first tomatoes,
thyme,
green peppers,
and cucumbers
that add color and variety to your produce baskets.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Aug. 27/09 CSA garden Pak
first tomatoes,
thyme,
green peppers,
and cucumbers
that add color and variety to your produce baskets.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Garden Variety Canned Beans
These beans are simply delicious -- our boys have nicknamed them "Singin' Beans" because they make you feel like singing when you eat them.
They are very nice to have on hand for quick veggies to add to a winter meal.
Garden Variety Canned Beans
Nip, wash & cut beans into inch long pieces. I like the look of green and yellow beans mixed in the jars.
Dice onions, green pepper & celery.
Place a spring or two of fresh dill in a quart jar. Fill to 3/4 with beans. Add:
1 tbsp. diced onions
1 tbsp. diced green pepper
1 tbsp. chopped celery
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Press down firmly and fill with more beans as necessary. Fill jars to within an inch from the top with hot water. Clean the jar rim thoroughly then place your snap lid and screw the ring on lightly. Place into a water bath canner. Add warm water to the canner to the shoulder of the jars. Bring slowly to a rolling boil and keep that rolling boil for 1.5 hours while turning the heat down slowly.
Use a pressure canner if you have one to cut down on processing time. Follow directions that come with your canner. We just prefer the texture of the finished product when it is done in the waterbath canner.
They are very nice to have on hand for quick veggies to add to a winter meal.
Nip, wash & cut beans into inch long pieces. I like the look of green and yellow beans mixed in the jars.
Dice onions, green pepper & celery.
Place a spring or two of fresh dill in a quart jar. Fill to 3/4 with beans. Add:
1 tbsp. diced onions
1 tbsp. diced green pepper
1 tbsp. chopped celery
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Press down firmly and fill with more beans as necessary. Fill jars to within an inch from the top with hot water. Clean the jar rim thoroughly then place your snap lid and screw the ring on lightly. Place into a water bath canner. Add warm water to the canner to the shoulder of the jars. Bring slowly to a rolling boil and keep that rolling boil for 1.5 hours while turning the heat down slowly.
Use a pressure canner if you have one to cut down on processing time. Follow directions that come with your canner. We just prefer the texture of the finished product when it is done in the waterbath canner.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Strips
Our all time favorite way to eat zucchini:
2 or 3 12-inch zucchini
2 cups ww bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground rosemary
1 cup Zesty Italian dressing
(optional: make your own zesty dip using extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and spices of your choice)
Cut zucchini into strips. Mix crumbs, cheese & spices. Dip zucchini strips into the Zesty Italian dressing. Then dip them into the bread crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until browned and crispy.
Serve immediately with Dill Dip.
This is a very nice appetizer ... or make a lot and it makes a delightful light lunch!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Chickens are Ready
Our pasture-raised chicken is ready for pick-up or delivery. Order what you need for the year before our limited supply runs out.
Lots of fresh water, sunshine and fresh air along with their greens makes for tasty chicken.
There's nothing better than chicken raised in the wide open outdoors, eating fresh green grass - they're moved onto fresh grass, getting fresh bedding two and three times each day. We supplement their diet of greens with our own special locally grown grains & kelp for minerals.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Krispy Kale
One of our favorite ways to use kale is to make:
Krispy Kale
Tear & toss kale leaves with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the dehydrator until crispy ... or set oven at 200 degrees or a bit lower to dehydrate for 8- 10 hours as needed until the leaves are crispy.
This meets a savory need with "nutrient dense" foods ... I love that phrase, "nutrient dense"!! Gotta use it when ever I can, lol!
Of course, kale can also be used as an added green in a green salad.
Enjoy the variety of summer greens!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Aug. 6/09 CSA garden Pak
New items this week are:
green and yellow beans,
yellow zucchini,
snap peas,
parsley,
curly kale,
and swiss chard.
Hope you enjoy all the variety.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Dill
Don't know what to do with dill every week? Freeze it for winter use in soups, use it to make Dill Mashed Potatoes like Jennifer did (yummy, one of our favorites too!) or dry it on a cookie sheet in the hot summer sun on the south side of your home. Then crush it and press it through a sieve. Store in a small recycled jar with a self-seal lid. Wha-lah, dill weed to add to dips and sauces.
Our favorite Dill Dip gets rave reviews from family and friends whenever I serve it:
Dill Dip
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup whipped dressing or mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Mix well. Keeps a week or so in the fridge. Use as a dip for fresh veggies or with Baked Zuchinni (watch for that post coming soon).
Our favorite Dill Dip gets rave reviews from family and friends whenever I serve it:
Dill Dip
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup whipped dressing or mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Mix well. Keeps a week or so in the fridge. Use as a dip for fresh veggies or with Baked Zuchinni (watch for that post coming soon).
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Zuchinni Cake
Finally the zuchinni is ready!! We use a LOT of zuchinni, in many different ways. I'll be sharing many of those ways here with you ...
We have about 20 plants. There should be more though if we get some warm weather AND ... if it doesn't freeze again! Pray that it doesn't freeze, there's too much good stuff yet to come out of our great big beautiful garden. You should see it, here's a recent picture:
This Zuchinni Cake recipe was given to me by my mother -- somehow though, it always tastes better when she makes it, lol. We do enjoy it both as a coconut cake or in the chocolate flavor:
Zuchinni Cake
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
3 cups grated zuchinni
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. coconut flavoring
1 1/2 cups ww flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup shredded coconut
Whip eggs, oil & sugar until frothy. Add zuchinni, flavorings and salt. Mix. Then add flours, baking soda & baking powder. Mix well, then add coconut. Stir it in. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes.
Drizzle sparsely with a thin cream cheese icing, if desired.
Chocolate Variation: Omit the coconut flavoring & the coconut. Instead put 1/2 cup cocoa into a cup and fill with boiling water. Stir until smooth and add to your batter at the end. Optional: "Ice" with chocolate chips.
We have about 20 plants. There should be more though if we get some warm weather AND ... if it doesn't freeze again! Pray that it doesn't freeze, there's too much good stuff yet to come out of our great big beautiful garden. You should see it, here's a recent picture:
This Zuchinni Cake recipe was given to me by my mother -- somehow though, it always tastes better when she makes it, lol. We do enjoy it both as a coconut cake or in the chocolate flavor:
Zuchinni Cake
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
3 cups grated zuchinni
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. coconut flavoring
1 1/2 cups ww flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup shredded coconut
Whip eggs, oil & sugar until frothy. Add zuchinni, flavorings and salt. Mix. Then add flours, baking soda & baking powder. Mix well, then add coconut. Stir it in. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes.
Drizzle sparsely with a thin cream cheese icing, if desired.
Chocolate Variation: Omit the coconut flavoring & the coconut. Instead put 1/2 cup cocoa into a cup and fill with boiling water. Stir until smooth and add to your batter at the end. Optional: "Ice" with chocolate chips.
Walnut Pesto
The new green herbs in last weeks basket was basil, but then you had that figured out right?
Claire shared her pesto recipe with me way back. I changed it a bit because I didn't have the pine nuts on hand. The verdict? Walnuts taste good in pesto too!
Walnut Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed lightly
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of pepper
Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve on toast or warm fresh bread, with pastas or spaghetti squash. Yummmmm....
DH doubled the recipe to make a pint of pesto. Something new for us, its a little bit different & may take some getting used to, but the general consensus is that we can try that again.
Apparently it can also be frozen and used as needed.
Update to July 2013:
We now make & use about 20 recipes of this in a year. It is a great condiment on sandwiches, on toast with tomatoes is absolutely yummy ... or a traditional use on pasta.
It is so-o-o healthy!
Yes, indeed it can be frozen. We freeze it in small glass jars (just be sure to leave a little extra room at the top for expansion). The small baby food jars are an ideal size. Alternately, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays, pop them out and store in the freezer in ziplocs or large jars. That way you can just thaw & use a little at a time.
Claire shared her pesto recipe with me way back. I changed it a bit because I didn't have the pine nuts on hand. The verdict? Walnuts taste good in pesto too!
Walnut Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed lightly
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of pepper
Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve on toast or warm fresh bread, with pastas or spaghetti squash. Yummmmm....
DH doubled the recipe to make a pint of pesto. Something new for us, its a little bit different & may take some getting used to, but the general consensus is that we can try that again.
Apparently it can also be frozen and used as needed.
Update to July 2013:
We now make & use about 20 recipes of this in a year. It is a great condiment on sandwiches, on toast with tomatoes is absolutely yummy ... or a traditional use on pasta.
It is so-o-o healthy!
Yes, indeed it can be frozen. We freeze it in small glass jars (just be sure to leave a little extra room at the top for expansion). The small baby food jars are an ideal size. Alternately, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays, pop them out and store in the freezer in ziplocs or large jars. That way you can just thaw & use a little at a time.
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