If It Was Cooler...

...I'd make some soup with everything in the box today!

 

 

Not only are John and Anna working hard on the farm producing veggies for the CSA boxes they are canning peaches, pears and apple sauce.  They seems to never be any down time when you are a farmer.  But I do know that Sunday is a time for church and fellowship as well as family time.

 

 

Recipe Of The Week: Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

10 pounds of chicken
2 cups of vinegar
3/4 cup of salt

Cover with water and let set for 1 and 1/ hours.  Drain and salt lightly.  Marinade with Italian dressing for 2-3 days in the fridge.  Drain. Grill.  When done dip in sauce and layer in roasters.

 

Dipping Sauce

1 cup of vinegar
1 cup of water
1/2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons of salt
1 pound of brown sugar
1/4 cup of Fridgex
1/2 cup of butter

Bring the first five ingredients to a boil.  Thicken with Fridgex and add butter.  Still well.  Bake at 180 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.  The low temperature is very important o the chicken does not get dry.

Sweet Corn...One Of My Favorites!

The mornings on the farm are getting a little cooler.  When Anna writes I can hear the roosters with their morning wake-up calls.  Growing vegetables for the CSA takes lots of team work and hard work...weeding picking, canning and more planting.  They have to do it in that order to make sure we have a steady supply of produce for the rest of the summer shares and into the fall shares.    They have already planted turnips, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, regular cabbage, and red beets.  John is still planting radishes, spicy greens,lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, in the next few weeks.  The first planting of tomatoes have gone past their peak but the second planting  is just starting to ripen.    With the cooler night they have had at Cedarmore tomato growth will slow down.  So things on the farm and progressing just like they should.

Recipe Of The Week: Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

1/4 cup of butter
4 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup of sour cream
2 Tablespoons of sea salt
1 cup of heated milk
potatoes, enough to fill a 6 quart kettle

Peel potatoes and cut lengthwise, put into 6 quart kettle till full.  Cover with water and cook until they are soft.  Drain and then mash potatoes until smooth.  Mix in slices of butter.  Mix in chunks of cream cheese.  Add sour cream mixing until smooth.  Add salt and milk until creamy.

Gravy

1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1 cup of milk
1 quart of broth
1/2 teaspoon of chicken base
1 teaspoon on sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Put first four ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into bowl.  Bring broth to a boil, add chicken base, salt, pepper and stir until dissolved.  Now pour boiling broth slowly into the flour mixture.  Stir briskly with  whisk until thick and smooth.  Pour back into kettle and keep warm.  Do not boil again.

A Wonderful Smell

There is a wonderful smell on the front porch today.  I think it might be cantaloupe.

 

The tomato crop can't catch a break.  The rain and cooler nights aren't helping them to ripen very fast.  They are getting ripe but just not as fast as we would like.  The rain seems to be slowing things down also.  As soo as the fields are dry enough to be plowed and planted that's just what John does.

Recipe Of The Week: Chicken Pizza Packs

Chicken Pizza Packs

1 pound of chicken breast (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 zucchini (small and sliced thin)
1 onion ( small and sliced thin)
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning blend
1 cup of shredded Italian cheese blend
Cooking spray
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 green pepper (small and julienned)
16 peperoni slices
1/4 teaspoons each of garlic powder, salt, pepper
1 cup of diced tomatoes

In a large bowl combine meats, oil, zucchini, green pepper, onion, and spices.  Coat4 (1square foot each) heavy duty aluminum foil squares with cooing spray.  Place equal amounts of mixture in he center of each foil square., then fold foil to make a form tight seal.  Grill (0vered) over medium hot heat for 15 to 18 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.  Then add equal parts tomatoes and cheese to each.  Seal loosely and grill for two more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Good Old Summer Veggies

 

It is August already and it seems like summer in winding down.  Seems like every summer goes faster than the one before.  Since the rain has stopped John is getting more plowing done so more planting can be done for the fall crops.  Potatoes look like a bountiful crop!  So we will be enjoying them in our boxes for the next few weeks.

Recipe Of The Week: Campfire Stew

Campfire Stew

potatoes, chunked
carrots, chunked
smoked sausage, cut diagonally in chunks
1 quart chicken broth
peas
onions, wedged
1 quart of water

Prepare vegetables in amounts needed.  Cut up sausage.  Put everything in an iron kettle.  Pour broth and water over all.  Put n lid.  Set in good hot fire.  Will be ready in 15-20 minutes.  Serve with Herbamare or other salt is desired.  Deliciously simple