I've had my day in the spotlight and am VERY glad to be back in my farm kitchen, known only as Momma, Val, or "The Farmer's Wife". Ahhhhhhhhhh, the bliss of a quiet house, boys working int he fields staking late tomatoes, babies napping, and my husband making kitchen cabinets in the shop. How did I get to be a "Cooking Video Queen"? Welllll, just let me tell you how Steve and Adam, my 20 year old son, crowned me "cooking video queen" for the day.....right Mary?
Last week was a very long week, that's why last week's blog is being written this week. :) That is why I'm basking in the quiet pace of Tuesday... Last week found me making over 200 half-pints of strawberry jam...canning shredded zucchini....baking for the Crossville online market....and falling at Jesus' feet in prayer for His perfect will...and having endless mammograms, sonagrams and finally after 7 plus hours two biopsies. When the dust settled Friday morning we worked as a family preparing for our shareholders...baking bread, picking vegetables, and packing vegetables....all with two clouds over my head ....cancer?....cooking video on Monday!!!??? Sooo, that's how the weekend went. We did get the joyous news that I was cancer free, PRAISE GOD! But looming right up there with the unknown was my day in the "limelight", Monday morning at 9 a.m with Mary from Edible East Tennessee.
Now all Moms, answer this question honestly... What does your kitchen (not to mention your house, packing shed, fields, porch, and kitchen gardens) look like at 9 a.m. Monday morning? After marketing since last Thursday and all the prep , a day with Momma gone, a day of worship and rest (Praise God for Sundays!!) mine is usually a bit disheveled. By lunchtime on Monday I usually have my feet on firm ground again with our bread baked, 8 plus loads of laundry done, and am ready to tackle any challenges the Lord sends that week. Not this week. :) I was up at 4:30 grinding wheat for bread, making my tea and having devotions...for without the Lord's wisdom, direction and reassurance I know how my day will go...poorly. We ate, cleaned up from breakfast for 13 (two married daughters [Missy and Hope] had arrived by now to be my cheerleaders and right hand gals) and gathered our thoughts on how to give me a makeover of sorts...from Momma to "Cooking Video Queen". This is all tongue and cheek of course...I hesitantly chose two dishes I make for the family using our vegetables; gathered the ingredients and was ready for the "film crew" to arrive at 9 a.m.
Was I ever nervous! I am not one to watch cooking shows...we don't have a t.v., just a monitor for well chosen videos. My daughter Hope advised me to go to UTUBE and educate myself by watching a few...no time for that...so the first one I've seen in about 20 years will be my own. Now my older children used to like to watch Yan Can Cook (spelling?) on the Public Television channel in the late 80's...I had to stop many a knife "exhibition" when they tried to copy his style. Matthew (now 27, serving in the Air Force in the Middle East, and anticipating his wedding in California on July 9th) used to jabber in Chinese and make the knives chop furiously like his cooking hero....definitely not my style...so I was me, welcoming you my shareholders into my farm kitchen. I was greatly relieved when Rachel (the camera gal who was about the age of one of my daughters) told me she'd be editing the tape. Praise God! For I didn't know what to do with my messy hands, fumbled over the right words, and even cracked up when I was introduced. Oh my...my day in the spotlight could actually be comical if left unedited. :)
So, I made Zucchini Pizzas and a quickie "fried" vegetable side dish...and lived through it! I found that I could enjoy my new friends, Mary and Rachel, who made me right at home in my own kitchen :) and was actually interested in what I had to say.
What a blessing new friends can be. They left with fresh bread and strawberry jam in hand...now I'm waiting for results again...not from biopsies, but a newspaper article and video online at Knoxnews.com . Mary and I have learned a lesson...20 year olds don't really know if it's a good time to open their home to the public. Mary and I may talk again..........
P.S. It's out...the results are in...3 plus hours of work was whittled down to a couple of minutes tops! Wow, Great job Rachel! I even made sense of sorts!
Pintrest
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Busy Farm Life
Life is busy around the farm lately. Spring vegetables are phasing out and summer vegetables are beginning to be picked. For this to happen consistently allll season, we must plant, plant, and plant again. There is always someone walking around with seeds, watering in the greenhouse, or hauling a 16 foot trailer loaded with transplants to the fields. Life on a farm is NEVER boring...exhausting yes, but never boring.
The strawberries are petering out. We will miss their tangy sweetness. BUT I have about 700 cups of mashed berries in my freezers to use in our farm kitchen. We are closing in on having the kitchen being finished and then comes the state inspection. I've taken the classes, and
we've passed our water test, so we may take advantage of the new state laws that allow uninspected kitchens to produce baked goods and "non-hazardous" foods for sale before the final inspection. So, if you love our berries, look for jam, cakes, and other goodies with them for sale at your market.
Sweet snap peas and squash are replacing strawberries. Adam and I are getting our act together with recipes. I've had them ready each week, but the recipe section of the site will probably not be in use this year. Instead, we are putting the recipes at the end of your weekly "What's in My Share?" e-mail. We're learning, but inside computer time is short during the growing season. By the time we can sit down at the computer it is late at night and we're not very coherent. This week you'll find some unusual uses for zucchini along with squash, onion, and spinach recipes. I hope they are an inspiration when you too open your frig door and ask yourself, "What should I make for supper?!"
I'm excited these days about my kitchen being finished! I know I've mentioned it but I've waited almost 5 years dreaming of one day enjoying the orderliness of a finished kitchen. Farmer Steve has traded hats this week...he's cabinet maker Steve. The boys have been running the farm "alone". So, while I wait, all my pans are stacked outside the kitchen and I step over the air compressor cord and sweep up sawdust. I praise God for His provision!
I had fun this week using all the spring vegetables! I made my first green smoothie shake. A dear sister encouraged me to visit the "Green Smoothie Lady" on UTUBE. Afterwards I whipped up a Colvin Family Farm version with our kale, Bok Choy, an apple, our strawberries, and a banana! The young men shied away from it but all my little ones and Farmer Steve really enjoyed it. I also made "That Beets All" Quiche, roasted onions, Green Eggs and Ham, LOTS of salads, vegetable platters with red carrots from my kitchen garden, plus steamed beets, broccoli and cauliflower from the fields. It's a fun challenge each time I open my refrigerator door!
I know your life is busy also, so I appreciate you visiting this blog. I want to encourage you to take time to do what's MOST important in life. The old hymn says,
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
First thing each morning the Lord is waiting for us, His children, to spend time with Him. The story of Mary and Martha has been a big encouragement to me over the years. I purpose in my heart daily to "choose the better thing" like Mary did. I picture Jesus waiting for me by my rocker in the living room and I don't want to disappoint Him by not showing up! I get to sit by His feet each morning to learn of Him! I brew a cup of herbal or fruit tea to make this time extra special. Reading from the King James Holy Bible, praying for family, friends, and even you our share holders, along with copying Scripture allows me to talk to and listen to my Saviour each day. What a privilege! As you hustle and bustle about your day, take time for the TRULY IMPORTANT...seeking and serving Jesus Christ!
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Galations 6:9
Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val Colvin
The strawberries are petering out. We will miss their tangy sweetness. BUT I have about 700 cups of mashed berries in my freezers to use in our farm kitchen. We are closing in on having the kitchen being finished and then comes the state inspection. I've taken the classes, and
we've passed our water test, so we may take advantage of the new state laws that allow uninspected kitchens to produce baked goods and "non-hazardous" foods for sale before the final inspection. So, if you love our berries, look for jam, cakes, and other goodies with them for sale at your market.
Sweet snap peas and squash are replacing strawberries. Adam and I are getting our act together with recipes. I've had them ready each week, but the recipe section of the site will probably not be in use this year. Instead, we are putting the recipes at the end of your weekly "What's in My Share?" e-mail. We're learning, but inside computer time is short during the growing season. By the time we can sit down at the computer it is late at night and we're not very coherent. This week you'll find some unusual uses for zucchini along with squash, onion, and spinach recipes. I hope they are an inspiration when you too open your frig door and ask yourself, "What should I make for supper?!"
I'm excited these days about my kitchen being finished! I know I've mentioned it but I've waited almost 5 years dreaming of one day enjoying the orderliness of a finished kitchen. Farmer Steve has traded hats this week...he's cabinet maker Steve. The boys have been running the farm "alone". So, while I wait, all my pans are stacked outside the kitchen and I step over the air compressor cord and sweep up sawdust. I praise God for His provision!
I had fun this week using all the spring vegetables! I made my first green smoothie shake. A dear sister encouraged me to visit the "Green Smoothie Lady" on UTUBE. Afterwards I whipped up a Colvin Family Farm version with our kale, Bok Choy, an apple, our strawberries, and a banana! The young men shied away from it but all my little ones and Farmer Steve really enjoyed it. I also made "That Beets All" Quiche, roasted onions, Green Eggs and Ham, LOTS of salads, vegetable platters with red carrots from my kitchen garden, plus steamed beets, broccoli and cauliflower from the fields. It's a fun challenge each time I open my refrigerator door!
I know your life is busy also, so I appreciate you visiting this blog. I want to encourage you to take time to do what's MOST important in life. The old hymn says,
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
First thing each morning the Lord is waiting for us, His children, to spend time with Him. The story of Mary and Martha has been a big encouragement to me over the years. I purpose in my heart daily to "choose the better thing" like Mary did. I picture Jesus waiting for me by my rocker in the living room and I don't want to disappoint Him by not showing up! I get to sit by His feet each morning to learn of Him! I brew a cup of herbal or fruit tea to make this time extra special. Reading from the King James Holy Bible, praying for family, friends, and even you our share holders, along with copying Scripture allows me to talk to and listen to my Saviour each day. What a privilege! As you hustle and bustle about your day, take time for the TRULY IMPORTANT...seeking and serving Jesus Christ!
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Galations 6:9
Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val Colvin
Friday, June 3, 2011
As I was praying about what to write about this week a thought came to my head...What was I doing at the time? Well, I was cutting up store bought cabbage (the last from a late winter purchase) to steam. I had just peeled 3 freshly cut kohlrabi and slice them into the cabbage pot when the thought hit me. What is the difference between store bought vegetables and the ones I had been packing since early morning? (By the way it is now 8:21 p.m.) Here are some thoughts...
1. Our vegetables have been prayed over. Not only by us, but our church is also praying for rain with us...are you?
2. If you are about my age or a bit younger you have fond memories of hours spent pouring over the Sears and Robuck Wish Book each December. There was page after page of toy cars, dolls, games, building and craft sets that stretched our imaginations to the limit. This scene is similar to seed buying time here at Colvin Family Farm! My boys start planning when the first catalogs come in the mail in November...no we're not really done when I see them huddled around a new catalog from Johnny's Select Seeds, Fedco, Peaceful Valley, or Territorial Seeds. The furry grows towards the end of December as they have to be among the first to order to guarantee receiving their choice of snap pea or seed potato. Picture our 12' farmhouse kitchen table with about 5 boys huddled around a catalog...now you may get a glimpse at the care that goes into our seed choice. Whereas the seed pool used by commercial growers offers very few varieties of vegetables. The seeds are even "copyrighted" like the soybean with the poison "Round-Up" bread right into it. There are thousands of varieties, but only a limited number is offered to commercial growers. Commercial varieties are chosen for durability in shipment and short days to maturity, not taste. Our standards? TASTE, ability to grow in organically, and what our customers prefer.
3. Grocery store vegetables are grown in ground that is depleted of needed nutrients. How does this affect you? Well, the tomato that looks soo good most likely doesn't have the vitamins and minerals the Lord designed for it to have. We are duped into thinking we are eating healthy when we are eating "empty vitamins".
4. Each of the vegetables that we pack for you is picked by hand by a member of our family. Big farms have harvesters that are cruised through the field cutting the lettuce, picking the beans, or harvesting the corn, or they hire migrant workers seasonally to pick and pack their harvest for market. At this point we don't hire Mexicans, or other outside workers as other farms do. By joining with our farm you are supporting a local family farm...and all that it means to be a family.
5. Our vegetables are harvested and in your hands within about 24 hours. Store bought vegetables are sprayed with preservatives which enable them to last weeks. I can taste it worst on salad mixes that folks sometimes serve. These are poisons! We deliver shares weekly for that's about the shelf life for most of what we produce.
6. We pick RIPE vegetables. We live in a rural farming community. They specialize in tomatoes and pumpkins. Now, I'm not being overly critical of their methods, but they raise what you typically see in your local stores. They pick their tomatoes green, gas them, then ship them off...you are essentially eating a green tomato. Sound yummy?
7. I'll stop on the Biblical number of perfection...our vegetables! No, they're not perfect, but they are as close as you can get to having a garden of your own without the work a garden entails. We consider each of our fields a work of God. When your family eats a yummy fresh salad, bites into a sweet snap pea, or shreds up zucchini for a homemade bread, you are partaking of His blessing. Praise God for His provision with us, and enjoy your season of FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN GOODNESS!
So, what will your choice be? The convenience of the local store...or the path less trod to wholesome eating? The answer is plain to us...that is why we farm for YOU!
Have a great week! May God bless each of you as you seek His face.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray; and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14
Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val Colvin
1. Our vegetables have been prayed over. Not only by us, but our church is also praying for rain with us...are you?
2. If you are about my age or a bit younger you have fond memories of hours spent pouring over the Sears and Robuck Wish Book each December. There was page after page of toy cars, dolls, games, building and craft sets that stretched our imaginations to the limit. This scene is similar to seed buying time here at Colvin Family Farm! My boys start planning when the first catalogs come in the mail in November...no we're not really done when I see them huddled around a new catalog from Johnny's Select Seeds, Fedco, Peaceful Valley, or Territorial Seeds. The furry grows towards the end of December as they have to be among the first to order to guarantee receiving their choice of snap pea or seed potato. Picture our 12' farmhouse kitchen table with about 5 boys huddled around a catalog...now you may get a glimpse at the care that goes into our seed choice. Whereas the seed pool used by commercial growers offers very few varieties of vegetables. The seeds are even "copyrighted" like the soybean with the poison "Round-Up" bread right into it. There are thousands of varieties, but only a limited number is offered to commercial growers. Commercial varieties are chosen for durability in shipment and short days to maturity, not taste. Our standards? TASTE, ability to grow in organically, and what our customers prefer.
3. Grocery store vegetables are grown in ground that is depleted of needed nutrients. How does this affect you? Well, the tomato that looks soo good most likely doesn't have the vitamins and minerals the Lord designed for it to have. We are duped into thinking we are eating healthy when we are eating "empty vitamins".
4. Each of the vegetables that we pack for you is picked by hand by a member of our family. Big farms have harvesters that are cruised through the field cutting the lettuce, picking the beans, or harvesting the corn, or they hire migrant workers seasonally to pick and pack their harvest for market. At this point we don't hire Mexicans, or other outside workers as other farms do. By joining with our farm you are supporting a local family farm...and all that it means to be a family.
5. Our vegetables are harvested and in your hands within about 24 hours. Store bought vegetables are sprayed with preservatives which enable them to last weeks. I can taste it worst on salad mixes that folks sometimes serve. These are poisons! We deliver shares weekly for that's about the shelf life for most of what we produce.
6. We pick RIPE vegetables. We live in a rural farming community. They specialize in tomatoes and pumpkins. Now, I'm not being overly critical of their methods, but they raise what you typically see in your local stores. They pick their tomatoes green, gas them, then ship them off...you are essentially eating a green tomato. Sound yummy?
7. I'll stop on the Biblical number of perfection...our vegetables! No, they're not perfect, but they are as close as you can get to having a garden of your own without the work a garden entails. We consider each of our fields a work of God. When your family eats a yummy fresh salad, bites into a sweet snap pea, or shreds up zucchini for a homemade bread, you are partaking of His blessing. Praise God for His provision with us, and enjoy your season of FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN GOODNESS!
So, what will your choice be? The convenience of the local store...or the path less trod to wholesome eating? The answer is plain to us...that is why we farm for YOU!
Have a great week! May God bless each of you as you seek His face.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray; and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14
Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val Colvin
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