Kasha - TheFarmGirlCooks

Author: Kasha

Zsa Zsa on Celery Avenue?

Posted on August 23, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

A Sandwich to Remember, A Friend to Share With My dear friend Jenny came to visit me on the farm 2 weeks ago. We've talked about it for a long time, and finally it happened. She's an excellent vegetarian cook and we can talk for hours about new combinations and food ideas. Jenny enjoys cuisines from all around the world. Living in an urban setting offers her the opportunity to explore a bit more than here in Orange County. Together we chose ingredients grown here on the farm and created a beautiful sandwich. Jenny and I met several years ago on the Weight Watchers online message boards, so...Read More

Just Your Average Summer Night’s Supper on the Farm

Posted on August 12, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Not every dish I make has a cute story or a long, convoluted explanation or especially intensive preparations. But the Fairy Tale Eggplant do lend themselves to that. Sometimes they're just ideas that spring to mind when I'm picking or washing the veggies, or sorting the cooler (BIG refrigerator - like, we drive a forklift in there big) all by my lonesome. I get a lot of thinking done in my 38-degree solitude! Sometimes I just have to get dinner on the table and this hungry farmer needs some good home cookin'! Plus Dad will stop by most nights for at...Read More

This One Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes

Posted on August 5, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

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

Feedback …with Pictures!

Posted on July 25, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

As you have probably learned by now, I love to make up recipes and create new things with all the ideas swimming around in my head (no jokes about all the space up there, please!). It helps to sell Bialas Farms produce when I have ideas to give people about how to use things. But it also helps me give back to the customers. Without them (YOU!), we wouldn't be able to do what we do. Well, I've gotten some feedback about The FarmGirl's Mint Lemonade. [caption id="attachment_272" align="alignleft" width="300"] Kevin is almost ready to take on Tom Cruise as...Read More

Afternoon Delight… Or Love Apples, the Stinking Rose, and… Crest?

Posted on July 14, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

[caption id="attachment_242" align="alignright" width="225"] SunGold Low-acid Cherry Tomatoes[/caption] Afternoon Delight, Tomatoes, Homegrown and Full of Summer The calendar turns to June and people's tongues start hanging for a real, vine-ripened, homegrown tomatoes. Anyone who has lived in the Northeast for more than a few growing seasons KNOWS that you will NOT find a local tomato in June, but we can hope... and crave... and dream a little. We farmers aren't immune to the siren song of the Love Apple either. Why 'love apple', you ask? It is, according to Food Lover's Companion, "a tomato moniker that originated in the 16th...Read More

A Summer Afternoon Harvest… with Testy McDramaPants

Posted on July 7, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

Harvesting Potatoes on a Summer Afternoon Makes a Welcome Meal [caption id="attachment_202" align="alignleft" width="300"] Potato Patch 2010 - Just Planted[/caption] "C'mon, Thomas. Let's go get some potatoes for dinner." That doesn't mean going to the store, or even to the barn... yet. Yesterday, it meant going out to the field to dig them up fresh. REALLY? Yes. With the afternoon sun beating down upon us, and with temperatures nearing 100, I dragged the "poor boy" all the way to the other side of the farm just to get potatoes for dinner. He was gung ho about it until we burned...Read More

The FarmGirl Relaxer

Posted on July 2, 2010March 16, 2018 by Kasha

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….

Posted on June 23, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

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

Don’t Fear the Zucchini or… Eat it Before it Eats You?

Posted on June 16, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

The very first zucchini flower that springs out from the plant always gets me all a-tizzy. I fantasize about stuffing the flowers with goat cheese and herbs and baking them quickly after a shower of olive oil. Sometimes I crave deep-fried squash blossoms. Dipped in a basic tempura batter and salted immediately after removing from the oil, these babies are so good they don't make it out of the kitchen. The anticipation of the sweet fruit sauteed until golden brown, perfectly seasoned with salt, pepper and loads of chopped garlic, makes my mouth water. Seriously, I'm a total food snob...Read More

If Ya Can’t Beat ‘Em… Join ‘Em

Posted on June 2, 2010February 25, 2018 by Kasha

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