Category: Field to Feast

 

From the field to the table, well almost. There are someday you pick something so fresh you want to prepare it immediately. It’s that alluring. The farm girl knows what you mean and might be able to steer you in a tasteful direction.

Field to Feast: Sunday Morning Homefries with Poblanos and Bacon… plus, A Toast

Field to Feast: Sunday Morning Homefries with Poblanos and Bacon… plus, A Toast

Home-fries with Poblanos and Bacon and Eggs Because breakfast is important, especially during harvest. We spice it up a bit with Poblanos Fletch and I took a ride around the farm several weeks ago.  Not only was it a fabulous photo day, it was also a day of memories, and memories are made for sharing. What's the point of keeping them all bottled up inside of you when those memories can bring joy to others?  Those memories can help others to understand you better and can even draw you closer together. When I finally hear the harvester engine start up...Read More
Field to Feast Link-Up: Poblano Chile Peppers

Field to Feast Link-Up: Poblano Chile Peppers

I had to share this Minimally Invasive Field to Feast post with you all because Rajas  (roasted poblano chile peppers) con Crema is one of my absolute favorite dishes. Plus, Amy's photographs are stunning and I just love looking at them. This is what I eat when The Boy isn't home for dinner. It pairs nicely with margaritas and spicy palomas. What doesn't? FYI: Get the poblano chiles before a hard freeze wipes out the plants. Better yet, char and freeze the poblanos so you can enjoy this spicy, creamy delight all winter long. If you like peppers you might...Read More
Field to Feast: Pan-seared Feta with Marinated Red Peppers

Field to Feast: Pan-seared Feta with Marinated Red Peppers

Friday, September 6th was the first day of school for my brand new fourth grader!  Both of us were very excited.  Thomas sat on the couch watching Spongebob Squarepants the morning before and said, "it feels like summer vacation just started!" "Yeah?  Ya think?  My vacation starts tomorrow." I gave him my best Mr. Roper look (you know, where Norman Fell cracked a joke and looked right into the camera and grinned?  Love that.)  but he must not have realized there was a joke hidden in there.  All he said was, "LUCKKKYYY!" He'll get the joke someday, but for today I let...Read More
Field to Feast: The Busy Girl’s Guide to Canning Tomato Sauce

Field to Feast: The Busy Girl’s Guide to Canning Tomato Sauce

Thomas went with us to market this weekend, as he does nearly every Saturday beginning in May and ending at Halloween. I was standing at my scale helping customers when a little hand, attached to a still-little-but-getting-bigger-quickly arm, reaches around me and starts fingering quarters in my coin tray. "Mom, can I have a dollar?" "Why do you need a dollar?  <returning focus to customer> That's $8.25, please." "I want a pickle on a stick." <picking up small hand and squeezing gently until fingers release coins> "Well, if you want a dollar, go ask Grandma what you can do to...Read More
Field to Feast: Cherry Tomato and Brie Galette

Field to Feast: Cherry Tomato and Brie Galette

Easy make, easy eat. That's how I like it. Cherry Tomato and Brie Galette I don't have time for much else these days and I found myself  buying Velveeta mac 'n' cheese cups and PopTarts (formerly known as Flood Food) to keep The Boy's belly full. After three microwaveable macaroni meals in as many days, Thomas has declared he won't be eating them again for a looooong time.  He's so used to my homemade soups, meals, and snacks that it really ISN'T a treat to get store-bought, but sometimes my 9-year-old needs to experience what a lot of other kids...Read More
Field to Feast: Recipe Recap

Field to Feast: Recipe Recap

  A recap of the seasons best recipes August is when the farm season heads into top gear at breakneck speed.   Summer is in full swing, and with it a multitude of veggies are ready for harvest.  By the end of the month, we'll have melons and early squashes ready, and customers will start asking for parsnips and Brussels sprouts. I realized that it was "that time of year" when Amy caught me at market last Saturday and asked, "when do things start to slow down?" "Thanksgiving." It dawned on me just what a long stretch of time that...Read More
Field to Feast: Genovese Basil

Field to Feast: Genovese Basil

It always amazes me how much produce we grow here on our 55 acres of Black Dirt.  The sheer quantity is astounding. The veggies are all sold at farmers markets or through our CSA (community supported agriculture) programs. We also maintain numerous wholesale accounts. I realized the other day - when I was simply and utterly exhausted and barely had the energy to make my kid dinner - that I sort and/or stack about 85% of what leaves this farm.  No WONDER I'm tired in the summer! It probably comes as no surprise to any of you that I'm ridiculously...Read More
Field to Feast: Fast & Easy Sweet Corn on the Cob

Field to Feast: Fast & Easy Sweet Corn on the Cob

The cooking method that has eliminated the hot mess that is summer corn on the cob. Many of you know I'm a fledgling photographer and I took the opportunity to join a local photography club a few months ago (thanks Kathleen!). I figured it would be great to learn the craft from those (FAR) more experienced than I. I never took into account the fact that you have to actually practice in order to learn and hone your skill and like anything else, if you don't use it, you lose it. That's kind of how I felt 2 weeks ago when...Read More
Field to Feast: Dill and Garlic Scapes

Field to Feast: Dill and Garlic Scapes

Dill and Garlic Scapes It's the second week of July (yes, this is how long it's taken me to write this post) and we just held our sixth annual farm tour here in sunny, humid and oppressively hot Orange County.  Ordinarily we would be setting up at our local farmers' market every Friday from Memorial Day through Halloween, but there is a special event in our town that is held each July 4th weekend, the preparations for which have forced our market's closing for the last six years. A typical farm summer doesn't allow us the luxury of a day...Read More
Field to Feast: Strawberries and Rhubarb… The Day After

Field to Feast: Strawberries and Rhubarb… The Day After

This pic pretty much sums up my absolute favorite way to use the strawberry-rhubarb sauce recipe which I posted earlier in  the week.  Well, other than just eating it with a spoon, that is.  The full-fat ice cream, whipped cream and vanilla spongecake are outrageously decadent and surprisingly light!  You cannot BELIEVE how much of this you can pack away before you even realize you're full! It all started with my grandmother, Babci Sophie.  Babci was an excellent cook - not a professional chef, but very skilled nonetheless - and it was fairly common for her to bake a cake for her...Read More