Tag: Goat Cheese

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: 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: 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
It was the best of times… (Field to Feast: Spinach)

It was the best of times… (Field to Feast: Spinach)

It was the worst of times. Yeah, Mr. Dickens was right.  I kinda want to punch him. But that's not going to stop the rain from falling.  We had over 8 inches of rain fall in a week's time here at the farm.  Perhaps you can imagine our poor little plants standing in puddles and mud for days and days. Perhaps you can't, so I'll show you. It hasn't rained here in 4 days and for that we are thankful.  But the effects of such weather are long-lasting.  The cucumbers that we planted a month ago probably won't be producing...Read More

Missing… but still in action.

Get a load of this... Yes, that's a frog. It's a frog in a pint-sized deli container. It's a frog that I found hiding behind the window fan in my son's room Friday night. I went to close the window because the forecast was for rain the next day when I was at market.  Bleary eyed and ready for sleep, I go in and remove the fan from the window, only to find this THING attached to the screen on the INSIDE! I screamed, but just a little.  Once I caught my breath, I raced around trying to find SOMETHING...Read More
Inspiration Strikes: Zucchini and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Inspiration Strikes: Zucchini and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Zucchini inspiration begins somewhere and for me it began with garlic. I would imagine that seeing, touching, and smelling garlic would inspire culinary greatness in most people. I looked at the garlic sitting in my father's work-worn hand and immediately thought garlic bread!  I'm not saying it hasn't been... but in theory, garlic bread probably should not be the sole component of one's evening meal. I also had a beautiful loaf of Janet's ciabatta bread and creamy fresh chevre.  How could I NOT create something simple and delectable from those superior ingredients? So I donned my flip flops and baseball cap, grabbed...Read More
Lemon Ricotta Bars (with Goat’s Milk Ricotta)

Lemon Ricotta Bars (with Goat’s Milk Ricotta)

Holy cow. We started markets this week.  It was hot.  REALLY hot. I drank a lot of water, lemonade.  and iced coffee and saw a ridiculous number of smiling faces - all of them thrilled that we are back and selling lots of fabulous local produce.  Many sincere thanks to those who remembered and mentioned the hardships we endured last summer with the massive, devastating floods.  It was nice to hear the praise and admiration, not that it was expected or even deserved.  We did what we had to do and we got through it.   Anyone faced with similar...Read More
The Colors of Christmas

The Colors of Christmas

Not the garishly bright Crayola red and green, either... I'm talking deep crimson red and asparagus green and crisp white.  Mother Nature has created such gorgeous colors that no factory (even Crayola) can reproduce them.  So, in keeping with the color theme for the season, I'm offering up a salad that will wow your guests this holiday season.    Not only is it impressive in terms of appearance, it's EASY FOR THE COOK!  Double bonus! If you're anything like me, you're probably just now realizing that Christmas is a mere 12 days away (which is why my original title for this post was...Read More
Zsa Zsa on Celery Avenue?

Zsa Zsa on Celery Avenue?

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