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Archive for the ‘In the Kitchen’ Category
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
I consider unprocessed pickles, those made without water bath canning, a special treat of the summer growing season. When the garden or Farmer’s Markets are overflowing with cucumbers we make enough to enjoy from summer’s end well into fall, then like most homesteaders and gardeners, we start looking forward to the next growing season. It’s not that they go bad in the fridge, but they do lose that fresh crispiness that makes them a rite of the summer harvest. If you want pickles all year long, use a recipe that calls for water bath processing, so the jars will be vacuum sealed.
Our favorite recipe is from a retired railroad conductor. It was handed down from generation to generation and couldn’t be easier.
THE RECIPE:
The Jars: Thoroughly wash quart- size canning jars either by hand or in the dishwasher.
The Brine: Determine about how many quarts of pickles you will be making. Boil one quart of water for each jar, plus a little extra for evaporation. Keep brine simmering. For each quart of water, add ¾ cup distilled white vinegar and 4 heaping tablespoons of kosher salt. NOTE: Do not use reactive pots (like aluminum) for making brine, use stainless or glass for making pickles.
Packing The Jars: Wash cukes. Cut or leave whole. Layer the bottom of each jar with fresh dill and crushed or whole garlic (3 or 4 cloves, more if you want a lot of garlic flavor). Pack cukes tight into jars.
Seasoning The Pickles: To each jar, add 1 Tablespoon of pickling spice and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, or 1-2 small hot red peppers slit open lengthwise (if you like), plus plenty of fresh dill flower heads (it makes a pretty presentation).
Pour The Hot Brine: Cover everything with the simmering brine.
Put Lids On. Leave jars at room temperature for two or three days then put in the fridge for at least a week before eating. Two weeks is even better, if you can wait that long.
Storing Pickles: Pickles will keep for a couple months in the fridge. Of course, if you see anything funky going on in the jar you should not eat them.
Not Your Basic BBQ
It’s true that hamburgers and hotdogs have long reigned as BBQ favorites, but times are a changing folks. These days, backyard grilling has reached a new level of sophistication, both in flavors and in the array of ingredients that are available.
Here in California, where weather permits us to grill well after our eastern friends have turned on the heat; flavors, textures and ole time favorites combine to turn bar-be-queuing on its head.
Even with our busy schedules, livestock shows and preparations for the new college student, we have spent more time this summer cooking on the grill than any other summer I can remember. We’ve been doing a lot of experimenting too. These nighttime grillings are not your standard steak and chicken faire. There’s the spicy Mandarin marinade with its minced fresh ginger and green onions that we use on lamb steaks and chops, the savory Bangkok spices rubbed into riblets and our, traditionally cold weather favorite, lemon garlic chicken has turned out to be as wonderful on the grill as it is in the oven.
We also found a new Cowboy BBQ sauce that has been great on beef. All these cook along side seasonal vegetables, corn and potatoes and are served with a variety of salads, from Asian Noodle Salad to 5-Color Slaw to our stand-by mixed green, pecan and blue cheese favorite.
It’s a relaxing way to spend an evening—standing over the grill while Brianne goes about her evening chores of feeding animals and working her show lambs. When we shift gears, and Brianne watches over the grill, I water the garden, pick flowers or just revel in the calm simplicity of our farm life. What a way to end the day…family, food and peace. Read the rest of the story »
Roasting the Perfect Chicken
There’s nothing better than a kitchen filled with the savory, satisfying aroma of a roasting chicken; at least in my opinion. It’s an important cooking skill too – roasting a bird that can eventually be made into 4 or 5 different meals. With just a few bought or homegrown onions, carrots and potatoes or parsnips, and a home raised or store bought broiler you’ll be on your way to a heart-warming meal the whole family will love. It’s easy, cheap and turns out wonderfully every time. It takes just a few minutes to prep and everything you need you probably already have on hand. Follow these simple instructions and I promise you’ll want to roast a chicken every week. I was taught this method by my father-in-law; one of the best meat cooks I know.
Here’s what you’ll need to roast the bird:
Whole roasting chicken
Room temperature butter, 3 to 4 tablespoons
Rosemary, garlic, and sage, chopped if fresh, crumbled if dry (or commercial poultry rub)
Tin foil
Roasting pan, without rack
Meat thermometer
1 medium onion, chopped
3 or 4 medium baking potatoes, quartered (parsnips can be added or substituted)
4 to 6 medium carrots, cut into quarters
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I know that seems high, but you’ll see why later.
Thaw frozen chickens in the fridge. Rinse thawed or fresh birds in cold water; making sure to rinse inside the cavity, under the wings and around the legs, then shake off excess water. Place your bird in a large bowl and take out your roasting pan. I use a 3-inch deep Calphon pan with high handles for easy lifting. Read the rest of the story »
Hand Raised and Homemade
This past week has been a whirlwind of post fair chaos, preparing for our county fair and heading down the road to a first college semester. Needless to say it has a bit overwhelming for two women who value the calm and slowness of their farm life.
But, tonight is different. The laundry is washed and folded and put away. The trailer has been unpacked, restocked and packed up again, waiting patiently for the day it will leave on its next trip. The animals have settled back into their “home” routine. The night is slow. A westerly breeze rolls through the house, sweet and cool, from a distant coast.
After a week eating out of an ice chest or eating at restaurants, putting a crimp in our desire to eat more locally, we are more than ready for a home cooked meal. One that was raised or grown either feet from our back door or a few miles from the farm. Tonight’s menu: lamb chops from a lamb we raised last year, potato salad, made from white new potatoes and accented with celery, onions and pickles; and corn on the cob I picked up from the local farm stand.
The boiling pot of potatoes started earlier in the day, were cooled and transformed into my great grandmothers recipe later in the afternoon. The outcome…creamy tangy goodness that reminded me of my childhood summers. The olive oil, red wine and balsamic vinegar marinade was mixed up while the potato salad melded in the fridge. The chops sunk deep into the rich mixture and stayed submerged until the grill was ready. Read the rest of the story »
Dining Out
The past few months have been a crazy ride of unpredictable weather, sheep shows that seem to never end, baby chicks brooding, new geese, and a high school senior year fraught with fear and excitement about the future.
But tonight it’s the middle of June, Brianne and I have managed to make it through all this chaos without killing each other and we two girls deserve a night out!
So tonight we will go out to our favorite café, sit at our favorite table – French bistro draped in a mustard colored cloth and laid with rustic plates featuring hand painted chickens. The best part is this favorite spot of ours is under a lumbering shade tree just 50 feet from our back door. Most nights we don’t feel like driving anywhere or paying someone to cook a calorie laden mediocre meal.
Tonight’s menu: marinated grilled lamb chops, BBQ baked potatoes and a big salad of crisp greens.
The lamb was home raised and butchered last fall (the last of the lambs Brianne showed in the spring), potatoes are from the farm stand down the road and were dug fresh today, and the salad makings were picked moments before the whole feast was laid on the table. For dessert there’ll be blueberry cobbler with organic vanilla ice cream.
The final course: stargazing to the sound of harps and classical guitars drifting out from our quiet little farmhouse. My favorite tunes to relax to on a lazy summer night.
The Marinade:
4 shoulder or leg lamb steaks or 8 loin chops
½ cup low salt soy sauce
½ cup teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp fresh garlic minced
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tsp fresh ginger, minced
½ Tsp red pepper flakes
1 Scallion, sliced thin
6 Ounce can crushed pineapple
Directions:
To make sauce, mix together all ingredients, except lamb, and pour into a lidded storage container. Give a few vigorous shakes before adding lamb. Turn several times to coat lamb thoroughly. Marinade in the fridge all day. Remove about 30 minutes before cooking. When grill is ready, remove lamb from sauce, cook until about medium, but still pink in the middle.
This is an Asian style marinade and goes well with Asian slaw or a salad with Asian dressing.
Eating Well @ Home!!
Summer Brew
An afternoon of making homemade root beer will be enjoyed over ice as a frothy thirst quencher or as a creamy root beer float after a long day of farm chores.
Cheese Making Workshop
I just returned home from a cheese making workshop. The venue was a local farm education center that holds classes about gardening and small scale farming, gives tours of the test gardens and of course, presents workshops and seminars on topics interesting to the public.
The presenter for the day was a professor from a university up the coast well known for their farm dairy and cheese making facility. Dairy farmers and cheese makers from all over the state attend their seminars and workshops as part of their continuing education required by industry guidelines.
Following introductions the professor dove into an hour long educational segment on the intricate workings of a cow’s mammary system, the complexities of how milk is actually produced, the rules and regulations governing commercial milk production and the sale of milk products to consumers.
He spoke in scientific terms about the anatomy of the mammary system, the internal pumps that make milk flow and the process that pushed protein into milk. We learned about various diseases that affect commercial dairies and the methods dairy farmers practice to prevent and treat disease. The professor even touched on small farm dairies, their involvement in the industry and, much to my disappointment, the downside of small dairies, those with less than 50 cows, to be viable contributors in the milk market.
To say I was stunned would be mild. Read the rest of the story »
Making Maple Butter
Spring temperatures are rising, sap is flowing and that only means one thing…its Maple Syrup Season. It’s during this time of year that the warmth of spring pushes the maple tree sap up into the branches to nourish the leaves, making it the perfect time to capture the sweet juice.
Sap is collected by boring holes in each maple tree and inserting a spout. As the sap moves through the tree the sap drips from the spout into a waiting bucket. The buckets are collected and the rich golden sap is taken to a sugar house where it is boiled down, allowing all the water to evaporate. What’s left is super concentrated natural syrup that’s perfect on pancakes and waffles, muffins and toast, as a glaze for meats and even in baked goods.
No offense to the goodies above, but my favorite way to eat maple syrup is in a creamy, delicate Maple Butter. Slathered on fresh baked cornbread, partnered with peanut butter in a sandwich or spread on piping hot dinner rolls just out of the oven, it is a sinfully delicious way to enjoy the changing of a season all year long.
To make your own Maple Butter try this easy recipe.
Maple Butter
¾ cup softened homemade or pure butter (not margarine or buttery spreads)
1 cup pure maple syrup
• In a heavy pan heat maple syrup until it reaches about 240 degrees and begins to foam; about 10 minutes.
• Stir in butter
• Pour mixture into a glass mixing bowl and beat until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Store in a canning jar in the fridge.
If you are lucky enough to have a sugar maple, black maple or red maple tree on your property then you’re lucky enough to have the main ingredient for making your own pure maple syrup. To learn more about tapping maple trees and making maple syrup check out this bulletin by the University of Maine
photo credit: PhoTones_TAKUMA
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
This coming month will be a busy time for our little homestead. Not only has spring finally arrived with all the chores and planting that goes along with its warmer weather, but a bounty of garden tours, workshops, lectures, festivals and gatherings are planned. Each weekend will be an opportunity to meet new friends, catch up with old ones and to show off what the season has to offer with a colorful array of potluck dishes. I love these kinds of gatherings, elegant and simple, yet unpretentious, with lots of time spent in gardens bursting with color and a peak at things to come. It’s a great way to shake off what has been an unpredictable winter that lasted weeks longer than normal.
It’s prime blueberry season in our neck of the woods and there’s nothing better than a weekend brunch marked by blueberries bursting with flavor. And the compliments for arriving with a clever dish that catches people’s eye and has them asking, “Can I get the recipe” ain’t bad either.
I came across a recipe for Blueberry French Toast Casserole and with a few adjustments it’s too wonderful and yummy to keep to myself. Here’s how you can make your own splash at a weekend brunch and have them coming back for more:
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
12 slices egg bread or Brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups fresh local organic blueberries
12 farm fresh eggs
2 cups whole organic milk
1/3 cup pure Vermont maple syrup
1. Butter a 9”x13” baking dish.
2. Cut or tear bread into ½” cubes, spreading half the bread in the baking dish.
3. Cut cream cheese into 1” cubes and layer over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread.
4. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk and syrup. Pour mixture over layered bread. Use a spatula to press bread down into liquid.
5. Cover pan with foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Set on counter 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and egg mixture is set in the middle, about 25-30 minutes more. Use a knife to check.
To make this dish even more decadent, serve it with a bit of Blueberry Sauce, which can be made while the casserole is baking.
Simply combine ½ cup sugar and a tablespoon of corn starch in a small saucepan. Add to it ½ cup of water and boil for 3 minutes. Then add ½ cup of fresh local organic blueberries and simmer until the berries begin to burst. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes. Take pan off the stove and stir in one teaspoon of nutmeg.
To serve your blueberry dream, cut into squares or spoon out portions onto a plate and drizzle blueberry sauce over the top. You can even add a shake or two of powered sugar.
Feeling a little adventurous with the coming of summer? Try making this casserole with other summer time berries like strawberries, blackberries, Olallieberries, or Logan berries.
photo credit: Florida Magazine
Homemade Granola Bars
My daughter is crazy for granola bars. Between sports workouts and working her show lambs granola bars are her snack of choice for a quick energy packed pick-me-up. Unfortunately, most of the store bought granola bars are nutritionally no better than candy. Their cleverly designed packaging only makes them look like they are natural. The few that are truly natural are so tasteless it’s like eating cardboard and they cost like the dickens.
So, out of sheer necessity I was on the hunt again for a homemade alternative to a store bought item. After a bit of research and a few experiments I think I’ve found an unbeatable recipe for homemade granola bars. The list below is the core ingredients for the recipe, but it can be easily changed to accommodate personal tastes and preferences.
The cost of making your own nutritious flavor-packed granola bars is pennies on the dollar compared to their store-bought counterparts. But what’s even better than their low cost and high food value is that these bars are truly delicious — as any snack food (nutritious or otherwise) should be in order to make the list of favorites. Read the rest of the story »