Tag: Herbs

Kohlrabi Apple Salad

Kohlrabi Apple Salad

This weekend was pretty slow at markets.  I'm going with the 'everyone is having fun away while we're stuck working' theory.  So I had some time to chit-chat with customers and that was helpful because we had a new veggie this week: kohlrabi!  I was pleasantly surprised how many people just grabbed one or two even though they had no idea what it was or what to do with it. We used to grow kohlrabi when I was a kid and I have such fond memories of it.  Back then, and I'm not saying just how long ago that is, but let's assume it was the mid-70s,...Read More
Yip-Pea!  Summer’s Here!

Yip-Pea! Summer’s Here!

Peas please... I'm standing at the bathroom sink, my slippers off, as I just got out of the shower. I hear  a swish... and see a dirty gray/white paw sweep under the door. It hooked a slipper and yank it back into the hallway. So I reached under and took it back (stupid ass that I am, not thinking of getting clawed). As suspected, she reached under and grabbed it again. This time I opened the door enthusiastically (of COURSE my intention was to scare the bejeezus out of her).  Trixie flew a foot into the air then ran like a...Read More

The Farm Through Someone Else’s Rose-Colored Glasses

Those are some NICE TOMATOES! Zsa Zsa (Jenny) was on the farm a few weeks ago and we had quite a memorable visit.  She toured the farm, worked with us in the barn and at two markets, cooked and ate up a storm, and took a bunch of photos.  I talked about it in my post a few weeks back,  but Jenny wrote all about it and posted to her blog the other day.   Please check it out and get a non-farmgirl's perspective on her experiences in the Black Dirt.  This Boston babe rocked Orange County liked nobody's business! [caption id="attachment_642" align="alignleft"...Read More

Don That Bonnet and Pinafore, Half-Pint — It’s Time to ‘Put Up’ for the Long Winter

I'm hoping that at least SOME of you will get the Little House on the Prairie reference in there.  I'm also hoping that none of my relatives have either photographs of me in a bonnet and apron or the wherewithall to scan and post said photos (face it - my childhood was waaayyyy over before digital cameras were even born).   [caption id="attachment_550" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="How many forklifts does it take to change a lightbulb?"][/caption] This is a busy time of year at the farm, especially when we hit mid-September and haven't had a frost.  Frost wipes out most summer crops - tomatoes, beans,...Read More

The Little Black Dress in the Kitchen

 * So here I am trying to type and post these recipe ideas and The Boy is being very affectionate and needy.  He's wonderfully happy, and ridiculously talkative, as any young man would be after riding along with Papa in the John Deere for the last hour.  He is emptying the contents of his piggy bank (ie coffee can with slit in lid) on my desk between me and my keyboard.  He reminds me of my cat (RIP, Miss Book), climbing all over me 'in the heat of the moment' like nothing important is going on (no comment) and why can't I interrupt?  This is...Read More
This One Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes

This One Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes

Or at least it will if you're 6 years old and you're hot and tired and hungry and your mean, nasty mother didn't consult you regarding the dinner menu. *Author's Note:   This masterpiece is titled 'Self-portrait of a Winge Bag' or ---  'Before the Fall'. Here I am thinking I'll make something really cool and colorful (for the kid) and quick and easy (for the mom) for dinner....  It WAS all of those things, and more importantly, it was damn delicious!  But this wonderful dinner was marred by the sobbing and sniffling coming from the living room sofa. Out of the corner of my...Read More
The FarmGirl Relaxer

The FarmGirl Relaxer

Delicious Mint Lemonade Remember that Mint Simple Syrup recipe I posted on June 2? That's the key to the Mint Lemonade I made for today's Open House at The Farm. Glad you all liked it so much! There's no better time than a steamy July 4th weekend to stir up a pitcher.  So go grab that spearmint from the yard (which has probably creeped into the NEIGHBOR'S yard, too) and whip up a batch of syrup to use in these tasty drinks. The FarmGirl's SpearMint Lemonade 1/2 cup Spearmint Simple Syrup 1/4 cup freshly squeezed (or frozen or bottled) Lemon Juice 1 cup Cold...Read More
A Girl, A Scape, and Some Thyme….

A Girl, A Scape, and Some Thyme….

Garlic Scapes both Beautiful and Delicious Thomas and I took a walk around the farm the other night. We had just finished dinner. It was about 7:15, and that's my favorite time for a walk through the fields. I left all the dishes in the sink. It was a perfect night. I wasn't about to waste the few precious hours we had together by washing dishes! We walked to the far edge of the fields and slipped out of our flip flops. We left them alongside the pump house (thus named because it actually houses the well for part of...Read More
If Ya Can’t Beat ‘Em… Join ‘Em

If Ya Can’t Beat ‘Em… Join ‘Em

In other words, if the glorious mint plants that you bought and planted so painstakingly in your gardens seem to overtake everything in their path, USE THEM!  The obvious answer to the common question, "what can I do with mint?" A Mojito is a refreshing rum-based Cuban drink made with fresh spearmint and lime juice.  It's great to sip on a hot summer night, and even better to enjoy with a hot date.  So whip up a pitcher and dig out that Little Black Book. Tabbouleh, A parsley & mint grain salad Another great use for mint is Tabbouleh.  While bulgur...Read More