Turnips and Watermelon Radishes"

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Published on 2 Comments on Veggie Highlight: Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)

To my delight, the last few CSA deliveries introduced 3 new veggies that won me over with their great taste. Once I figured out what they were!

The first is the Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke. (The other 2 will have to wait for future posts....oh, will you be able to handle the suspense???)

So to begin, I'll give you a topic. The Jerusalem artichoke is neither from Jerusalem nor an artichoke. Discuss. (your comedy chops are like 'buttah' if you get that Saturday Night Live reference. If you don't, no big whoop.)

...continue reading "Veggie Highlight: Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)"

Published on Leave a comment on Seeding the Dream

Oh, is there anything that inspires green dreams more than a beautifully photographed seed catalog arriving in your mailbox when there's still snow outside??? Yes, I'm that kind of nerd.

I'm waiting for just a hint, a sign, a whisper that Spring is coming. I just read in my Omlet newsletter (Omlet being the company that makes my yuppy chicken coop), that Valentines Day is typically the date that chickens begin to lay again after their winter protest. How romantic you say! (and yes, I'm also the kind of nerd who reads company newsletters.)

...continue reading "Seeding the Dream"

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Published on 2 Comments on Seasonal Cooking

So remember my post a couple months back about CSA's and that I had signed up for a Fall CSA share?  So the rutabaga has hit the road and that one's all done!
It's time to sign up for a Winter/Spring CSA.

This time I've signed up with Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative.  They deliver to my worksite so it's super convenient - will let you know how it goes after a few boxes. (Refer back to that old post if you need a refresh on who to contact for a CSA in your area.)

These pics are all from my deliveries last Fall. Everything from Wimer's Organics was fresh and delicious!

This beautiful veggie bounty required a little adjusting to work ingredients into dinner so nothing wilted or withered away on the counter or in my fridge.

...continue reading "Seasonal Cooking"