Kasha - TheFarmGirlCooks

Author: Kasha

Heaven in a Springform Pan: Pumpkin-Mascarpone Cheesecake

Posted on December 6, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

What a busy weekend! And the holidays aren't even really upon us yet. Heck, I haven't even vacuumed up one single pine needle. *sigh* It's gonna be a lonnnnggg and crazy December. [caption id="attachment_2536" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thomas had to journal about his weekend with JoJo the Dinosaur. I doubt any other kid in class has a pic like THIS![/caption] This past weekend The FarmGirl took the party on the road. I gave my very first Mobile Cooking Lesson! I took my kid and some equipment and lots of homegrown veggies and journeyed to a friend's house to teach her and her...Read More

Gobble, Gobble…. Thanksgiving Prep

Posted on November 29, 2011March 16, 2018 by Kasha

I'm not the only one who goes food-crazy on Thanksgiving. I KNOW I'm not. I've seen my share of folks pushing their chairs away from holiday tables and gently rubbing their tummies as they mosey to the living room to wait for dessert. (???) I always have such good intentions and grand plans to put an elaborate spread on our Thanksgiving table, but I've learned that it's just more leftovers that my fridge cannot handle. We were only 5 people this year for Turkey Day, and do we REALLY NEED 5 side dishes in addition to standard mashed taters 'n'...Read More

Jam Crumble Bars, Or, What to Bring When You’re Invited to Someone’s Home for Holiday Meals

Posted on November 23, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Chances are, sometime in the next month you will be having a holiday meal -- either in your home or someone else's. And if you're like me, you'll probably over-do it and make a ton of sweets and savories that will practically BEG to be shared because you just couldn't (read: shouldn't) eat another bite! This is one of those sweets. This simple jam bar is adapted from a recipe torn from Real Simple magazine ages ago. Seriously, ages. I checked RealSimple.com and it was originally printed in 2006. Goes to show just what a recipe junkie I am, huh? ...Read More

Peanut Butter Cookies Just Like Mom Used to Make

Posted on November 15, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Rarely does anything taste as good as your memories of them. But sometimes, if you do it right, you can replicate that favorite cookie that your mom used to make once in a blue moon, complete with fork-made crosshatch pattern. I swear I can still hear the fork 'tinking' against the ice in the small Pyrex measuring cup of water Mom used to keep the fork from sticking to the cookie dough balls. You remember that cookie... the one you used to snag off the cooling rack before it was truly cool enough to handle. The one that was so hot it would...Read More

You Won’t Believe This….

Posted on November 1, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Or maybe you will. If you're in the northeast, you probably got hit hard by Snowtober, that glorious nor'easter that snuck up on us and left so many of us in the cold. Who the hell thinks up these hokey names, anyway? And why am I using this one? Sheesh.... So we're literally stuck on the farm with no power, no heat and no water (going on 3 full days, and authorities say service won't be restored for at least another 3 days). I'm so thankful to Irene and Lee for the training we received during the floods. If not...Read More

Butternut Squash Risotto in a Hurry

Posted on October 21, 2011March 16, 2018 by Kasha

This was my snack the other day. These lovely sungold cherry tomatoes were like a burst of sweet sunshine and eating them almost made me forget just what a freakin' mess it is out in the fields. We have three greenhouses of different sizes. They've been named Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear. Baby Bear currently houses an assortment of 'leftovers' since it's the only greenhouse that wasn't flooded. These cherry tomatoes came from one of those leftovers. There's also a selection of hotter-than-hot chile peppers, a flat of rosemary, several assorted variety tomato and pepper plants all in...Read More

Take a Leek… For Example

Posted on October 14, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Leeks, like their cousins shallots, onions and cippolini, are a staple in many dishes. The alliums mentioned each have a slightly different texture and flavor, but rarely serve as the main ingredient in a recipe. Enter the Leek Tart. I first tried this several years ago - got the recipe from The Joy of Cooking. Back then I couldn't make a pie crust to save my life. Somehow, though, over the years, I've gained my mother's ability to whip together a crust, roll it out (ok, it's still never a circle, which the math geek in me HATES) and have it baking...Read More

Salt-n-Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Posted on September 27, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Fingerling potatoes, or...what to make when you are craving salt and starch and you don't want to run all the way to 7-11 for chips and onion dip. It was rainy last Monday. Oh, wait. It's been rainy pretty much EVERY Monday since God knows when. I wanted to warm up the house a little so I got some Austrian Crescent fingerling potatoes ready for baking. Then the idea of baking them in salt smacked me in the face. Years ago, my girlfriend used to get baby potatoes from us at the market. She raved about baking them in salt. ...Read More

Life Goes On. I Guess.

Posted on September 23, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Ready or not, life does indeed go on after a natural disaster. Heck, for those not affected, life continues unchanged... THEY remain unchanged. But sometimes an event affects you so deeply that even going about your regular daily chores is an emotional struggle. I found myself in need of basic essentials following the second flood and when the road was finally cleared and my car didn't have to don water wings to make it through, I went to Target. I did a quick browse through Borders as it was their last few days in business (this makes me very sad) and I...Read More

Brief Respite and Breakfast for Dinner

Posted on September 16, 2011February 25, 2018 by Kasha

[caption id="attachment_2080" align="alignright" width="300"] I love him... 'cause he's a lot like me.[/caption] I know. I've been a total Debbie Downer lately and I'm sorry. Ironically, my snark has been off the charts, but I just don't feel like recounting much of it. I've been very sentimental. I guess that comes from seeing so many valued possessions soaked to ruin and/or washed away. Some things I'm sure we haven't even realized are missing will likely be remembered at a later date -- and we'll say, "oh. The floods." We did the same thing when our barn burned to the ground in...Read More