Klasse Woods Garden

2012 Farm Share

2012-01-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

Click image to see Sign-up & Info sheet.

www.klassewoodsnaturalfarm.com

News

2011-12-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

Klasse Woods Natural Farm is:

~ Taking CSA to the next level ~

Watch for Details

Picture Perfect Pumpkins

2011-09-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

The year of the abundant pumpkins, 2011.

So we set up a display on the yard and took pictures with pumpkins. What a nice addition of color and texture ...

Gotta Try Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-09-24T17:33:00.001-07:00

Chef-n-Training has post on Pumpkin Pancakes. Gotta give it a try!

Pumpkin Decor

2011-09-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

We've added some little "jack-be little" pumpkin gourds and "wee be little" to the csa baskets shares...just for fun!

They can add bright color to indoor Fall decor.

Here are some elegant pumpkin decorating ideas:

Did you know that beeswax candles clean your air while regular petroleum candles pollute it? ... if you need beeswax tea light candles to burn in your jack-be little pumpkins, our son Brayden sells those and all kinds of beeswax candles -- check out his Klasse Candles website.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole

2011-09-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

Make a pumpkin filling using the previous Honey Pumpkin Pie Filling recipe. Mix up a batch of oatmeal crisp crumb topping:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup slow cook oats
1/2 cup brown sugar

Whisk the butter, flour and sugar into crumbs. Add the oatmeal.

Pour your pumpkin filling into an ungreased casserole dish. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the oatmeal topping onto the partially set pumpkin pudding. Return to the oven and bake another 25-30 minutes. Cool. Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream.

This dish can be used as a dessert, but at our house we use it as a breakfast...it has eggs, milk, and oatmeal which are all breakfast which are regular breakfast items. So, that's how I justify dessert for breakfast while eliminating regular desserts!

Honey Pumpkin Pie Filling

2011-09-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

2 eggs
1/4 cup liquid honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
11/2 cups cooked pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup hot milk
pecan halves

Beat eggs. Gradually beat in honey, add spices and salt. Stir in pumpkin. Heat milk and add to pumpkin mixture. Pour into an ungreased casserole dish or unbaked pie crust shell. Bake in hot oven, 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes until it begins to set. Remove from oven and cover the top with pecan halves or just around the perimeter of the pan, as desired. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until the pudding is firm. Serves 6. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Use this filling to make Pumpkin Pudding (without the pie crust) and Oatmeal Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole.

Pumpkin

2011-09-14T15:35:00.002-07:00

What to do with ...

Pumpkin? I just cut it, seed it, peel it & steam it until tender in a pot and then I puree it with my Braun stick blender. I do have some recipes on my blog for Pumpkin Granola and Pumpkin Granola Bars.

One of favorite ways to use pumpkin is "Pumpkin Pudding" which is just the pumpkin pie filling baked in a casserole, sometimes with a "topping" of pecans or maybe oatmeal crumb topping ... serve with whipped cream. Yumm!

BUT ... there is no rush for using the pumpkin. It can be used around the house for decoration for the Fall. They will usually keep until at least February or so if it doesn't get eaten before then.

Tomatoes

2011-09-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

Of course, with the frost last night, we had to pick everything - thus the green tomatoes in your baskets this week. We just thought if this were your garden, and it is.. kindof - if you area CSA member, you would have green tomatoes in your house too.

The best thing we've found is to place them in a cardboard box with a lightly closed lid of newspaper so they can still get a little air, but they like the dark.

That said, not all green tomatoes get to the ripe stage...especially this year since our tomatoes suffered with blight again this year. Too bad, but that is fact. Perhaps that is why they ripened oh-so slowly too???

Of course, you could always try fried green tomatoes...or a myriad of other recipes that Google could turn up.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

2011-09-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe is really good. Gourmet.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

* 2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb), stems removed, finely diced
* 1/2 red onion, finely diced
* 1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
* 1 serano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
* Juice of one lime
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Optional: oregano and or cumin to taste

Method

1 Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for heat.

2 Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.

Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

Makes approximately 3-4 cups.

Serve with chips, tortillas, tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, pinto or black beans.

Sorry, no picture -- our camera is on the blink. :(

What Do YOU Do With Your Basil?

2011-08-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Pizza?

Burgers?

Spaghetti sauces?

Soups?

Smoothies?

Basil, the bunch with the bigger leaves:

Sara from the Healthy Home Economist tells you exactly how easy it is to use your garden herbs all year 'round. Dry it!

I've done that with dill. Now, I'm inspired to do it with basil. These hot sunny days will work well for this.

Dry your basil if you can't use it all fresh.

... and do try a bit in your next smoothie. Umm-mm!

So good, so healthy!

Rolling Out the Green Carpet

2011-08-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

The simplest things make the most fun!

Our little people had tons of fun Friday evening AND Saturday morning making a green carpet for us to enjoy with Grandpa & Grandma.

Weeds from the orchard were carefully placed on our front step.

We oo-ed and aw-ed.

It was so soft and cool to walk on.

The children had so-o-o much fun!

The orchard got weeded, at least partly, hehe ... sh-h-h, don't tell them that part though. It was a nice side bonus.

Wonderful, Bountiful Zucchini

2011-08-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Zucchini is so-o-o-o healthy ... and so-o-o-o good!

What do you do with it, you ask?

- Baked Zucchini makes a favorite light summertime meal for us.

- fresh zucchini dippers with Dill Dip.

- toss cubed zucchini into stir-fry.

- saute sliced zucchini with onions & serve hot.

- we enjoyed sauted zucchini mixed with fried hamburger crumbles served with potatoes & gravey. Not terribly original, but we needed a quick meal one day this week. It was yummy! The crew asked for it again, so it passed the test.

- many folks use zucchini as low-carb substitute for pasta -- as spaghetti or lasagna noodles. Use a zoodler for aesthetic culinary appeal.

- Zucchini Salsa has become THE salsa of preference at this house!

- Carolyn's family has been enjoying Zucchini Relish as long as I've known them.

- Chocolate Zucchini Cake or
Coconut Zucchini Cake our family cannot decide which is their favorite.

- let the children have at carving up a zucchini ... wasteful perhaps? Cheap FUN! Or ... do both. After carving, wash it up and eat it yet anyway, lol! Make it into salsa or relish.

Who knows you may inspiring a budding chef??!!

Two Weeks ago

2011-08-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

So, you noticed a lack of postings lately?

Life has been crazy busy 'round here. It has slowed down a bit since the chickens are now all in freezers, but the hot dry weather of July has been intense.

Chickens do not like the heat -- we lost 29 birds in two days because of the heat ... and they would have been in a freezer in a couple days. Argh!

The gardens like the heat, but not without water. It is so dry!!

We can & do water, but that is just not the same as a good rain! God does everything so much better than we ever could!

That said, we're doing our best with what we have. Now we know, with 5 acres of gardens, we know we need to upgrade & automate some kind of watering system in order to continue gardening in these sandy hills of the Spruce Woods area.

That's a project for another year, one upgrade at a time.

We've been so-o-o-o thankful to have a tractor & good rototiller and antique potato planter & digger (as well as a few other little pieces of equipment) for the 2011 garden season. The work has been much lighter with those added blessings.

Too Many Greens?

2011-07-14T07:33:00.001-07:00

Just wash & toss the greens (I especially like to do this with kale & spinach)into the freezer if you're planning to use them for smoothies -- smoothies are very forgiving. Of course, package the greens in plastic bags or containers. I have also frozen kale for winter use by processing first into a thick paste using a little water in my blender. Then I poured the "paste" into large containers and froze in a thin layer which I could then break into pieces to add to winter smoothies like ice cubes ... except these were kale cubes, lol!

It is a great way to extend the goodness of my pure nutrient dense garden foods for use in the winter. Gotta love it!

July 13/14 - CSA Basket

2011-07-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

- baby carrots
- radishes
- summer savory
- basil
- green onions
- romiane lettuce
- curly leaf lettuce
- butter crunch lettuce
- swiss chard
- kale
- spinach

Another green basket this week with bits of color. Scrumptious taste of the first tender carrots and red crunch radishes definitely brighten the salad with their added color, crunch and taste.

We were sorry the peas just were not ready yet this week ... need more rain. Watering just isn't the same as a good soaker from above.

Enjoy the salads while you can. We have huge rows of lettuce and spinach that are already bolting because of the heat ... some rain would be helpful. Succession plantings are coming along, but they are prone to bolting also with the hot summer days. We'll seed more for Fall harvests.

Some of the plantings of spinach and dill are already harvested -- we'll put more stuff into those spaces for later harvesting.

The herbs in your basket this week are summer savory and basil. Cooking with fresh herbs is truly a culinary experience to savor.

Basil is the large leaf herb while summer savory has the smaller leaves.

Use summer savory in soups, basil in soups, stews, sauces, homemade hamburgers ... and smoothies??!! Yumm! Watch for another post on "Adventure in Smoothies".

Be sure to toss the herbs, spinach etc. into ziplocs and into the freezer for later use ... then you can enjoy a bit of summer in winter! Or if you have a vacuum sealer your herbs will store even better.

What Do You Do with Kale?

2011-07-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

They tell me Dr. Oz says you should eat kale. It's good for you.

I agree.

Not only is it good for you. It's just plain good.

I didn't know that until two years ago though. So don't feel bad if you haven't discovered yet. Maybe this is YOUR year of kale discovery.

Let me share with you four great ways how we've begun enjoying kale...LOTS of it!

1. Ripped and tossed into a green salad (remove the stems, use in the next idea) -- that's the easiest way. You don't even know it's there, but you're getting the nutrition just the same. See our twelve green salad.

2. In smoothies -- this is the sweetest idea. A good blender makes wonderful cooling freshing summer snacks so handy & nutritious. Use up the stems from the kale you had in salad, don't throw them out, use it all.
If you can wrap your brain around drinking green, the kale taste is practically "invisible" in a smoothie because fruits like bananas, strawberries etc. camouflage the mild kale flavors. In fact, I freeze kale washed & whole or blended into a puree to toss into our winter smoothies. Fresh, organic summer goodness in winter. Yumm!

3. In stir-fries -- the stems are great here too. I just cut them first and give them a bit more time to cook than the leafy parts which I add a bit later.

4. Do try Kale Krisps if you haven't yet. This is so-o-o-o good. Comments I heard today around the table when I served Kale Krisps were:
"Don't take it all, leave some for me."
"I want some too."
And from our 2 yr old, "Mama, can I have some more cheese." The tenderized kale with cheese was so much easier for her to eat than a green salad!

The Kale Krisps are a nice vegetable to eat with eggs. Some of the boys even made a sandsich with Kale Krisps on their toast and topped with a fried egg. Yummy!

That said, now I'm thinking I better go plant more kale. You all will be wanting more than I can supply??!!

Too bad it took me so long to discover kale, but I'm so glad we did!

Week #2 CSA

2011-07-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

- romaine lettuce
- butter crunch lettuce
- Grand Rapids, curly leaf lettuce
- spinach
- swiss chard
- kale
- baby dill
- green onions
- thyme
- rhubarb

Next week? Peas, carrots, and probably potatoes, beet greens ...

CSA 2011 #1

2011-06-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

The first basket, aren't you excited? We are.

There are lots of greens:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Curly Lettuce
- Spinich
- Swiss Chard
- Kale
There is also:
- Rhubarb
- Radishes
- Onion Greens
- Baby Dill
- Thyme

If you think it isn't very full don't worry, more is coming!

Aftermath

2011-06-09T07:00:00.002-07:00

Cleaning up all the coverings to hold back the frost from damaging tender plants:

We grateful for these resources: Old sheets & towels, holey socks cut open, dirty laundry, tarps and plastic have served another purpose in protecting the gardens. They've been re-purposed!

They can be used again. The bigger pieces can be used in Fall again, the smaller ones are only useful for seedlings & transplants so they'll need to be washed & dried ... well, everything needs to at least be dried so it doesn't go moldy.

It is easiest to let my maid do the laundering so ...

You do the math.

Thanks for praying off the frost with us.

You prayed. We prayed. We did our part. God did the rest. He did the Best!

Adversity Brings Advantage

2011-06-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

We've often heard it said, "There is an opportunity behind every adversity".

Our children found an opportunity to run through the tunnels and swing in the tent made by setting up and drying off the tarps that were used to fend off the frosts.

It thrilled my heart to hear their squeals of glee as they scooted through their miners tunnel and swang under the tent tarp. You would've smiled too!

Like most things, the their thrill didn't last too long ... not long enough for me to enjoy & get the camera. But they did have fun, and I chose to enjoy them instead of running off for the camera.

You'll just have to trust me on this one.

Fighting Frost

2011-06-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

Holey socks cut open to lay flat, larger ones cut in half...serve to blanket tender seedlings and transplants:

Even with a two year supply of holey socks from nine of us, we still didn't have enough. So we garnered other resources: tarps, poly, old sheets, towels, etc.

Two hours of frantic effort for six of us = 12 man hours. Then we pray, go to bed and check in the morning.

Weather

2011-05-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

We made it through winter (I think).

We've been spared the flood waters.

The garden is up & coming ... now, will it survive these frosty nights?

Thankfully, only hardier crops are up so far: peas, spinach, carrots ...

Everybody Can Plant This Garden

2011-05-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

How To Plant Your Garden

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING ,

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS :

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS COMPLETE WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

Gratefulness

2011-05-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

We are counting our blessings as many along the Assiniboine River are experiencing flooding of their homes and property, we are high 'n' dry. Though we're only 3 miles from the overflowing river, we are situated at quite a high elevation.

And, we figure we're on the right side of the bridge since most of our contacts are on this side of it too. The water keeps rising, slapping against the girders of the bridge. So far, it remains open, but officials are watching it closely. We wonder if it will be closed? Will the structure be compromised? The water is flowing so swiftly ...

Our field garden did have about 4 feet of water in it at the beginning of the spring thaw, but as soon as the frost left the ground the water disappeared - literally within a couple days.

Baby Chicks

2011-05-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

This is an exciting day!

The baby chicks have arrived. They are so-o-o-o cute! Ten weeks from now they'll be ready for the oven, via your freezer.

We're taking orders now. First come, first served!

Contact Us to place your order.

It seems the day we get chicks is always cold and windy, 2011 started off the same way.
We met that challenge by putting a "jacket" on the shed so we could keep the temperature at a steady 33 degrees Celsius inside. So far, so good. Praise the Lord!

New Life on the Farm

2011-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Our first little calf arrived about 2 weeks ago.

Monday four more made their appearance and yesterday a sixth was born.

New life is always exciting. It's fun to watch them bounce and run...

We Do the Work

2011-03-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

You can have a garden and eat of it's fresh bounty too.

If you don't have

-- the TIME to have a garden of your own ...

-- the ability to have your own garden, for health reasons or whatever ...

-- any no desire to garden ...

-- the space in your yard or apartment to grow a garden ...

we'll do your gardening for you.

More info here and Sign up here ... there are still a few 2011 shares available.

Klasse Gets on Facebook

2011-03-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Since Facebook is the quickest way to reach a lot of people with a message, we've decide to put Klasse Woods Natural Farm onto Facebook making it easier for you to share our opportunity with your friends and family ... and they can share it with their friends and family ... etc.

Use the link at right to "Like" us on Facebook and spread the word.

We thank you! There's a FREE roasting chicken in it for you for EVERY referral you send us who signs up for our garden shares.

This year, 2011, we will be bringing our garden shares to:

- Brandon
- Macgregor
- Austin
- Portage la Prairie
- Winnipeg

Tell everyone you know.

2011 Has Begun!

2011-03-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know you know that we're already well into the year 2011, but I want you to know too that the 2011 Garden has also begun ...

---- the bedding plants are ordered -- and some are already seeded!

(this is last year's stock picture, but you get the idea, right?!)

---- the seed list is made, some are ordered, some are still on the list ... which begs the question:

Is there anything you would specifically like to see in this year's baskets? Or on the market stand?

Some of the new things we're planning for this year are turnips & butternut squash. We'll also try again with the cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli & cauliflower in another attempt to "beat the bugs". Our research has turned up another non-chemical defense ... we'll see how it works!

Final CSA Baskets #'s 18 & 19

2010-10-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Our final two weeks worth of garden produce were delivered this last Friday. With the killing frosts taking our gardens earlier than normal, we are quite pleased that the hardier greens and winter storage veggies were available in ample supply to fill the baskets.

It was a challenge to come up with ideas to add to each basket, but we trust that it is also reasonable & pleasurable as well as being sustenance for your families.

The fresh ground organic whole wheat flour is a staple at our house. If you have never used whole wheat, give it a try with the bag that was added to your baskets. Be sure to store unused flour in the fridge or freezer as the fresh ground flour is susceptible to going rancid. Be sure to notice the two recipes that I posted earlier for Chiffon Cake & Buttermilk Whole Wheat Waffles.

The cherries are great fresh frozen, in smoothies or made into sauce and used in recipes some of which are also posted earlier.

Our twins picked up the pinecones earlier in summer & bagged them to add to the basket for you to enjoy in the upcoming Christmas holiday season.

The thyme plant can be kept indoor for the winter providing your family with this aromatic fresh herb. Then plant it outdoors in the spring to let it grow & thrive in a little spot on your yard. It is a perennial so it will keep on giving great flavor & health!

Finally, the bag of potatoes should help to feed you families for a while yet. Hopefully it makes up for another basket worth. We do not have storage for root vegetables ... yet! So we shared it with you.

Whole Wheat Chiffon

2010-10-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Another favorite way to use whole wheat flour ... then again this recipe does well with most any type of flour. Give it a try.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2010-10-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

Whole wheat flour makes wonderful waffles.

Buttermilk WW Waffles

3 eggs, separated
1/2 c. cooking oil
2 c. buttermilk
3-4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. honey/sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Separate eggs. Beat whites until stiff.. Use mixer to mix egg yolks, oil & buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients then add into liquid mixture. Mix only until the batter is smooth, then fold in the whipped egg whites.
Bake in hot waffle iron. Makes 10-12 4"x4" waffles.

Top with ice cream or whipping cream & cherry sauce ... any which way. They're yummmm!

CSA Basket #17

2010-10-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

The season is almost done. One more basket after this ... plus a big sack of spuds if you wish.

-- onions
-- carrots
-- swiss chard
-- parsley
-- beets
-- parsnip
-- potatoes
-- peppers
-- amber cup squash
-- spaghetti squash

Next week:
-- hubbard squash
-- 2 lb. tub of frozen cherries
-- bag of fresh ground local organic wheat flour (store in fridge or freezer)
-- various squash
-- bag of pinecones for holiday decorating and/or fire starters
-- maybe more ... we'll just have to wait & see

... and the bag of spuds if you've requested it.

CSA Basket #16

2010-10-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

The lettuce from last week was short lived. That was our third planting that yielded just one picking. Yes, a bit disappointing, but alas, such is what we expect at this time of year.

Nevertheless, there is still quite a bit of garden goodies to share:

-- red and white potatoes
-- carrots
-- peppers
-- onions and green onions
-- beets with greens
-- chard
-- parsley
-- thyme
-- spaghetti squash
-- two pumpkins, one smaller & one larger

CSA Basket #15

2010-10-01T17:07:00.001-07:00

The lettuce made it through these last three weeks of frosts & has grown enough to be an option in the basket this week. Yumm!

--carrots
--potatoes
--beets with greens
--lettuce
--chard
--zucchini
--thyme
--summer savory
--onions
--peppers - turning colors

As the gardens wind down in production with the turning of the season the baskets are getting leaner. That's what happens in Fall. It is precisely that reason that causes us to top up the baskets, even to overflowing, during the peak production season in mid-late summer.

Much of what you are getting in these last weeks is produce that will keep longer, especially if you can refrigerate some of it. Hopefully you're finding ways to use it or share it. Peppers, for instance, can be diced & frozen for use later in soups, stews, sauces & omelets. While the pumpkins & squashes should keep a month or two or three in a cool, dark place somewhere. I've even used up the last of my larger zucchini's in December once or twice in years past.

All that to say. Enjoy! Gardening 2010 is coming to an end.

Looking forward to 2011 ... notes are taken from 2010 experiences. We'll toss out some ideas & plant some new stuff -- one thing for sure? Butternut squash.

Zucchini Bread

2010-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I've never posted this before ... I've been making it for years. In summer, almost every week. It's a classic seller @ Farmer's Markets/Bake Sales too.

My mother was first to make it a lot -- she passed it on to me. Now, I'm passing it along to you & your family. Will you do the same?

Here it is. Enjoy!:

Zucchini Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
3 cups grated zucchini
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.

This recipe lends itself to being made into loaves -- I make mini-loaves -- or spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet it makes a nice cake also.

Grating and freezing zucs that are getting wilty is a great way to keep on enjoying garden greatness even in winter. This is one recipe that is perfect for those grated zucs -- just freeze in 3 cup packages.

Kohl Rabi Revisited

2010-09-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

I still have a few kohl rabi sitting in my fridge, do you too?

Since we've had quite an abundance of these this year - were you thinking too many? - I have found that I've gotten creative with using this healthful cruciferous vegetable.

In fact, I've even gotten to liking it more and realizing it has some strong redeeming qualities -- it is the easiest of the cruciferous family to grow. While cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and even kale were ravaged by bugs the kohl rabi, though loosing its leaves to flea beetles, still developed & gave us healthy meals.

Believe it or not, this spring we planted about 400 bedding plants of cabbage, broccoli & cauliflower, in two separate attempts to provide these healthful veggies for our family & yours. All to no avail. We lost virtually all of them to root bugs, cut worms and/or cabbage butterflies which infested the potential heads with worms ... ugh! You know us, we just don't use chemical!!!!!!!!!! If we did, we'd get hit with it during application, during handling and then again when we eat it. We just can't do that - it goes against our philosophy. And of course, we will not knowingly offer protein-filled garden produce to our customers -- that goes against everything too!

So, we just suffered that loss. Inevitably, we regret, it was your loss also. Perhaps we'll try again, but first we'll have to learn how to effectively grow it organically. Do you have any tried & proven ways to manage growing healthy cruciferous plants without chemicals? Do you care to share? We're always willing to learn.

Here is one way we've come to enjoy kohlrabi:

My family really enjoys this broccoli cauliflower salad. I just added diced kohl rabi to the mix and they enjoyed it just as much. One large or two small kohl rabi are enough -- too much of their tough texture is not a good thing.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

1 bunch broccoli - cut into bite size pieces
1/2 a head cauliflower - cut into bite size pieces
1 large kohl rabi peeled & diced
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 large red onion, diced fine -- or use green onions, chives or white onions, but red is prettiest & it's milder flavor lends itself well to a fresh salad.
1/2 cup whipped dressing

Toss well & serve.

Another way we now enjoy kohl rabi is in stir-fires. Yummm!

CSA Garden Basket #14

2010-09-20T18:33:00.001-07:00

Another bountiful basket, a testimony of God's goodness ... in spite of inclement weather patterns like La Nina.

Red & white potatoes
Pumpkin
Spaghetti squash
onions
beets
parsley
carrots
peppers
sweet banana peppers
corn cobs -- the last to enjoy for the season
swiss chard

A Finishing Frost

2010-09-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

It got down really cold early this morning. Though we've had frosts for almost two weeks already, they were mild and did not really threaten the hardier plants like spinach & lettuce.

We tried to save this last planting of spinach & lettuce by having the soaker hose running on it all night long and into the morning until the frost had lifted. It did the job ... all tender plants are done for 2010, but these have survived. Now for some warm weather yet... Do you think we'll get some?

This was our last of the summer succession plantings of the greens, seeded in mid-July ... we have yet to harvest it - more than two months later. Go figure! The end of this summer has just not had much sun and warmth. La Nina is having it's cooling effects early -- The Manitoba Co-operator said that it may well continue through the winter as well ... oh, I hope not. Each of the two winters we've spent in Manitoba have been below normal temperature, so say long term resident friends and neighbors ... and I was looking forward to warmer winter temps than Saskatchewan has, sigh!!!!!

Spring 2010 was mild and wet. The first planting of greens did so well then. Later plantings had poor germination and then the week it was ready the hot dry days of July were upon us causing what was there to bolt and turn bitter. We were so sorry to see that happen. We had soaker hoses on them then too, but at that time it wasn't enough to save the lettuce from the summer heat.

CSA Garden Basket #13

2010-09-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

This basket full of veggies and some fresh greens may well be one of the last ones with fresh greens, due to frost. We have already had two frost nights since last Tuesday with more to come. That means it is time to clean out the gardens.

Today's basket contains...
-Red Potatoes
-Sweet Corn
-Onions
-Carrots
-Parsnips
-Cucumbers
-Green Bell Peppers (some of you got a ripe red one)
-Sweet Banana Peppers
-Jalapeno Peppers (HOT)
-Swiss Chard
-Bunching Onions

CSA Garden Basket #12

2010-09-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Today there is another basket full of flavor and color, including...

-Lemon Boy Tomatoes (lower in acid than the Red ones)
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Red table Potatoes
-White baking Potatoes
-Onions
-Beets
-Carrots
-Cucs
-Kohl Rabi
-Sweet Corn
-Green Bell Peppers
-Green and Yellow Zucchini
-Swiss Chard
-Green Onions

CSA Garden Basket #11

2010-08-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this weeks Basket full of color and flavor.

-Red Potatoes
-Onions
-Cucumbers
-Carrots
-Green Bell Peppers
-Sweet Banana Peppers(full shares)
-Tomatoes
-Apples
-Swiss Chard
-Green Onions
-Thyme
-Parsley
-Zucchini
-Starburst Squash

Fridge Pickles

2010-08-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Two unheated fridge pickle recipes Barb found at
Keeper of the Home, tweeked a little from the original recipes found in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.

Since I'm learning how important it is to preserve the live enzymes of raw food, I'm going to give these a try today. We'll see what my family thinks -- I'll post an update after they've given their reviews, rave or not! Lol!

GARLIC DILL PICKLES (from Nourishing Traditions, with variations by Keeper Of the Home)

Makes 1 quart

4-5 pickling cucumbers, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp mustard seeds
sprigs fresh dill (c. 2 tbsp+)
2-5 cloves peeled garlic (to taste)
1 tbsp sea salt
4 tbsp whey
1 cup water

Mix in quart jar, seal w/lid. Leave at room temp for 2 days, then to fridge. Stores in fridge for months.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES (from Keeper of the Home)

Makes 1 gallon

14 cups sliced cucumbers (pickling are best)
3 onions, sliced or diced
1/4 cup sea salt
3 cups raw honey
2 tbsp. celery seed
2 tbsp. mustard seed
6 cups apple cider vinegar

Put all in jar, mix well, ready in two weeks, will last for months in fridge.

CSA Basket #10

2010-08-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Another bountiful basket of garden fresh produce:

- red & white potatoes
- tomatoes
- Collette apples
- onions
- carrots
- chard
- zucchini
- corn on the cob
- parsley
- thyme
- cucumbers

Appetizing Zucchini

2010-08-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Our all-time favorite zucchini dish -- at least once a week in zucchini season, which started on June 17th this year for us. Whoohoo!

Do yourself a favor and give this appetizer dish a try! Be sure to try it with the Dill Dip too.

Go here for the recipe.

Garden Basket #9

2010-08-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

This weeks garden basket contains new, late summer flavors of sweet corn and bell peppers. Sorry the Dill and Parsnips missed the picture.

-Sweet Corn
-Green Peppers
-Tomatoes (including a taste of yellow tomatoes)
-Onions
-Red Table Potatoes
-White Baking Potatoes
-Carrots
-Parsnips
-Beets with Greens
-Kohl Rabi
-Green& Yellow Zucchini
-Spaghetti Squash
- Big Dill
-Summer Savory
-Sweet Basil
-Thyme

CSA Garden Basket #8

2010-08-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

In today's basket we have...

-the first Tomatoe
-a taste of Cucumbers
-the first Sweet Banana Pepper
-green & yellow Zucchini
-generous portion of Potatoes
-Onions
-Kale
-Swiss Chard
-Beets with greens
-Kohl Rabi
-Sweet Basil
-Baby Dill

We picked out of a very wilted garden last night but we did get 3/10 of an inch of rain over-night. So hopefully it will perk up again.

Enjoy your vegetables and look forward to corn next week!

Still Planting

2010-08-07T08:04:00.001-07:00

More romaine & dill went into the ground this week. That should produce nice greens for Fall salads.

Subsequent plantings of carrots & spinach are coming nicely already.

This is the first year that seeding seems to never end ... but then, we do keep on eating too don't we? It's a habit. With Klasse Garden goodies, a good one!

Garden Basket #7

2010-08-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

This weeks garden basket is again loaded with fresh color and nutrition.

-red potatoes
-white baking potatoes
-carrots
-onions
-yellow wax beans
-kohl rabi
-green & yellow zucchini
-spaghetti squash
-red leaf lettuce

Enjoy!

CSA Basket #6

2010-07-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

The herbs this week are mature dill, thyme (with purple flowers), and summer savory.

In addition & still to come (barring unforseen weather):
- cucumbers
- corn
- zucchini
- spaghetti squash
- other squashes
- pumpkins
- parsnips
- beets

Please pray for timely rains ... the gardens are wilting here. We're trying to water, but it's just not the same as when God does that job ... and we can't do everything.

We are VERY thankful for the 1/4 inch rain we did get last night. So refreshing! So needed!

CSA Basket #6

2010-07-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Summer bounty:
- potatoes
- green beans
- yellow beans
- dill
- summer savory
- thyme
- romaine head
- red sail lettuce
- beets with greens
- onions
- carrots
- swiss & rainbow chard
- kale
- radishes
- cucumber

Kale Krisps

2010-07-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

So easy ... so yummy ... so healthy!

Two ingredients:
1 - kale
2 - cheddar

Remove stems from a bunch of kale -- a big bunch! These will disappear fast!

How to de-stem kale? Hold a leaf by the stem in left hand with the leaf facing up. Using your right hand, pinch it lightly around the stem & slide it quickly from the bottom of the leafy part to the top. You'll be left with just the stem in your left hand. Toss out the stem, I tried putting it into a stir-fry this evening -- that was not good, the stems were too woody and we ended up discarding them in our plates.

Tear the greens into bite size pieces. Place a parchment on a cookie sheet. Spread the kale greens evenly on the cookie sheet. Then sprinkle grated cheddar over the greens and bake -- I baked mine @ 400 degrees today for about 15 minutes. I will try a slower oven -- that may give the crispy effect, but it would also maintain the integrity of the kale because of the lower heat.

Serve warm. These were gone in a flash and my boys were asking for more! I didn't even get a picture -- I will post one here though first chance I get.

Try it. You'll love it too, I'm pretty sure.

Kohl Rabi

2010-07-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

That's the name of the funny looking thing you got in the basket this week...just in case you did not know. Not everyone does, and that's ok!

What do do with it? Eat it raw ... after you've peeled it. Cut it into sticks for dipping with a Dill Dip or your favorite veggie dip.

It can also be cubed and tossed into a salad or a stir-fry. Or just simply dice it and steam it. Serve it like you would steamed broccoli -- it actually tastes a bit like steamed broccoli. Or toss it into a casserole or quiche that calls for broccoli ... the ideas are myriad, really.

Oh, and before you toss out the leaves think again -- those you can throw into a green smoothie, or snip them and toss into a green salad or a stir-fry ... they're good to the last leaf!

For your health!

Garden Basket #5

2010-07-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, we're going into the home stretch of July 2010 ... amazing.

The garden goodies are great again this week. Even we're wishing the trugs would expand so we could fit everything into them better.

What's in it this week?
- herbs: mature dill
basil
summer savory
- potatoes: reds
whites - "Sheperdees" are great for cooking and/or baking (they're not dry when cooked)
- green peas - for shelling
- carrots
- onions
- kohl rabi
- green leafy: kale
romaine
red sail lettuce
- rhubarb

Adding Beauty

2010-07-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Our little princess couldn't resist ... she picked a blossom off it's plant. Instead of letting it wither & die, we made a bright spot in a little corner of our home,

Add a little water and a couple carrot-top tips, voila!

CSA Basket #4

2010-07-13T07:51:00.001-07:00

Another full basket today! Enjoy!:

- red potatoes
- white potatoes
- snap peas
- shell peas
- onions
- carrots
- romaine lettuce
- chard
- kale
- oregano -- the long stemmed herbs
- thyme -- the shorter stemmed herbs

If you cannot use all the herbs fresh this week, just label & freeze them or dry them for use later in winter. I'm just discovering the difference that fresh herbs makes in cooking -- I encourage you to try the venture too!

Now That's a Garden Salad!

2010-07-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

We had a bright garden salad for lunch today ... bright in color. Bright in Taste. In fact, I'm sure I've never had a better salad!

All twelve greens, 12 -- yes, you read that correctly -- were fresh from our garden:

- romaine lettuce
- beet greens
- red curly leaf lettuce
- spinach
- chard
- sorrel
- broccoli leaves
- kale
- purslane
- onion greens
- dill
- oregano

Along with fresh eggs from the chicken run, cooked & chopped as well as, homemade whole wheat croutons and our favorite cesaer dressing.

Green Smoothie

2010-07-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

This smoothie is a new version of my breakfast smoothie ... I like smoothies for breakfast. It works for me!

My base is a handful of soaked/sprouted almonds with a cup of water (or I use the water used in soaking the almonds, but you can also use green tea, almond milk, yogurt, aloe vera juice ... most any liquid you prefer).

To the base I add some greens:
- a handful of spinach
- a couple leaves of kale
- a carrot top (less if they are large as the taste gets too strong if there is too much carrot tops in the smoothie)
- a plant or two of purslane/portulaca

1/2 apple quartered, frozen - complete with core (pear is nice instead of apple)
1 slice raw, frozen pineapple
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp raw cacao nibs
1/16 tsp.stevina powder for added sweetness, optional
4-5 ice cubes

Blend until smooth & enjoy!

Any combination works. Experiment with it to find your favorite mix.

CSA Basket #3, July 6

2010-07-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

- new potatoes
- new carrots with tops
- new beets and greens
- onions
- snap peas
- summer savory
- baby dill
- lettuce
- spinach
- kale

Carrots & Tops

2010-07-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Fresh garden carrots ... YUMMMMMM! The taste is just hard to beat.

The carrots are coming to you with the tops still on. They're edible too ... and very nutritious!

">" ... highly nutritive, rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. The tops of the carrots are loaded with potassium which can make them bitter, so the use of them in food is limited, but there some ideas and recipes below.

The tops are antiseptic and can be juiced and used as a mouthwash.

... Carrot greens are high in vitamin K, which is lacking in the carrot itself.

... tops are an outstanding source of chlorophyll, the green pigment that studies have shown to combat the growth of tumours. Chlorophyll contains cleansing properties that purify the blood, lymph nodes, and adrenal glands."

I've been adding them to my morning smoothie. Getting greens in a smoothie is the easiest way to eat greens ... aside from a nice salad. Somehow a smoothie seems more like breakfast food than a salad,lol!

Some other things you can do with carrot tops:

- use them for greenery in a flower arrangement from your own flower garden

- use them to garnish a dish ... cooking is an art!

- add them to soups

- add them to salads

- add them to casseroles

- toss them in the freezer to use later in winter when greens are scarce.

Some recipes to try:

Carrot-Top Soup

Carrot-Top Tea

Carrot-Tops with Hazelnuts in Pesto for Pasta

Happy Hens

2010-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Hens lay healthy eggs.

Lots of fresh air, sunshine, greens, fresh water and organic grains in their feed mix supplemented with certified organic kelp meal for their vitamins & minerals ... all of that ensures healthy eggs. Just what I like to feed my family. With the extra we have to sell, you can feed your family healthy food too.

The bright yellow yolks attest to the fact that our layers have free-run of their range. We have noticed though that the yolks in the white eggs do not seem to be as bright yellow, yet they are in the same range & getting the same feed as the brown egg layers, so they're just as healthy -- perhaps they're just not as suited for real farm living??

We have found it difficult to get brown layers, thus the whites. Perhaps we'll need to consider raising our own brown layers from day 1?? Now that would be a whole new venture for which we're not really set-up ... we'll see.

CSA Basket #2

2010-06-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of greens in this basket:
- romaine & red sale curly leaf,
- beet greens with baby beets for a telling first taste,
- chard & a few leaves of kale,
- new onions with greens for bright flavor
- and a bag of much loved garden candy -- baby potatoes
- a bit of dill to add to this 'n' that or freeze/dry for later use

Rhubarb Marmalade

2010-06-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Guest Post: (Thanks, Carolyn)

Rhubarb is one of my favourites: I remember as a child sitting on the back steps at my great-aunt's up near Rivers armed with a stalk of rhubarb and a bowl of sugar. I would dip the rhubarb in the in the sugar, and suck eagerly until the sweetness was gone, and then go back for more sugar! The tartness of the rhubarb lends itself well to the sweet.

This recipe makes for an excellent sweet-and-tart topping for toast, cakes, or just to eat straight from the jar! It can easily be halved for smalled batches, or doubled and put in 500 ml (1 pint) jars (process for a couple of extra minutes). If you don't want to can it, or don't have the right equipment, you can easily pour this into containers and store it in the fridge... I promise it won't last long anyway!
*
Rhubarb Marmalade *
(adapted from Jean Pare's /Company's Coming: Preserves/)

makes 5 to 6 - 250 ml jars

2 lbs (900 g) fresh rhubarb, cut up
2 lbs (900 g) granulated sugar
2 smallish oranges

Put rhubarb and sugar into large saucepan. Remove a very thin layer of orange peel with no white pith on it (if you leave the pith, your will get a distinct bitterness). This takes a bit of work and a good, sharp knife. And preferably no toddlers tugging at your legs. Remove and discard white pith from peeled oranges.

Slice peel in very thin strips. Cut strips into short lengths. Cut the flesh of the oranges into small pieces. Add peel, pulp, and any juice collected on your cutting board, to saucepan.

Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Skim off any scum that forms.

Remove from heat. Test to see if mixture has reached jell stage. If jell stage not yet reached, return to heat and boil 2 minutes longer and test again. Repeat as necessary.

Fill hot sterilized jars with 1/4" headspace. Process for 10 minutes in hot water bath. Make sure you let your spouse lick out the pot.

First Basket

2010-06-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday we brought out the first garden baskets. There wasn't a lot ready, but the spinach and lettuce needed picking -- a we certainly can't eat that much greens ourselves. We thought you might like some first tastes.

If you're at all familiar with gardening, you know that things do start slow ... and abundance comes later. Certainly, I think members who got our baskets last year can attest to the filled & overflowing baskets that came later in the season.

At any rate, we do hope that you enjoyed the package.

For those of you with a half share, we substituted the delightful little Johnny-jumps ups to add to salads or decorate desserts since they're edible and add so much appeal to a dish.

The full shares were given a 2 lb. tub of frozen pitted carmine jewel cherries. One way to use those is to cook up a quick sauce and use them in many of the recipes posted earlier. For quick reference, here's the sauce recipe:

Cherry Filling

1 - 2 lb tub cherries
1 - 2 lb tub water
1 1/2 cups sugar (I've also used 1 cup honey instead of the sugar)
5 Tbsp. cornstarch (or half tapioca starch / half cornstarch)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Put cherries and water in a pot. Cook cherries
gently until soft. Add sugar and stir. Mix cornstarch with
lemon juice and a little more cold water. Add to boiling cherries stirring
constantly. Boil 3 minutes longer until cornstarch has thickened and sauce is clear, stirring constantly.
Pack into hot jars, seal and turn jar upside down OR Use immediately or store in refrigerator once cooled (keeps in the fridge for about a week).

Use filling in any of the following recipes, in pies and tarts or as a sauce over perogies, cheese cakes, ice cream, pancakes, cream puffs…use instead of cranberries with stuffing … we even use it like jam!

OR ... check out the variation that combines the cherries with the rhubarb:

Cherhub Sauce
This is a variation of the recipe above - we like it just as well or better...and it makes the cherries last longer and the rhubarb not as tart.

Make the recipe above but add a good cup of rhubarb before cooking. You may wish to add a little more sugar (1/3 cup) as well. Try and see what you think.

Garden One

2010-06-20T17:17:00.001-07:00

This is one of our three gardens this year ... the yard garden.

Then we have the orchard garden -- planted between the rows of Carmine Jewel cherry trees (which should have their first fruit in summer of 2012).

And we broke a patch in the field for potatoes, corn, carrots and beans ... the field garden.

Peas - A Month Later

2010-06-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

The peas are taller, climbing up their trellis ... sunshine is really making them stretch.

Blossoms may also be soon forthcoming.

Looks like it may be an early harvest??

Ready - Set - Grow

2010-05-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

Here at Klasse Woods Natural Farm things are starting to grow. It won't be too long before they are ready to go. Some of what is up includes:

Sweet Green Peas,

Radishes,

Beets,

Rhubarb,

As well we have some new pictures of our
bedding plants over at the greenhouse.

Peppers,

Tomatoes,

See -- Your Garden is Growing!

2010-03-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

We have hired Sprucedale Industries of Austin, Manitoba to be our expert "green thumbs" -- they have the expertise & the equipment to do the job right! Which in turn frees us up to do other necessary tasks @ Klasse Woods Natural Farm.

2010 Begins

2010-02-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

We're deep into planning for spring ... this all is so exciting.

New members signing up ...

planning the bigger garden ...

ordering bedding plants & seeds ...

counting our chickens ((counting how many layers & how many broilers to order)...

planning for turkeys ...

feeding the cows & anticipating calving in the warmer months of May & June ...

learning new farming methods -- like putting ducks in the potato patch for bug control. It just may be better than our little crew last year, freeing up the boys for a new venture elsewhere -- a new all natural, fun way to farm. Thanks Inheritance Farm Family!

THE Pumpkin Dessert

2009-10-23T11:32:00.001-07:00

We tried this. It is very good, but also very rich.

THE Pumpkin Dessert

* 15 oz. can pumpkin
* 1 can evaporated milk
* 3 eggs
* 1 c. sugar
* 4 t. Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus (or 2 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
* 1 yellow cake mix
* 3/4 c. butter
* 1 1/2 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Combine first 5 ingredients. Pour in a greased 9×13 pan. Crumble yellow cake mix on top. Melt butter; pour evenly over all. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped topping.

Thanks Amy.

Out with the Old ...

2009-10-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

In with the new -- or actually it is in with the old too, lol!

Winter jumped on us with the cold temps & snow this last week or so. It effectively ended the 2009 garden!

So yesterday the garden looked like this:

Notice the compost piles being added in preparation for the 2010 garden!

And here is a picture of newly sprouted spinach for harvest next spring -- we'll see if that works!

Today everything is a couple inches under snow!

Pumpkin Choclate Chip Muffins

2009-10-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
* 4 eggs
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (yes, 1 1/4 cups or substitute some applesauce for 3/4 cup)
* 3 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (Regular or mini)

Directions
1.In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.
2.Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
3.Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
4.Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

Yield: 30 muffins

2009 Fall Frost Date

2009-09-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

While the spring frost was late in the year, on June 6th. The summer unseasonably cool, with a nip of frost even as late as July 11, 2009. We've actually had a rather nice garden harvest this year after all, due in large part to the late Fall frost date of September 28, 2009.

We had harvested or protected everything that needed it so we can continue to enjoy the benefits of great nutritionally dense home-grown/local vegetables ... and fruits.

Thanks be to God for the great harvest!

Good News

2009-09-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been waiting for our farm fresh eggs ... we've acquired some new laying hens. They are true free-range birds from a local farm ... raised by their Mother Hen!

That said though, many of them are not yet ready to lay - they are three months old now and a hen usually starts laying eggs at five months of age.

Mother hen is laying again though - she is Americana, so she lays blue shelled eggs. Our wholesome chicken food will allow her to produce the same healthy eggs that our Isa brown layers have been providing:

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

2009-09-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

"Mom you have to make more of this. It is so-o good!"

That about says it all!

Here's the recipe:

* 7 cups applesauce, natural
* 2 cups apple cider
* 1 1/2 cups honey
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground cloves, optional
* 1/2 tsp allspice

Preparation:
In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 14 to 15 hours or until mixture is a deep brown.
Spoon hot apple butter into hot sterilized jars and seal, then process half-pints or pints 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Makes 4 pints or 8 half-pint jars.

Sept. 24th CSA Basket

2009-09-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

The new items this week were the sprig of peppermint and an amber cup squash.

I honestly don't know how to use the peppermint other than making a tea. Do you have ideas? Please share them if you do ... thanks!

The amber cup squash I do know - it keeps long into the winter, even longer than pumpkins. It is sweet and silky. We've enjoyed it both in casseroles and stir-fry dishes as well as in dessert dishes like pumpkin pudding (watch for that recipe post to come).

Lentil Zucchini Casserole

2009-09-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup lentils
3 cups water

Put into a casserole. Turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

2 - 12 inch zucchini, diced
4 cups tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cheddar, shredded or diced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder

Mix the above veggies, spices & cheese then toss onto the par-boiled rice & lentils.
Bake for 30 minutes more uncovered. Remove from oven. Let sit for 10 minutes, then serve.

Cheese Corn

2009-09-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

Our all time favorite way to eat corn on the cob ... with Cheez Whiz!

HOT!!!

2009-09-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ken likes hot, but these are HOT -- see the missing bite?

Hahaha, we all had a good laugh when he started sweating. He confidently bit into it since just four days earlier he ate a green one of the same variety and it was just mildly hot ... hehehehehe!

Let us know if you can use some of these this Fall. A few are ready now, mo-ore coming later. Lots on the vines.

More Ideas for Using Cucumbers

2009-09-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Carolyn for this guest post:

Pickling not your thing? Got all these cucumbers?

Cucumber-Buttermilk Dressing
Originally from /The Tightwad Gazette/

1 c. buttermilk (or use 1/2 buttermilk and 1/2 thick natural yogurt)
1/4 c. grated cucumber (about 1 small)
2 tbsp minced green onion or chives (about 1 green onion)
1 tbsp dijon-style mustard
2 tsp minced parsley
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp black pepper

Pour all the ingredients in a small bowl or a 1 pint mason jar. Mix or shake well to combine. Refrigerate.

Makes a great dressing for pasta or rice salad.

More Things to Do with Zucchini

2009-09-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Carolyn for sharing this:

Growing up, heaven forbid we used cucumbers to make relish. They were for pickles. :) We used zucchini for our relish.

*Zucchini Relish*
yields approx 5-6 pints

10 c. coarsely grated zucchini (scoop out seeds, peel as needed)
4 c. chopped onions
2 large green peppers, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 large red peppers, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 tbsp. pickling salt

Put veggies in a large pot and sprinkle with pickling salt. cover and leave overnight. Drain and rinse twice, and return to pot.

In a large bowl, combine:

4 c. white sugar
2 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp celery salt
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp prepared (yellow) mustard

Add to vegetable mixture and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Thicken with:

2 tbsp cornstarch AND
2 tbsp flour

Pour hot relish into hot jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes*. Let cool undisturbed for 24 hours, check seals, and store.

*10 minutes is the processing time if you're under 1000 ft about sea level. If you're in Brandon or the immediate area, you should process for 15 minutes as we are above 1000 feet, and are considered "high altitude" for canning purposes.

Edit note: I wasn't going to make relish this year because I still have some in the pantry - yup, I still have cucumber relish - but I've heard zucchini relish is so-o-o good ... I'm going to try some of this yet too!

Our Favorite Dill Pickles

2009-09-05T18:22:00.001-07:00

In recent years I slice the cucumbers before placing them in jars. We make both dill chips - cut into circles - and long slices. It is so handy to serve these for use in sandwiches and burgers.

Place a few springs of dill in the bottom of each jar along with one clove garlic, sliced (if desired). Slice cucs and place into sterile jars. Then cover with this brine:

6 cups water
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. pickling spice

Bring the brine to a boil in a pot. Pour brine over cucs in the jars. Seal jars. Process in water bath - bring canner to a boil. The pickles will just be turning color. Remove jars from the hot water. Tighten seals & invert jar to ensure a good seal.

Zucchini Salsa

2009-09-04T12:17:00.001-07:00

It's a KEEPER !!!!

Our family uses a lot of salsa - Mexican dishes being our favorite meals ... In my years of making salsa, I've developed a superb recipe that others have frequently requested. That resulted in me adding it to the cookbook that I published in 2001.

Well. This Zucchini Salsa that I tried this year has topped that! Everyone in the family gives raves reviews on this one, asking that I make ALL my salsa now using this new recipe. Does that speak volumes or what??

Here is the Zucchini Recipe that Ken found this week in the Manitoba Co-operator sent in by Joy from B.C.:

Zucchini Salsa

10 cups grated zucchini
4 medium onions, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 red peppers, diced
4-6 jalapeno peppers, blended
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. dry mustard
4 cloves garlic, blended
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. tumeric
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp extra spicy Mrs. Dash
1 cup vinegar
9 cups blended fresh tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Mix all together. Boil for 40 minutes.

Mix & add: 3 tbsp. cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water.

Add to salsa & return to boil.
Pour into sterile jars. Seal & process in water bath for 30 minutes.
Makes 11 pints.

Do give this a try. I'm thinking this will extend my tomato crop which always seems too little -- while using up the zucchini which is in ample supply. Not only that, but the sweetness of the processed zucchini eliminates the necessity of added sweetener in the recipe. Win/win!! Yahoo! I like it when experiments work out so well!

Crustless Zucchini Quiche

2009-09-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

2/3 cup onion
1 tbsp. butter
2 10-12 inch zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
5 eggs
2/3 cup cream
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2/3 cup shredded cheddar

Saute onion, add zucchini and saute about 5 minutes. Pour into pan. Beat eggs with cream and spices. Pour egg mixture over zucchini. Top with grated cheese. Bake for 45 @ minutes 350 degrees until the edges are browned and the eggs are set in the center. Let cool 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Fridge Cuc Salad

2009-09-04T12:06:00.002-07:00

10 cups diced cucs
1 diced onion
2 peppers
4 large stalks celery
Toss with 1 Tbsp. salt. Let sit for 1/2 hour & drain.

Mix Brine:
1 cup vinegar
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. celery seed

Pour brine over veggies. Store in fridge. Serve. Reuse brine and/or keep adding more veggies as desired. Keep in fridge indefinitely.

Garden Pak, Sept. 3

2009-09-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

Another heavy basket full of good/great food! And ... the corn is finally ready.

Aug. 27/09 CSA garden Pak

2009-08-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

This week is exciting as we have some new things like:
first tomatoes,
thyme,
green peppers,
and cucumbers
that add color and variety to your produce baskets.

Aug. 20/09 Garden Pak

2009-08-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry the picture was late.

Garden Variety Canned Beans

2009-08-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

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.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Strips

2009-08-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

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!

Chickens are Ready

2009-08-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

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.

Krispy Kale

2009-08-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

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!

Aug. 6/09 CSA garden Pak

2009-08-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Another week and another full Pak of "nutrient dense" vegetables.

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.

Dill

2009-08-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

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).

Zuchinni Cake

2009-08-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

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.

Walnut Pesto

2009-08-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

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

1 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 & 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.

Spinach

2009-07-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

Spinach goes well in soup, see this post. And in salads.

We have prepared and frozen packages for use through the winter. Washed, chopped and packed tightly into ziploc sandwich bags, then frozen for later use.

It was really neat to find a new use for my pizza cutter ... yup, it works really slick to chop the spinach. Even the guys took it for a drive, hehe! So cool! The job was done in no time at all.

Another favorite way is in Spinach Loaf. I like to serve this with other appetizers for a light Sunday supper.

Spinach Loaf
2 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp onion powder
1 cup mayonnaise
1 clove minced garlic
2 loaves pumpernickel bread (or other favorite bread)

Mix ingredients. Make a bowl out of one loaf and fill with spinach mixture. Wrap in foil or place in a covered casserole dish. Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve with the rest of the bread broken into pieces.

Planning for the Future

2009-07-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

This spring we planted 300 cherry trees in our orchard PLUS 15 honeyberries. This summer and next they are getting tender-loving care. Hopefully by their third summer we'll be able to taste them and then in their fourth summer we should have a nice harvest already.

Wednesday we traveled just over an hour to pick four pails of raspberries from the excess in my SIL's garden (Bless you, Diana!). We are so grateful for this good food! This Fall, we intend to plant raspberries & strawberries - they should be bearing right here @ Klasse Woods in a couple years. Oh-h, that will be so nice!

Grapes are on our want list also (hopefully this Fall also).

And asparagus (next spring?).

Perhaps more currants (our one small bush yielded one soup bowl full - we enjoyed it as a sauce on pancakes @ breakfast Monday morning).

In the future, we hope to provide our CSA garden customers with a fruit basket as well as a vegetable basket.

July 30/09 Garden Pak

2009-07-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

This was a big basket full to the brim, including new items like:
- potatoes
- zucchini
- peas
- sweet basil
and more.