Friday, June 20, 2014

What to do with turnips?

OK, so we've heard from various members about various vegies that they aren't fond of. Beets are a common one (though pickled beets are a favorite at our table!) Also, some aren't much into kale. Etc....! For us, and me (Merlin) in particular, the one item I grow for you, not me (!) is cooking turnips. Mind you, raw salad turnips (Japanese type) are fine, and if they're sweet like in early-season, you can eat them like an apple. But cooked turnips?!!

This year, with a nice supply of good-quality cooking turnips (Purple-Top and Golden-Globe varieties), we've been on the hunt for ideas. If you can handle straight cooked turnips, more power to you!

Some ideas:

Mash them in with mashed potatoes. Add butter, or just salt and pepper to taste.

We've also used turnips in oven-roasted mixed vegetables. Cut in small pieces, they go nicely with a mix of many summer or fall vegetables. For example, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, onions, etc. Season with your favorite herb mix.

We're also trying out a "marinated radish salad", using turnips. The radish version has been tasty, so we'll see.... It's on the May 2010 page: http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2010/05/radical-radishes-marinated-radish-salad.html

A recent favorite is "Turnips with Honey and Lemon". This is a modification of the same recipe using radishes, from the RELISH.COM web site: http://relish.com/recipes/radishes-honey-lemon/

Turnips with Honey and Lemon

2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 nice-sized cooking turnips, roots trimmed, cut to bite-size
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chives

Whisk honey, lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add turnips and saute' 2 minutes. Add honey mixture and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook t minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and chives. Serve warm or room temperature.


Send us your turnip ideas!

Monday, May 26, 2014

PONDERING PEAS...

One of the 2014 garden experiments was to do the first planting of peas in the high tunnel. I began with 2 rows in the west bed, planning to add tomatoes down the middle (on the cattle panel fence) as the ground warmed up and those starts were ready to set out. However, Merlin reminded me that we usually plant a double row which means ~300 feet of pea plants. Well, those first 2 rows only added up to ~90 feet. So, he planted the next bed over with 3 more rows. This variety is called Sugar Ann and is a sugar snap pea which will fill out its edible pod. It will also (mostly) support itself by making a mass of intertwined stems, so we don't put it on a trellis. That makes it fairly simple to clean up when it stops producing. Here is the 3-row bed from a couple different angles (note the leaf lettuce heads for size reference).



The second planting of Sugar Ann peas went into the main garden on May 3 along with a double row of Mammoth Snow peas. Many years, we get these weeded, but they grow quicker than we expect and they never get any trellis to support their growth. Harvesting is definitely easier if they're on a trellis and it gives the plants strength on our windy days, so we're trying a couple different methods of trellising this year. The second plantings should be ready to harvest when the first plants run out of strength (or we remove them to grow something else)! Photos show the two varieties 3 weeks after planting at 6"-8" tall.



The peas in the high tunnel were seeded at the end of March and beginning of April. The first harvest was last Tuesday, May 20. One one-gallon ice cream bucket full was simply NOT enough to spread out to all our Tuesday CSA shares! By Friday, though, we harvested 2 buckets which matched that day's CSA share needs. Today, I found 2 buckets on the first two rows and will pick the remaining three rows tomorrow because I ran out of storage space in my refrigerator!

Seasonal bounty is always fun to see! Both varieties are delicious when eaten raw, steamed, or in a stir-fry.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

February photos

Merlin & I are still alive and well here on (occasionally) Sunny Slope Farm! We saw the sun for a few minutes today after the morning flurry passed and a mostly cloudy day. Here's what has been happening lately:

Rita has been busy finishing needlework projects--fingerless gloves and a wall hanging:


Merlin rewired a portion of the kitchen to provide better lighting:


And, TA DA!!!! The first seedlings are up! Eggplants have germinated after 2 weeks in a warm, dark location and will begin the slow process of growth toward transplantation in May.


2014 CSA shares available for purchase now: Large $500, Small $300

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

List of Spring recipe blogs

Here is a list of links to earlier posts (many with pictures), for some of our Spring CSA items:

Rhubarb
Rhubarb sauce (to put on ice cream!)
-- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2009/06/strawberry-fields-forever.html

Rhubarb salad dressing -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html
and of course everyone's favorite, strawberry rhubarb pie.

Asparagus
Hmmm... I think we always use all our asparagus lightly cooked or steamed -- one of Spring's fine pleasures!
Any other creative suggestions out there?

Spinach
Zuppa Tuscana -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2011/06/two-kale-ideas.html
Mashed potato spinach casserole - http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2011/06/two-kale-ideas.html

Green onions
Does anyone have a favorite for these, besides munching them raw, or using them in general cooking?

Radishes
Marinated Radish Salad -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2010/05/radical-radishes-marinated-radish-salad.html

Lettuce
Who has a favorite way of doing "wilted lettuce"?

Strawberries (!!)
Strawberry Vinaigrette dressing -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2010/06/strawberry-vinaigrette-dressing.html
Strawberry Bread, Pie, Dacquiris, Strawberry Mabrooshee
-- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2009/06/strawberry-fields-forever.html
TNTC ("too numerous to count" the ways!)
-- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-fields-forever-reprise.html

Mint
Orange Mint Tea -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2010/06/orange-mint-tea.html

Herbs
Herbal Salad Dressing -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2010/05/herbal-salad-dressing.html
Chive-tipped Focaccia -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2010/05/rhubarb-sauce-chive-topped-focaccia.html

Eggs
Deviled Eggs -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2009/05/early-summer-recipes.html
Clafuti (Egg custard) -- http://sunnyslopefarm.blogspot.com/2009/05/early-summer-recipes.html

We're always happy to receive ideas for your favorite ways to use vegetables, of course! Just drop us an email at sunnyslope@diodecom.net.

Merlin

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Still More Zucchini Recipes!

Yet another zucchini recipe, from The Splendid Table (NPR broadcast) -- August 18, 2012

Sweet and Hot Curried Zucchini Pickles
· 3 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into very thin rounds, 1/8-inch thick
· 2 red onions about the size of baseballs, peeled and cut into thin slices
· 3 to 4 colorful chile peppers of your choice, cut into thin rounds
· 1/4 cup kosher or other coarse salt
· 1 cup seedless golden raisins (optional)
· 2 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar
· 3/4 cup sherry
· 1 1/2 cups orange juice
· 2 cups sugar
· 2 tablespoons prepared curry powder
· 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
· 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
· 1 teaspoon whole cloves
· 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
· 1 piece of ginger, size of your thumb, peeled and sliced into very thin coins

· 1. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the zucchini, onions, chilies, and salt, and let them stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse twice to remove the salt, then add the grapes and set aside.
· 2. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring all the remaining ingredients except the ginger to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the squash mixture; the squash should be amply covered or slightly afloat. Add the ginger to the squash mixture, allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.
· 3. These pickles develop great flavor within a couple hour of refrigeration and will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 weeks.

AND....... Summer Stir Fry
http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-stir-fry.html
by deena from portland, Oregon
Monday, July 25, 2011



A few years back I was discussing the television show The Wire with a friend, talking about its gritty depiction of drugs, police and poverty in Baltimore. My friend observed that it was this amazing, compelling window into a world that she just never, ever, ever wanted to visit. To a limited extent, I feel that way when I read certain blogs.

Like many blog readers, I have a mild obsession with The Pioneer Woman. I linger dreamily over her descriptions of life on a ranch, of storybook romance, of the grown-up fantasy of Little House on the Prairie meets a Viking range and high speed internet (and without the smallpox and scarlet fever). But the recipes? I generally am not going to go there.

Summer Stir Fry

inspired by The Pioneer Woman
serves ~3-4

1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 lb shrimp
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
3 ears of corn, kernels sliced off (if you have a bundt pan, jamming the ear into the center ring and slicing so that kernels fall into the pan works brilliantly)
juice of 1/2 lime
1 handful basil, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 avocado, cubed

Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil, and then the garlic and saute until just beginning to turn golden. Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just barely cooked through. Pour the shrimp and garlic out into a large bowl, and set aside.

Add the zucchini to the pan, with additional butter or oil if needed. Sautee until softened and beginning to color. Remove from the pan (you can just add it to the same bowl as the shrimp and garlic).

Add the corn to the skillet, and cook just a minute or two until it turns a darker color but is still crisp. Turn off the flame, and add the corn to the shrimp and zucchini. Season the mixture with the lime juice, basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well, and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the cubed avocado, and stir gently to mix. This is great warm from the skillet, or cold from the fridge.


Thursday, May 3, 2012

AN EARLY SPRING

What can I say? We thought we were getting an early start on seeding vegetable flats and suddenly, spring arrived early! After 3 years, we thought that our CSA shares would begin in mid-May and suddenly, spring arrived early! To prepare for our daughter's wedding I asked advice of seasoned flower growers, who told me I probably couldn't have things blooming by mid-June, but I planted seeds in mid-January and suddenly, spring arrived early!

Life has been hectic the past 2 months trying to do 3-4 months of work, but we've had some real successes to celebrate! I had flowers (marigolds and pot-marigolds and zinnias) by the end of March, so my flower beds and planters are now prepared and hopefully the plantings will be fully developed by the time of the wedding. Thanks to a neighbor's gift, I had a nearly limitless supply of 4" pots to re-pot my seedlings as they grew and I waited through several temperature swings (into the 80s and 90s) for frost to become less likely. Three varieties of tomatoes and two varieties of eggplant are now transplanted into the main garden. I've never had such large, healthy plants the first week of May. Twelve rows of potatoes went in around Easter; 6 types of onions are in the ground along with most of our broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage starts. The fall spinach planting once again forced our hand on share delivery with the first boxes being packed during Easter week and the second boxes packed April 24 & 28 (featuring wonderful lettuce and asparagus). I had just begun to try some new recipes for rhubarb and we're rapidly entering Strawberry Season!

Here is a new favorite for rhubarb which you can enjoy with spring greens, once again from Simply in Season:

Rhubarb Dressing

2 C rhubarb, chopped
½ c sugar
¼ c vinegar
3/4 c oil
2-3 T onion, grated
1½ t Worcestershire sauce
¼ t salt

Cook rhubarb, sugar, and vinegar over medium heat until soft.
Drain in sieve. Discard pulp. To 6 tablespoons of this juice, add remaining ingredients. Shake in jar or whisk together. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
NOTE: My batch made 13-14 tablespoons of juice and I used it all in one batch of dressing.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Too Many Onions???

Do you have a large quantity of onions that you need or want to use quickly? Here's a recipe Rachel found and made with her best friend several years ago. We enjoyed it again the other night after harvesting a complete row of Texas Super Sweet onions and separating out a large quantity of "seconds" for home use.

Onion Pasta Serves 4-6

5 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c olive oil
4 T butter
1 c water
1 t dried basil
1 T chicken bouillon
1 pinch black pepper
1 lb. uncooked pasta
Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in oil and butter until golden brown. Add basil, pepper, water, and bouillon. Cook on low 10 minutes. Boil pasta in separate pan. Add onion mixture to cooked pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, toss, & serve.
NOTE: Good with chicken pieces added.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Two Kale ideas

Kale is useful for more than a garnish that will look crisp in hot weather! Really!

Many people tell us they've tried to use kale, but haven't cared for it. These are two recipes that we've enjoyed...the first one given to us by former CSA customers who moved to another state and the second by a former intern. Oh, look, both recipes call for potatoes and one uses some of the mid-summer onion supply!

Restaurant-style Zuppa Tuscana 6 servings

1 lb. smoked sausage, cooked and cut into 1/2" slices
2 potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
3/4 c chopped onion
6 slices bacon
1 1/2 t minced garlic
2 c kale, washed, dried, and shredded
2 T chicken soup base
1 quart water
1/3 c heavy whipping cream

Fry onions and bacon together. Remove bacon pieces and crumble. Add garlic to onions and continue to fry for 1 minute. Add soup base, water, and potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add bacon, sausage, kale, and cream and simmer 4 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Mashed Potato Spinach Casserole

5 lbs potatoes
2 or 3 10 oz-pkgs chopped spinach--or substitute washed & shredded kale.
1 t salt
Dash of pepper
1/4 c butter
Dill weed
1 c sour cream
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

Peel, wash, and cut potatoes in smaller chunks. Put in large cooking pan with lid. Add water up to half the potatoes. Cook until potatoes are very soft. Drain, reserving "juice." Add butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, and dill weed to potatoes. Beat with mixer until fairly smooth. If too dry add some of the potato "juice" or milk.

In second pan, cook spinach or kale until soft. Drain off liquid until dry. Add cooked, drained spinach or kale to mashed potatoes and mix well. Put mixture into a greased oven dish. Sprinkle grated cheese over top evenly. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is heated through. This is good served with cooked sausage.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

"Strawberry Fields Forever" -- Reprise

OK, so I know this is cheating, but the best new list of strawberry recipes I've found is at www.about.com. Paste the link below into your browser to see the likes of....
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie with Almond-Filled Crust
Strawberry Chiffon Cake
Strawberry Mousse
Strawberry Cordial
Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/fruits/tp/strawberries.htm?nl=1

Or, go back to our archive entry in this blog from June 2009 titled "Strawberry Fields Forever" for another nice list featuring a number of recipes from our favorite seasonal resource, "Simply in Season" (pub. Herald Press)
Includes:
Strawberry Bread
Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Strawberry Pie
Strawberry Daiquiris

An equally important thing to do, in my opinion, is to squirrel away some berries for the rest of the year. (You may need to get some more from us!). It's simple to do: Just wash and trim, then spread out on a tray and freeze, then pack into freezer bags for storage. Let us know if you need more! All our varieties have a very short shelf life, even on a shelf in your frig! So use promptly.

"Strawberry Fields Forever!"




Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Green Tomato Salsa Verde


Yet another really good recipe from Simply In Season (Herald Press, 2005). We've tried this one and really like it with tortilla chips....!



1 cup green tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
1/2-1 fresh jalapeno pepper or other chili pepper
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 green onions (white and green parts cut in 1-inch pieces)
1/3 cup water

Combine above ingredients in a small microwavable bowl. Cover tightly. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully remove cover. Place cooked vegetables in blender or food processor.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt

Add and blend until smooth. Use as a salsa over beans and rice, with tortilla chips, or as a dressing on salads.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

How to Keep a Sweet Potato for Winter Storage


Sweet potatoes are a funny crop, really a southern plant, and not actually a potato at all. Nor are they related to "yams" grown commonly in tropical countries.

They can be harvested all the way until the vines are frost-killed. However, around here, mice will take too large a toll if the sweet potatoes are left in the ground that long. Also, curing sweet potatoes is easier while we still have some warm days.

After early harvest, if eaten immediately, some varieties of sweet potatoes will be starchy and not sweet. So we usually give them at least a few days before using them. This allows some of the starch to convert to sugars, for the familiar sweet flavor.

Sweet potatoes will usually keep for a month or two with no curing, just kept in a cool/dark place. However, if you want to enjoy them all the way through winter and spring, they must be "cured." When a sweet potato spoils, it generally does so through the nicks in the skin, and where the plant stem broke off. These areas need to form a hard plug or scab, to protect the stored sweet potato from spoilage. To do this, the sweet potatoes should ideally be kept at 85-90 degrees in a well-ventilated spot for 10-15 days. This is not exact, but the more warmth they get during this curing time, the better.

After curing, store sweet potatoes in a cool place (55 degrees or so) but not too dry (75-80% humidity) so they don't shrivel too badly. A "root cellar" is ideal!

Pumpkin Season!


What do you do with a pumpkin ?! (Or any other winter squash, for that matter)

To bake your pie pumpkin, just cut it in half, remove the seeds and strings, and place the halves open-side down in a cake pan, with about 1/2" of water in the pan. Then bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or more, until the flesh of the pumpkin is tender and begins to fall apart. Put the pulp through a bleder or ricer.

At our house, this often gets made into a pumpkin pie filling, which becomes "crust-less pie."

From the Joy of Cooking cookbook: Pumpkin or Squash Pie

Mix until well blended:
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin or squash
1 1/2 cups undiluted evaporated milk or rich cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs

Pour the mixture into a pie shell or a greased bowl or pan. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degress and bace about 45 minutes longer or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

For a variation, try omitting the milk and substituting 2 Tbsp molasses and 1 1/2 cups sour cream.



Another favorite at our house: Winter Squash Bars (from Simply In Season)

Beat together in a mixing bowl:
2 cups winter squash or pumpkin (cooked, pureed as above)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix in:
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pour into a lightly greast 11 x 17 inch pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degress for 25-30 minutes. Mmmm....


And finally, get a copy of Simply In Season cookbook (Herald Press, 2005) and try out their
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake (p. 219) or their Pumpkin Pecan Pie (p. 217). They sound wonderful !!





Sunday, September 12, 2010

THE SEPTEMBER CHICKEN MASSACRE !

OK, well, no, the sky isn't exactly falling, but SOMEthing has reduced our hen population by about 40 birds...! It started with a look at the flock on Friday evening as I was doing chores, and saying to myself, "THAT doesn't look like 90 birds to me." As it was almost dark, and the hens were on their roosts, a quick count came up with only about 48 birds. .... ..... UH-OH. So, we go into "lock-down" mode -- sorry, ladies (addressing the poultry, that is). No more free-ranging until we have a chance to move the birds and their hoophouse closer to the buildings.

Now, the reason the hens have been banished so far from the house in the first place is their known propensity to enjoy the garden entirely too much. I mean, they're welcome to eat all the foxtail seed heads they want. But, they're NOT welcome to peck on the strawberries during September! So, if they move in closer, they'll have to be inside the electro-net fence, a confinement they don't entirely appreciate, nor do they entirely respect it, leading to a daily nuisance of playing "chicken round-up."

What is the prevailing theory? Well, we don't suspect Salmonella contamination of the feed -- contrary to the recent scare involving the "big boys"!!! More likely, a coyote and/or a fox -- or 3. We've never lost this many birds completely unsuspected. Raccoons, possums, skunks, and even stray dogs, all leave their grisly evidence behind, each with its own unique appearance -- "Let's not go there". But we've heard many a tale of foxes grabbing a bird and going off some distance to enjoy the feast. And, our hens really do enjoy poking around in fox heaven, meaning the brush on the south edge of the farm. So it seems pretty likely. And then, there's the "smart farmer" confession that I really think the last "hen count" was probably the day the hens moved back into their rebuilt quarters, which was... well... 3 months ago.....

I'm a little chagrined that just earlier Friday morning I was replaying for our tour group my usual brag on our ace-in-the-hole farm mutt (you all know, Bonzo), and how, no, we really haven't had any problem with losing chickens out 300 yards from the house. Bad brag! I think we made a tactical error, though, in that, between the house/garden and the chicken pasture, we are currently grazing 5 steers, one of whom has recently shown a distinct dislike for the dogs, especially the "little one" (rather hot contempt/disdain might put it better!), and this seems to coincide with a recent distinct lack of presence of the dogs in the pasture near the chicken coop.

Which of course leads back to a recurring theme in the ongoing saga of the Friesens' steep learning curve in this "diversified farm" game. I never cease to be amazed how the various pieces of the farm puzzle interact in fascinating, but often unpleasant and seemingly totally unpredictable (at least "unpredicted") ways. How am I, the confessed newbie, supposed to guess that finishing a steer in the cornfield would result in losing almost 1/2 of the layer flock in another pasture 200 feet away?! Get smarter, I guess. "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

Now the good news: We were debating how to thin down our aging flock of hens, a few still veterans of our move here 3 1/2 years ago. We were semi-seriously considering releasing a bunch of the elder ladies for a last hurrah free-ranging in the back 40, until they became (inevitably) "food for the wildlife." Although.... I don't think the killer in this case was quite as discriminating in sparing the younger hens!
The other good news: I found 3 eggs today from the new pullets just maturing in the barn pen. And, I don't think it's too late yet to carry out our plan to raise a crop of pullets through the fall and winter. All does not appear to be lost -- for the moment!
And, thirdly, this does put the current egg production of about 20/day in a more favorable light, considering the number of remaining birds....

In the meantime, we patrol the now "cooped-up" hoophouse at chore time, trying to be sure a determined attacker hasn't chewed right through the chicken wire in its enthusiasm -- and yes, that is the voice of experience speaking from a few years ago. (That memorable morning we awoke to "the sounds of silence -- complete silence -- from the coop!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sweet Potato Harvest


The "tuber rescue" has begun... Two weeks ago, Rita harvested a short section of one sweet potato row. Nine days later, she harvested a second section with the volume nearly doubling and signs of mouse-testing which hadn't been present before. On Labor Day, with the help of Miriam and Isaiah, the row was finished along with the partial row next to it. We have two more full rows of Beauregard and one full row of NC Japanese to dig. The vines are still very vigorous so the tubers will continue to grow. The mulching did an excellent job of keeping the weeds under control, so the digging is quite easy. We've included these in shares already and begun to add them to our meals. We enjoy them baked or boiled or fried (haven't pulled out the deep fryer yet, but we will!) and as the base of a dinner roll recipe which we found in Simply in Season:

Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls -- 2 dozen

1½ c whole wheat bread flour
¼ c sugar
1 T active dry yeast
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg
¼ t ground ginger
¼ t ground allspice
Combine in a large bowl.

1 c sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 c milk
¼ c butter
Combine in large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Add to flour mixture. Beat with mixer set on low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is all moistened, 1-2 minutes.

1 large egg, beaten
Add and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

2-2½ c bread flour
Stir in enough flour by hand to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 709 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide it in half. Roll each half of dough on lightly foured surface into a 12" circle.

2 T butter, melted
Brush each circle with 1 T butter. Cut into 12 wedges and tightly roll up each wedge from wide end to point. Place crescent rolls, point-side down, on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated oven at 375ºF until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.
Option: Roll each half into rectangle, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll like a log, then cut into ½" pieces. Place in 9"x13" pan and cover until doubled. After baking, frost lightly for a tasty cinnamon roll.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Eggplant Burgers and Cucumber Salad


Late summer's heat is a good time to enjoy these favorite vegetables -- cucumbers and eggplant.

Eggplant Burgers (from Simply in Season)

2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp vinegar (wine or balsamic vinegar if available)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Whisk together in small bowl.

1 large eggplant
Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices to make 12-16 slices. Brush with the oil mixture. Grill over medium-high heat. close lid and cook, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining oil mixture, until tender, 5-10 minutes. Remove from grill. (Eggplant slices may also be cooked under the broiler or sauteed in a frypan until tender, 4-5 minutes per side.)

8 thin slices provolone, Gouda, or other cheese
2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
or 4 large pices roasted red sweet peppers
8-16 leaves fresh basil
freshly ground pepper
Place a slice of cheese on 1 eggplant slice; top with another eggplant slice. Top with 2 tomato slices or a piece of roasted red sweet pepper, then 2-4 basil leaves. Top with third eggplant slice, then another slice of cheese. Top with fourth eggplant slice. Place on grill; close lid and cook about 2 minutes, turning once.

4 crusty rolls or 8 thin slices sturdy bread
Drizzle balsamic vinegar on inside of split rolls. Or brush bread with olicve oil, toast on grill, and lightly rub a cut clove of garlic over the toasted surface. Add vegetable stacks and serve immediately. Or cool, wrap tightly, and refrigerate several hours, allowing flavors to blend.


Cucumber Salad (from More With Less cookbook)
Place in a bowl:
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp finely cut fresh dill (use feather leaves, not seeds) or dill weed, dried
Combine in small bowl:
2 Tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
Mix and pour over cucumber slices. Chill and serve.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Gad-Zukes, It's Zucchini season!


We've been enjoying a nice crop of zucchini this year. I thought we should give you some ideas of ways to use them, so you wouldn't have to drop them (on the sly) in people's cars at church.

First of all, my least favorite way to eat summer squash: Cut them into chunks and boil them till soft, then serve lightly salted.... what a waste! :-)

On the other hand, an equally simple way to enjoy zucchini is breaded and fried. Just dip in flour seasoned with seasoning salt and pepper, then fry in the vegetable oil of your choice.

But to really enjoy the flavor of a zucchini, try these ideas:

Zucchini Fritters (from "Vegetable Fritters" in Simply In Season.)
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 eggs (beaten)
Mix to form a smooth batter.
Add 3 cups shredded summer squash (zucchini, or may also mix with yellow summer squash). Add 1/3 cup onion (minced) or 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Add 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped) -- optional
Very lightly spray a frypan with oil and heat to medium hot. Drop a large spoonful of batter onto frypan. Fry until golden, turn and cook on second side until done. Serve with butter -- YUM!
Caution: This recipe is never enough for some of "us" :-)


Zucchini Casserole -- always a favorite at our house. (See the June 2009 blog entry on "Zukes" for this recipe.)


and finally.... Let's not forget zucchini bread, and chocolate zucchini cake.... although I personally think these are just poorly-concealed excuses for an out-of-control sweet tooth!

The Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe is also already posted on the June 2009 blog "Zukes."

Zucchini Bread
In mixing bowl, combine:
3 beaten eggs
1 cup oil
3 cups peeled and grated Zucchini squash
Into this mixture, sift:
3½ cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup chopped nuts
Optional: 1 cup crushed pineapple and ½ cup raisins
Pour into 2 large loaf pans (greased and floured) and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

No summer is complete without some of these zucchini squash favorites!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Stewed Cabbage with Dried Fruit

For another interesting variation on cabbage, try this recipe from Mennonite Foods and Folkways, contributed by CSA member Zella Penner.

4 Tbsp. shortening
6 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 bay leaf
10 prunes
1/2 cup raisings and/or 1 cup dried apples
1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar

In a heavy saucepan melt shortening. Add cabbage, bay leaf and fruit. Cover tightly. Simmer over low heat about 1-1½ hours. Stir occasionally. Add extra water if necessary. Cabbage should be golden brown.

Mix salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar and season cabbage and fruit mixture. Serve

Orange Mint Tea

Another favorite summer recipe from Simply In Season.

3-4 cups water
5-6 sprigs fresh mint (each about 6 inches)
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add mint, cover, remove from heat and steep 15 minutes or longer. Remove mint.

1/3 cup sugar or to taste
Add and stir until dissolved. The resulting concentrate may be poured over ice to dilute and serve, or may be cooled and frozen for later use.

For orange mint tea:
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
water and ice
Combine juices in a half-gallon serving pitcher. Add mint concentrate plus water and ice to fill the pitcher. Chill completely and serve garnished with mint sprigs and thin slices of oranges or lemons.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Pickled Beets -- Merlin's Favorite


As we're sending you all this good crop of beets, might I suggest a great way to enjoy them through the summer, or all year:

Pickled Beets

Select and prepare small whole beets with 1-inch stem and all the root. Boil at least 15 minutes, until fork-tender. Trim off roots and stems. Slip off skins under running cold water.

Prepare a boiling pickling syrup of equal parts vinegar and sugar. Dilute with 1-2 cups beet juice (from cooking) according to taste. Add 1½ tsp salt. If desired, add 1 cinnamon stick and 6 whole cloves or whole allspice. Cover cooked beets with boiling syrup.
For refrigerator storage, boil beets and pickling syrup for 3-5 minutes. Cool. Beets may be kept, covered and refrigerated, for 4-6 weeks.
For canning, pack beets whole, sliced or diced into hot canning jars, and cover beets with pickling syrup, leaving ½-inch headroom in jars. Process in boiling-water bath for 30 minutes.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Rita's Favorite Poppy Seed Cole Slaw

Here's a favorite way to enjoy the freshness of summertime cabbage....

Chop in blender, or shred and cut finely:
2 large or 3 medium heads cabbage
2 stalks celery (if desired)
3-4 carrots
1 onion
Sprinkle generously with salt and set awide while making dressing. Before adding dressing, squeeze dry.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
With an electric mixer mix:
1 ¼ cups sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp. grated onion
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
Stir together and gradually add 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Beat for a long time (at least 10 minutes). This cannot be mixed too long.
Add:
a bit of garlic salt
1 ½ Tbsp. poppy seed, as you stop the mixer.

Pour dressing over cabbage mixture, and mix well.

OR...
For a lighter dressing that lasts for months in refrigerator...
(from More with Less cookbook)
Combine in saucepan:
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup vinegar
1/8 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp. celery seed
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. When cool, add to cabbage. Mix well.