Winding Down

Well, it always has to happen...the end of the farmthisway CSA season.  Almost...Week 23 arrived yesterday, with cold wind, and stinging rain (and some hail too) to remind us that winter is on the way.  For us 24 week members, that means just one more distribution.  It comes in the form of a wreath and a bushel of hard squash for the winter. 

This year, that last distribution will arrive on November 16th.  Marty and Carolyn, our beloved farmers, are hosting an end of the year gathering so that all of the members can get to know one another, and enjoy a meal together.  Everyone will bring a dish to pass, and there will even be live entertainment, in the form of a folk musician.  The Fall setting in the barn seems a perfect way to end the season. 

This week we had our decorations distribution, but that's not all.  Besides a hay bale, corn stalks, Indian corn, pumpkins, and another beautiful mum, we also got an 8 qt basket of tomatoes, some squash (acorn and butternut) cabbage, and our farm fresh eggs. 

I look forward to some Butternut Squash Soup but also would like to attempt to make some more Butternut Squash Ravioli.  The last time I made the ravioli, they came out OK, good even, but I know I can do better, particularly in my pasta quality. 

As for the cabbage, that is bound for sauerkraut to have with my New Year's pork dinner.  Something my family always has on New Year's day is pork and sauerkraut.  I am not sure why, but I usually stick to that menu.  I used  Alton Brown's Sauerkraut Recipe last year, and it worked great.  Very easy, not a lot of attention needed, and it was tasty. 

Well, I am signing off for the season..sort of.  I may pop up over the winter with some new squash recipes just for fun, or when I pull some canned or frozen veggies from my CSA distributions out to use.  Year 2 of our membership with farmthisway CSA has again been fantastic and we look forward to seeing Marty and Carolyn continue to grow the membership!  If you are looking for a way to get your veggies and more from people you know, go out and meet Marty and Carolyn at the farm.  It's a great program and we will be back again next year!

Fall Harvest = Good eating!

A fabulous week of beautiful Fall weather brought us another WONDERFUL farmthisway CSA distribution.   8 quarts of tomatoes, 2 quarts of baby heirlooms, 2 quarts of delicious concord grapes, 10 heads of broccoli, 4 heads of cauliflower, 16 apples (half Macintosh, half Cortland) 2 heads of green cabbage, 1 of purple cabbage, 6 mini acorn squash, 2 pie pumpkins, and farm fresh brown eggs.  Today I will be processing some of this for the winter, but we will also be eating some more of it fresh.  I had an heirloom tomato and cheddar sandwich this morning for breakfast, and my kids all took some fresh fruits and veggies in their lunches.  Dinner tonight will include this recipe I found for Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower to go with our roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.   There will be a salad as well, with baby heirlooms, and some baby cukes picked up at the farmthisway stand at the Farmer's Market as well.  For dessert, we are going to take a page from Rachel Ray's book and have Super Stuffed Baked Apples a la Mode.  Yum.

In the time between now and dinner however, I need to blanch some broccoli and cauliflower for freezing (always nice to have my freezer stocked for winter) and make a couple of quarts of  tomato sauce as well.  The acorn squash will hold up well until we've had time to make a couple of meals out of it, so no need to process that.  Maybe I will rake the leaves so the kids can jump in them after school as well. 

Then, onto pie pumpkins.  I promised my 13 year old that if she had all of her homework done early enough today, she could help me get the pie pumpkins ready to bake with.  I am thinking there will be enough for a few pies, some muffins and pumpkin raisin cookies (we still have 3 pie pumpkins from our previous distribution). 

OK, time to log off.  As I read this, it appears I have a LOT to do today!  Happy Fall!  Enjoy the tail end of growing season and the beautiful weather outdoors.  Autumn is my favorite season! 

Fall is in the Air, Squash is everywhere

With a chill in the air and some squash in our farmthisway distribution, it really feels like Fall is starting to settle in.  The beginning of Fall is probably one of my favorite times of year.  I love cooking soup and the colors of fall, the smell of Fall and all of the cool things that there are to do.

I love to ride my bike with the smell of crisp leaves in the air.  The almost sickly sweet smell of apples fallen on the road as you ride by, or if you're really lucky, the smell of grapes on the vines.  I had a great ride out to farmthisway the other day on my bike.  Helped to pack up some heirloom tomatoes, which are THE BEST and then headed back home on the bike.  It was a glorious day.  Seriously, go buy some heirlooms...Tops has them.

But, back to my FALL obsession.  With half a bushel of acorn squash, which is part of our distribution this weel, you can make it several ways.  I'm fond of squash soup.  You can find a ton of recipes on line, and pick one that you think sounds best to you.  I sometimes like to pick one that has apple in it as well.   They make a great flavor combo.  You can roast the acorn squash tossed with olive oil, some shallots, or onions, and garlic, and whatever else you care to throw in (like dried cranberries) or for a simple and sweet side, you can split the squash in half, clean out the stringy and seedy bits, and then brush the insides with butter and sprinkle with a little salt.  A tablespoon of brown sugar sprinkled in each half, and some maple syrup.  Pop them in the oven for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes (don't forget to put about a half an inch of water on the bottom of the pan to keep the squash from drying out and the skin from burning onto your baking dish) at 400 and the kids will almost think it is dessert instead of their veggies!

You say To-MAY-To, I say To-MAH-To

This week brought a lot of tomatoes.  Of course, in my house, this means SAUCE time!  I like to can my sauce when the tomatoes are fresh and then have it all winter long.  Last year I made enough that I had my homemade sauce all the way through early March.  I am hoping to do the same this year, even with the tomatoes ripening later than last year.

I have also just received the gift of a Foley Food Mill.  Hand grind style.  It is wonderful and it means that all of my sauce will NOT be chunky style this year.  Last year it was, and I like it chunky, but some things work better with a smooth, chunk free sauce, so I will probably make mine half and half this year.

I like to throw other veggies in my sauce, like chunks of green peppers (which we also got in the @farmthisway distribution) and onion (ditto), to give the sauce some texture.  Some of my batches last year got squash and/or zucchini added to them as well.

If you like a little spice to your sauce, you can add one or two of the hot banana peppers as well.


Other than sauce, we have found other ideas for our tomatoes.  One of my 13 year old daughter's favorites this week has been to hollow out a tomato a little bit with a grapefruit spoon, and then fill it with cottage cheese and eat it that way.

There are also plenty of nice slicing tomatoes in the box, so some will go toward our Caprese Salad addiction.  We just pull the basil from the back deck, slice the tomato and pair with fresh mozzerella.  Reminds us that it is still Summer, despite the fact that the kids are back at school.

Fried Green tomatoes are on the menu again this week, and eggplant parm casserole as well.

Happy canning, and happy eating, from my kitchen to yours!

All Hail, Glorious Kale

I've had several people ask about the kale in our farmthisway distributions.  What can I do with this?  There are several great things you can do with kale, but first, how about some information on this green powerhouse.  I have pulled some information on kale from various resources.  Here is the low down on the queen of green.

Kale is low in calorie, high in fiber and has zero fat. One cup of kale has only 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat.  It’s also filled with many nutrients, vitamins, folate and magnesium as well as having iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium. 

A leafy green, kale is available in curly, ornamental, or dinosaur varieties. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

In summer, vegetable choices abound. But during the cooler months, there are fewer in-season choices -- with the exception of kale and other dark, leafy greens that thrive in cooler weather.

To find the freshest kale, look for firm, deeply colored leaves with hardy stems. Smaller leaves will be more tender and milder in flavor. Leaves range from dark green to purple to deep red in color.  

Store kale, unwashed, in an air-tight zipped plastic bag for up to five days in the refrigerator.

NOW you may ask...what should I DO with my kale....

Well, steam it, sautee it, use it as you would cabbage in cooked meals, or shred it up very tiny and you can use it in salads as well.  Baby kale works best for salads, but if you chop the full sized stuff small enough, it is great too.  You can shred some kale and put in in almost any soup.  I searched some creative recipes for kale, and while I am fairly certain I am not up for chocolate kale fudge pops, I may try to make this Kale-onaise

And if you have any potatos left from last week's distribution, sautee up some kale and mix with either mashed or diced, pan fried potatoes for a boost to your potato.  

Soup's On!

I know, I know, it is still Summer and you don't normally want to think about soup until Fall, but I LOVE soup and eat it year round.  I turn the Air Conditioning a degree or two colder and it is time to cook and eat a meal in a bowl.  This week with our farmthisway distribution, we received all of the makings of a delicious potato leek soup.  Or Leek Potato Soup as Alton Brown calls it.  Whatever it is, it is a favorite in my family and for that reason, I doubled the recipe and invited my parents over as well.  I served it up with some of the farmthisway fresh white corn (OH MY GOSH!  THIS IS SO GOOD!!!) and accompanied by crab cakes.  For these I used some lump crab meat, panko bread crumbs, and some onion (left from a previous distribution), green pepper (we have half a bushel this week), and garlic (also from past distribution).   Dinner was a hit with everyone. 

Now, what to do with all of those green peppers.  Well this morning is SALSA morning.  No, you won't find me dancing to Spanish music around my kitchen, I will be taking some onion, farmthisway heriloom tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos (from last week) and a lime, and mixing them up for a lovely home made chunky chip topping.  I will make too much, so I will can some as well.  Then I will have fresh tasting salsa in the coming months.  But, that won't use them all, so I found this.  Roasted Green Pepper Soup recipe to try.  I love red bell pepper soup, so why not the green pepper?  And like I said, I love soup year round, so a new recipe to add to my repertoire will be a welcome friend, especially in the coming cold months!  The recipe calls for roasted jalapenos but I may use some of the roasted/frozen farmthisway hot banana peppers that are in my freezer for the heat component on this one. 

And I cannot say enough about that white corn.  Part of me wants to put some in the freezer for winter, but most of me wants to eat it ALL, right now.  Since I already have one of my 4 freezer compartments almost filled with my earlier in the summer veggies, sweet corn and green beans mostly, I feel like this special treat will be gone by tonight....Just too good to save for later, though I might scrape an ear or two into my salsa as I make it, that always gives it just a little extra crunch and sweetness to cut the bite from the jalapeno a little bit.

Enjoy your week folks!  Have fun in the kitchen!

In love with Green Peppers

I LOVE green bell peppers.  You can do so much with them.  Usually we slice some up in a salad.  They make an AMAZING accompaniment, sauteed up with some onion, and served with sausages.  They are always in my homemade pasta sauce and homemade salsa, and often eaten raw, sometimes with a little ranch dip. 

This week, since we got quite a few in our distribution, I am making one of my favorite comfort foods.  STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS .  Meat, onion, rice and seasonings, make this a delicious all in one piece meal.  The kids get a kick out of anything that is a self contained meal, so this goes over well with everyone in the family.  Sometimes instead of the tomato sauce called for in the recipe, I use tomato soup instead.  It gives a slightly different flavor.  I like it either way, but I think this week I am going to opt for the tomato soup.  I may also opt to sprinkle a little cheese on them toward the end, just because I LOVE cheese as well.

Sometimes for fun, I also make this recipe as UN-STUFFED peppers.  Just sautee the peppers, onions, meat and spices up, and toss them in a casserole dish with the cooked rice, sprinkle with cheese (parmesan or cheddar are our favorites) and bake til bubbly. 


Hope you enjoy your peppers this week, I know I will!

Our friend the Aubergine (AKA Eggplant)

If you are lucky enough to get some eggplant, as I did this week with our farmthisway CSA distribution, you may wonder "What the heck am I supposed to do with this?!"  There is always the stand by Eggplant Parmesan, and you can use your favorite recipe for that or search one out on the internet, where everyone seems to have a must try recipe. OR you can think outside the box, and use it a little differently.  Here are a few ideas.  Some I have tried, some I have on my To Do List.

This one, by Rachel Ray, I have tried and I really enjoy it.  It also comes in handy if you are having vegetarian friends over for dinner.  Linguine with Eggplant Ragout .  It is simple, light and tasty. 

This recipe for an Eggplant Parmesan PIZZA really looks great to me.  I think I might try this out for a potluck that I am hosting on Sunday.  I like to use the Tuscan Six Grain crusts from Rustic.  Plus, they hold up well on the grill, and I love grilling pizza. 

Here is another fun way to serve up eggplant.   Eggplant Fries make great side dish and for those who think they don't like eggplant, this is a different way to try them.  They take on a different texture than eggplant normally does and that is the biggest complaint I have heard from people who don't like it, is that the texture throws them off. 

This recipe for Ratatouille my kids enjoyed.  I am not sure if it is because of the Disney movie of the same name, or because it was tasty.  Either way, it works for me.  It also includes zucchini, which many people are also looking for some new recipes for. 

Another recipe I look forward to trying is this one from Bobby Flay Grilled Eggplant Salad.  Simple and easy and mostly done on the grill, this sounds like a GREAT side dish. 

So, don't be afraid of eggplant, and don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new with it.  I look forward to trying out some new ways to cook our eggplant this summer. 

 

It's Not Easy Being Green (especially if you're a tomato)

 Many people shy away from a green tomato.  If they aren't a fan of Fried Green Tomatoes, the dish, not the movie, they aren't sure what else to do with them.  Since we got some in our farmthisway distribution basket this week, along with jalapenos, here is something you can try with them...

Salsa Verde - Take 3 green tomatoes, 2 jalapenos, 1 large red tomato (or use some of the heirlooms if you like), 1/2 a medium onion (chopped), 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, and 1/4 cup of lime juice, along with salt and pepper to taste.  Place tomatoes and jalapenos in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook about 15 minutes. Drain well, and place in a blender with the onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Puree to desired consistency and chill.  Salsa Verde can then be used in your favorite recipes to spice things up.  Add to chicken, enchiladas, or eat with chips.  

Or, how about Green Tomato Soup? 


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz thinly sliced Black Forest ham, chopped
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic 
1  bay leaf
2 lb green unripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 
Prepare:
Heat oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook ham, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add scallions, garlic, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are tender and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add tomatoes, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer, partially covered, until tomatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season soup with salt and pepper.Garnish with Sour Cream if Desired. 

AND...If you still aren't sure about green tomatoes, I recently heard that you can substitute green tomatoes for zucchini in a zucchini bread recipe!  I have not tried this yet, but here is a recipe I found online!  Let me know if you try it!  Green Tomato Bread

I hope you enjoy your green tomatoes this week!  Ours will be being served fried, my daughter is great at making them that way.  Looking forward to yet another week of good eating farmthisway style! 

Eat A Rainbow

If I remember anything from all of the healthy food initiatives I have heard over the years, it is to try and eat a rainbow.  No, they aren't talking about a bag of Skittles, as my children once suggested.  However, Summer time is the perfect time to eat a rainbow!  It becomes that much easier when you have your own farmer, who grows you a rainbow! 

This week's distribution had many colors.  We had a surprise visit from the Watermelon Fairy again, so there is a lovely watermelon that my kids can't wait to cut open.  There is corn...in case you missed it...LOTS of corn.  A whole crate of it in fact.  Something like 3 1/2 to 4 dozen ears can fit in that crate.  Yum!!!  Green Cabbage is winding down for the summer, but there is still one head of that in there (It will return again again in the Fall, along with its friends Red Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower) along with onions, banana peppers, zucchini, yellow summer squash, green peppers, cucumbers, onions, heirloom tomatoes and green beans.  And don't forget farm fresh brown eggs.

 If that list doesn't have you eating a rainbow, no much else will.  So many possibilities with all of those wonderful fruits and veggies that I will share a little of what I am looking forward to this week.

FRESH SALSA!!!

Chopping up some tomatoes, green pepper, onion and a little banana pepper for heat.  Salt, a little cilantro if you like, and my favorite for this time of year, some raw corn, right off the cob, adds a great taste and texture to the salsa. 

100 WAYS TO COOK CORN

Well, maybe it is actually only 5, but if you get bored of boiling pots of corn on the cob, here are some other fun things I have done with it. 

Quick corn - if you want an ear, but don't have time to boil water, peel an ear of corn, wrap it in a wet paper towel, and stick it in the microwave for 2 minutes (thanks Tom!)

Corn for Winter - Peel corn, scrape corn from cob, put it in a freezer bag, label and store for later.  When you want to use it, I just take it out of the freezer, pop it into a microwave steamer (not with the bag!) and it is better than any of the frozen veggies you can buy at the store. 

Corn Chowder - Here is my favorite Corn Chowder Recipe and if you don't like soup in the Summer, freeze the corn for later, and use this in the Fall or Winter.  But, I like soup year round. 

Cornbread - pick a recipe and get to work on some yummy cornbread

Corn Salad - fresh corn off the cob, tossed with diced sweet peppers (green works, or use any color you like) a can or two (depending on how much you are making) of black beans, drained, some diced onion, cilantro, olive oil, cumin and other spices to taste. 

SAUERKRAUT!

I got a lot of cabbage last year, and wasn't sure exactly where to go with it.  But, it lasts almost forever in the back of the fridge, and also it can be turned into Alton Brown's Sauerkraut Recipe which can then be canned and used through winter, or used as a topping for your summer grilled hot dogs. 

SUMMER SALAD

I don't know if that is its real name, but that is what my mom always called it, and we have the ingredients for it in the distribution this week.  Chop up some tomatoes, some of the sweet onion, and cucumbers.  Toss it all with your favorite Italian dressing, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simple, fresh, delicious!

There are many, many more possibilities of things to do with your veggies.  Share some ideas in comments if you like. 

I'm hungry now, how about you?

Veggies galore!!!

It is finally here!  Full swing harvest season!  If you are a member of the CSA at farmthisway you are in for some pretty great eating! 

This week the basket was BOUNTIFUL.  Zucchini and Summer Squash, onions, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, green beans, CORN, farm fresh eggs and hot banana peppers.  Did I miss anything?  Probably, the distribution boxes were brimming with good stuff and that came with a large potted Citronella Geranium to keep those bugs away! 

Last night's dinner was all farmthisway!!  We had fresh corn (some of us cooked it (the boys) and some ate it fresh/raw (the girls)) steamed green beans and egg salad made from our farm fresh eggs.  It was delicious!  My 7 year old son cleared his whole plate, which almost never happens.

More farmthisway for lunch today.  I boiled some pasta, and while that was cooking, I tossed some summer squash and zucchini, onions, tomatoes from my farmthisway patio planter, with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.  Topped it with Parmesan and had my sister in law and one of my daughter's friends over for lunch, and everyone ate it up.  My sister in law pointed out to my kids that they are very lucky, because most kids are eating a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, while they're getting the really good stuff.  Again, my son cleared his plate. 

Later in the week, I will stuff some of those hot banana peppers with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and some panko bread crumbs for a late night snack while watching the Tour de France on the DVR in the evening with my husband. 

Need any ideas for your veggies?  Just leave a comment below and I can get you some recipe ideas! 

For now...here is something fun to try with your cauliflower.  Being from Buffalo, I can't say it is as good as wings, but it is a fun and healthier snack for sure, and also works if you are having guests who don't eat meat, or you yourself do not..  Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Let me know what you think! 

A sneak peak

As you may or may not know, the way a CSA program works is you get what is ready to harvest and what the farm has enough to share with you that week.  Different years yield different weather and growing conditions, and some weeks, even the farmer's themselves don't know exactly what will be in the distribution until they are finished packing them up.  So, while the website may list what members got last year for each week, it may differ greatly to this year's harvest.  But it is fun to get an idea of what you might get.  Almost like hints of a Christmas present.  But even better because you get a distribution every week for the length of your membership!

That being said, I would like to offer you a sneak peek at what you will likely see tomorrow, whether you pick up your distribution at The Blasdell Farmer's Market or directly at the farm at farmthisway.  The chickens are still laying, despite a skunk in the chicken tractor incident, so there will be eggs.  Farm fresh brown eggs!  So many ways to use these.  We usually do a breakfast for dinner night once every week or two.  Over easy, scrambles, omelets, or in crepe batter, these eggs are tasty, healthy and just plain wonderful!  This week it looks like we will be getting some green peppers in the mix, so these may favor strongly into an omelet station for breakfast for dinner night this week!

Also in the mix for this week is some more cabbage (see my early post about cabbage if you are looking for something new to try with cabbage), beets (YAY!  These are one of my favorites!) , heirloom tomatoes and a special surprise item....Don't worry, you won't need any recipe for this surprise item, you will know just what to do with it!

I will re-visit my favorite beet recipe for you, as I know some folks are a little beet opposed.  This is a recipe my whole family loves, it is easy and delicious, and I stole it from my chef brother....

Roasted Beets

First, wash your beets.  Spread out a small sheet of aluminum foil for each beet (enough to wrap around with a little extra room).  Put one beet on each piece of foil.  Sprinkle each with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and pepper (and any other herbs/spices you like) and wrap tightly.  Place all of the beet packages in a roasting pan and cover.  Cook at 350 degrees until tender, this will depend on the size of the beet.  Usually anywhere from 30 minutes for smaller beets to an hour for the really big ones.  You will notice that you have not peeled your beets yet.  That's ok.  They are FAR easier to peel after they've been cooked!  After they are taken from the oven and cool a bit, so they can be handled, grab a couple of paper towels, and basically just peel off the skin in a turning motion.  You can do this bare handed if you don't mind stained hands for a few days...Slice the beets and arrange either plain on a platter, or on top of a bed of spinach or arugula, and then top with crumbled Feta, and splash with your favorite balsamic vinegar.  One of our favorite salads ever.

Running out of ideas for your heirloom tomatoes?  They can be tossed with olive oil and whatever herbs you have and put on the grill as well.  Last week, we did these tossed with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary and used them as a side with our steaks on the grill, along with some portabella mushrooms.  MMMMM.....

Happy, Healthy Eating my friends!

A broccoli conundrum

Hey, just a quick note.  As some of you may have noticed, it was HOT Wednesday.  The broccoli that you got as part of you distribution, may have turned a bit yellow in the heat.  It was pretty and green when picked and early in the day, but as the day went on, it got a little yellow.  We ate ours that way, and it tasted just fine, we LOVE broccoli at our house.  (I also froze some to use for cream of broccoli soup when the weather cools). 

HOWEVER....I spoke to Carolyn at the Hamburg Farmer's Market today and she said that if anyone would like some replacement broccoli, just give them a jingle and head out to the farm to get some fresh cut green broccoli.  Marty and Carolyn want to make sure everyone is happy.  Just another reason I love our CSA membership at www.farmthisway.com

Enjoy your weekend!

An Egg-ceptional Project

When Marty tweeted at me and asked if we wanted to borrow some chickens for a week or two, I thought he was joking.  As it turns out...he was, by all means, serious...

A couple of hours later, these two ladies showed up in our yard...

They are part of a new experiment Marty thought of.  Since he was a little boy, Marty always wanted to have chickens.  His mom told him it was against regulations where they lived, but he could call the town and ask.  His mother, as often mothers are, was right, he was told they were against ordinance.  After a Summer full of a young boy rechecking the rules over and over, the town officer told him, that he thought actually, it would be OK, but if anyone complained, the chickens would have to go.  That wasn't enough for Marty, so he gave up on the chicken project until he was an adult himself.  Now, if you pay a visit to his farm, you will see an elaborate system of chicken runs all surround by some safeguards to keep the coyotes and other such creatures from having chicken for dinner, and many very happy chickens.  Marty and Carolyn raise the laying hens for eggs for themselves and for their CSA Members.  As a member I can tell you, this is one of our favorite parts of our weekly distributions.  We love the produce, flowers, etc., but there is no egg, like a farm fresh egg. 

Back to yesterday, and Marty's new idea.  Since they aren't selling these eggs, and are primarily doing this egg business to provide eggs in their distributions, Marty thought, "Why not loan out the chickens".  Apparently a couple of the girls had a vacation to Lackawanna recently.  This week there are a couple in Orchard Park.  We put their mini-chicken tractor in the back yard near the pond, so they could get to know their cousins, the ducks and geese who frequent our lawn. The kids are thrilled!!! 

Maybe we should make the chickens a little travel journal, a passport of where they've been?  Or compile a book of pictures of their adventures?  An AFS program of chicken exchange....

The next question is, after their vacation with the Gilmartin Family, who would like to get a chicken visit next?  Let us know!  Seriously.  Project Chicken is in full swing, and could be coming to a yard near you!

Cabbage, Cabbage, Cabbage!!

This week's farmthisway distribution was bountiful as ever.  We got 10 cucumbers, 2 clam shells of  heirloom tomatoes, 2 bunches of totally organic carrots, several heads of broccoli, a dozen fresh brown eggs, a quart of strawberries (which didn't even make it home), and 5 heads of cabbage.  My frequent question of the day when people were picking up their distributions was "What should I do with all of this cabbage".  I have a few suggestions....

1) Cole Slaw!  Quick and Easy.  Shred up a head of cole slaw and a bunch or two of carrots.  (I use my food processor).  Then, if you want to be really quick, use a jar of cole slaw dressing, my favorite is Marzetti's, or for a bit sweeter of a taste use a poppy seed dressing.  It's a neat switch up.  If you would like to go old school and make your own slaw dressing, you can use 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, 2 TBS of vinegar, and then salt, pepper and sugar to taste. 

2) Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki) - Click here for recipe but in my family instead of beef stock, we cook these with tomato soup over the top.  Yum!  And you can substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef and pork as well.  In a hurry?  You can always make lazy version.  Chop up the cabbage and onions and saute in one pan, saute your meat in another and mix them together with the tomato soup and put it over some rice.  Boil in the bag, easy rice is ready in 10 minutes!

3) COLCANNON!!!   This is one of my family's favorites.  I take a head of cabbage and saute it with some diced up bacon and sometimes onions.  Mix it in with some butter and mashed potatoes and you have a divine dish that my kids eat right up!

There are some relatively easy things to do with your cabbage.  As for some of  the other items, a nice salad is in order, toss your heirlooms and cukes, and carrots with your favorite lettuce and voila! And who doesn't love fresh cut broccoli that just came out of the field?!   Steamed and tossed with pasta and Parmesan Cheese.  YUM!   Enjoy your basket of goodies and let me know your great recipe ideas too!

Our lovely distribution basket for this week.  

What's for dinner?

Last week I chickened out on the Strawberry rhubarb pie.  I had my daughter do it.  She's 13 and excellent in the kitchen.  It was pretty good, though I think I prefer my strawberry pie a little more sweet than tart. 

This week will be the 5th week of our 24 week membership to our CSA with farmthisway .  A little birdie told me that it looks like this week's distribution will include more fresh strawberries, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes and totally organic carrots and beet greens.  Don't forget the farm fresh brown eggs from those hard working chickens out on the farm. 

Aside from the basic salads (I still have plenty of lettuce in my lettuce bowls!) that can be made from these fine offerings, I always like to think outside the box a little and do something neat with my weekly distribution.  The kids and I think it is fun to play with our food so to speak.  One thing I have never been real sure of what to do with is the abundance of greens.  I am familiar with lettuce, kale, cabbage and spinach, but beyond that, not so much.  Today I searched some things to do with my beet greens, and my favorite thing that I found sounds like what we will have for dinner tomorrow night.  I don't like anything I have to fuss with too much on a Wednesday, because I am at the Farmer's Market on Tuesdays until about 2 and then home to unload and process some of my weekly distribution.  That means dinner has to be quick, easy and not too messy.  And in my world, that does not mean take out...So, instead tomorrow I will make beet greens and bacon tossed with pasta.  I generally tend to avoid all things Martha Stewart, but she has a lovely quick recipe that looks great.  4 slices of bacon chopped (I bought extra slab bacon for Father's Day, so I have this in the fridge), 3 scallions chopped, which I will probably substitute with the Vidalia already in the fridge, greens from 3 beets , coarsely chopped, and salt and pepper to taste. recipe/instructions

It says to serve as a side dish or toss with pasta.  I will be tossing it with pasta, and pairing it with a nice salad made from our lettuce bowl lettuce, fresh organic carrots, cukes, and heirlooms.

Dinner is served.  Is it Wednesday yet?  

If I get creative later in the week, I may also try out a recipe for strawberry soup with cucumber and strawberry salad.   Stay tuned...

Pie time!

I heard that this week's distrubution from farmthisway will include rhubarb and strawberries...This combination leads most people to think of one thing.  PIE.  Now, I bake a lot.  For my own family and friends, and for others as well.  One thing I have never made is Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. I am not sure why that is.  Mostly I think, I just never really had rhubarb around and never thought, hey, this perfectly good strawberry pie needs some vegetables thrown in it. 

I look forward to trying something new this week though.  So, I will attempt my first ever Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.  I will have to follow up with how it turns out.  Usually, if I am unsure of how to make something, I always check with Alton Brown.  Well, with his recipes on foodnetwork.com anyhow, I don't have his direct line, though there are many occasions when that would come in very handy.  But, I searched and didn't come up with a single Alton Brown recipe for the fruit and veggie pie, so i went to my back up.  Emeril.  This is what I found Emeril's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Almond Crumb topping.  I am not going to be scared off by the "Difficult" rating.  And I love pie with a crumb top.  So, stay tuned and I will let you know if I pull it off! 

IT IS GROWING SEASON!!!!

YES!  I AM YELLING THAT!  Do you know why???  Because I ate the first of many Heirloom tomatoes from my CSA Membership with farmthisway this week.  I tossed them in a salad, which also included lettuce picked from my farmthisway lettuce bowl planter.  And I have patio tomatoes growing on my deck (that I haven't killed yet!).  And flowers!  LOTS of flowers!! 

We have had two distributions so far.  The first on May 22rd, included 2 beautiful large hanging flower baskets (we got to choose two from their wonderful selection), a patio tomato plant, a lettuce bowl planter, and 1/2 dozen brown eggs.

Week two, May 29th, included a dozen citronella geranium plants, 1 porch planter, a flat of annuals, a pint of delicious little heirloom tomatoes, a bunch of green onions, and another 1/2 dozen brown eggs. 

The hens haven't been cooperating too much, but  Marty is currently deep in negotiations with the chickens to get them to produce more eggs.   The hens haven't given their further demands yet, but I am confident an agreement will be reached soon. Click here to view Egg Negotiations in progress

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Wednesdays during the distribution season!    Now even more so as I get to help out by working at the Farmer's Market in Blasdell on Wednesdays to distribute the weekly bushels of happiness and meet some of the other CSA Members as well as those who just stop by the farmthisway tent to peruse the vast variety of flowers and soon produce that Marty and Carolyn work so hard to produce. 

Remembering Grandma with a Recipe

I don't think we ever understand the impact that losing someone in our life will have on us, until it has already happened.  Even if we know everyone is going to pass away some day, we are still never truly aware of the gap that will be left.  Recently, with Easter approaching, I was thinking of the beautiful magenta pickled beets and eggs that my Grandmother, Rozella Stewart Goss, used to make. I remember thinking how cool these were as a kid, even when I didn't love beets as much as I do today.  Just the vibrant color of the eggs seemed to make them a standout at the holidays at Gramma's house.

I wish that I had her recipe, that I could call her up and ask her, but sadly, it has been more than 10 years now that she is gone.  It occurred to me after I searched the internet for a recipe and made them, that perhaps my mom or one of her sisters has the recipe. But, I made them anyhow.

I paid a visit to our farmer friends at farmthisway out in Brant, and picked up some eggs last week (among other goodies).  Some of them got hard boiled to make these.  When beets are in season, I will also can my own to use in this recipe, but for now, I used canned, store bought beets.

The recipe was pretty simple.

2 - 15 oz cans of beets (with juice reserved)1 dozen hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of sugar.  There were other recipes that called for onion as well, but I don't remember there being onion in my grandma's recipe so I didn't use one of those.  


I spread the eggs and beets between 2 1 Quart glass jars, and then everything else went into a pot on the stove.  Bring it to a boil, pour it in the jar over the eggs and beets, cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

I just had some for breakfast this morning, after they sat for about a day and a half, and for a moment, I closed my eyes and imagined I was sitting in the kitchen of my grandparents' farm house in Pennsylvania.  It is funny how simple things can take us back to happy memories.

Thanks for the memories, Gramma.


**And before I close this post, I will let you know that I LOVE social media!  Before I started this post, I put this picture below on Facebook.  I said that I wished I had my Grandmother's recipe, but these would have to do.  Before I could finish typing this blog post, a cousin of mine had messaged me to say that she had our Grandmother's recipe and sent it to me!  Thanks Michele!!!  Next time I will use her recipe.  =)

Pickled beets and eggs bring me back to childhood visits to my grandparents' farm in Pennsylvania.

Spring Is In The Air

This may sound like a strange statement if you step outside of your door in Western NY today.  It was 27 degrees when I drove my two oldest to school early this morning for chorus rehearsals.  However, when I check out the farm page on farmthisway 's website, I see recent videos of hens laying eggs, of cabbage being seeded and of our favorite farmers, Marty and Carolyn out working this past weekend at the Health Expo at the Hamburg Fair Grounds.  It makes me think of Spring.  It reminds me that just about a year ago, at Hamburg Middle School's Health Fair, we met Marty and Carolyn, coincidentally, a day after my husband, Tom, and I had decided to start looking for a farm share or CSA program.  We tasted some of the goodies they had brought along, and we chatted with them for quite a while about the program, about farming and about why we felt we needed to make the switch to farm fresh for our family.

The seeding of early cabbage video makes me think of the many recipes I used last summer.   A favorite here in our house is Colcannon.  It is a pretty basic Irish dish and tasty.  All 5 of us enjoy this greatly, which is saying something, since before we signed up for the farmthisway CSA we really didn't eat a lot of cabbage.  But, mix that cabbage in with some ham or bacon, mashed potatoes and scallions?  Divine!  I even ventured into making and canning homemade sauerkraut, which we served on New Year's Day with our pork roast.

A couple of weeks ago, we paid a visit to the farm to renew our 24 week membership for this year.  The kids got to meet the hens (who were only 4 weeks old at the time) who will be laying our eggs for the season.  We saw Carolyn doling out a whole lot of dirt in the greenhouse and the kids got to pick some young radishes and carrots there in the greenhouse as well.  It all smelled like Spring to me.  Now don't get me wrong, I love a good Winter as well.  The ice skating, the sledding, the skiing, the snowmen and snowball fights.  But being out at the farm got my brain thinking Spring.  It is kind of hard not to think Spring when you see cute little baby chicks and smell the moist dirt.

So with 24 weeks of great stuff coming our way starting in May, I am already thinking of new ways to use our fresh veggies.  My kids help me seek out recipes on the internet and by watching cooking shows on TV and tell me what they think would taste great.  They look forward to our rides out to Brant to pick up our weekly distribution, and they often help with the preparing of the foods as well.  Somehow the food is far more exciting when they know where it comes from.

So, while I still have a lawn patchy with snow and a frozen pond in the backyard, and while there are still several large patches of ice in my driveway, I am feeling the Spring in the air!

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If you are interested in checking out the options for membership at farmthisway click here to see their 10, 15 and 24 week membership options.  farmthisway CSA membership offerings  or check this link out to see the OUR BUSHEL page and see a selection of their offerings.

Blast from the Past

So...Every year since I started doing The Dempsey Challenge, my year has a pretty noticeable pattern.  I train all year, getting ready for the big ride, which is in October.  Not so coincidentally, October is also when I am generally at my ideal weight for the year.   I come home from the weekend, and take some time off for good behavior, biking only when the conditions are PERFECT and eating whatever I feel like.  Before I know it, Thanksgiving has rolled around and then my son's birthday, and then Christmas.  Well...Let's just say, I usually gain quite a bit of weight between my return from Maine and the time the kids go back to school after Christmas break.  So, every year, when they go back, I get my chubbier than usual ass on the training bike in my TV room, and start getting in shape for that year's Dempsey Challenge ride, or just so I don't have to go buy any bigger clothes to stuff myself into.

That leads us to today.  I did my first ride yesterday, and my second today.  I decided to see how far I can get through the whole Grey's Anatomy Series while riding, before it is time to switch to the outside bike again.  For those who don't know, I live near Buffalo, NY and I do NOT ride outside in the snow.  Go ahead call me a pansy.  I don't care.  It is cold and wet and I really can't afford proper winter riding gear and snow tires.  So, from the time it gets uncomfortably cold (under 40 generally) until it clears up in Spring, I do most of my riding in my TV room.  But, that is neither here nor there....

Suffice to say, I am riding during the day while my 3 kids are at school and the hubby is at work.  I start out riding 1 episode per school day, but will work up to probably 3 per ride by March.  So, yesterday I started with Season 1 Episode 1.  I remembered why I fell in love with this show.  Actually though, I didn't start watching until Season 3.  I think it was "Some kind of Miracle" one of the Meredith Drowning episodes, I can't remember which.  I was flipping channels one night when I couldn't sleep, and there was Patrick Dempsey (you know, that guy from Can't Buy Me Love!) all grown up and sitting on a floor of a hospital crying.  I stopped channel surfing and watched intently as these doctor's tried to save the woman he apparently loved.  The next day I called my friend, Carmen, and asked her if she knew about this show.  She said she had been watching it since it started and just never thought to tell me about it because, as a rule, I don't watch much TV.  At that point, I had a 1 year old, a 6 year old, and a 7 year old, so if it wasn't food network or PBS/Disney, this was correct.    But I was sucked in immediately.  However I was confused, as I had obviously missed some VERY important stuff in the early seasons.  Shortly thereafter I ordered seasons 1 and 2 on DVD and watched them in a marathon of evenings in the basement when everyone else was asleep.  Season 3 was pre-ordered from Amazon.  Soon enough I was all caught up on the episodes I had missed.  And I had a new guilty pleasure.

Back to today.  Today was season 1 episode 2.  "The First Cut is the Deepest".  As a scene with the Fab 5 interns sitting in the back hallway discussing their days came on, I got a feeling of nostalgia.  That "Aww, I miss the old Grey's" twinge that I read so much about on Twitter.  I am still surprised people yelling at Shonda Rhimes because she has "ruined" HER characters or killed them off, or that Grey's isn't what it used to be.  Then I started thinking.  Yes, I do miss those days of Grey's.  And I also realize that it is a TV show that Shonda Rhimes and her team of really smart folks came up with that has kept me busy MANY a Thursday night.  But I also realized, that as much as I miss those days on the Fab 5 hanging out, as much as I miss George and Izzie and Burke, as much as I hate some of the newer characters that came to Seattle Grace (especially April), well...although this is a TV show, it also mirrors life.  People die, people break up, move away, and new people come into our lives that we may not love, but they are there anyhow!  I mean hell, I reminisce about the good old days of college, partying, friends, not a whole lot of responsibility.  It was FUN.  A lot of it.  I remember those times fondly, but you know what?  That time has passed.  I can't go back.  I really wouldn't want to.  I can replay it in my mind, look at pictures, etc. But my life has moved on.  Some people from that part of my life are still in my life today, in different roles.  Life never really stays the same for too long.  Kids grow up, jobs change, we get older, we lose people we never dreamed would leave our side, and people show up that we never expected to meet.  TV sometimes resembles real life after all.  I mean the interns are no longer interns.  I am sure the characters would remember those times somewhat fondly, if they were real, but even they have grown up and changed.  Loved, lost, found things and people they never expected to find.  So, I guess what I am saying, is maybe Shonda isn't doing any of this to torture the viewers, or because she hates certain "ships".  Maybe, just maybe, she is trying to give us all something entertaining that resembles real life.  A reminder to enjoy the things we love about today, because perhaps tomorrow you won't be able to enjoy the same things.  

I don't know Ms. Rhimes personally.  I have never met her.  I have gotten a couple of tweet responses from her, and once had my question chosen to be answered on a pod cast.  But, aside from those small blips of interaction, what I read in interviews, or have seen in her podcasts, I don't know her any better than I know the Queen of England (which is not at all).  However, I highly doubt that she hates her characters, even the ones we are meant to hate.  They all came from her head.  I also doubt she wants to purposely piss off the fan base of Grey's.  And I have many many Thursday nights of entertainment to thank her for.  Friendships that were actually formed based on a mutual love of the show.  And sometimes even, for making me look upon my own life with new eyes.  Generally my best thinking happens either on my bike or in the shower.  Two of my favorite places to be alone with my thoughts.  Today, watching old Grey's made my bike ride a very thoughtful one.  My mind was racing almost as fast as my feet.

Today's ride made me realize I am thankful for the good times in the past, and look forward to good times in the future.  Both in my real world and in the imaginary land of good looking doctors who tend to get in the way of buses or thrown under planes, when they aren't steaming up the on call room or an elevator.  It made me think of people who have come and gone from my life and look back on how far I have come from the me that I was 10 years ago, or 20 years ago.  So thanks to all who are responsible for that.  There are too many to name.  And thanks to those who are yet to come.