Blahhh Days Are Ahhhhhhhhh Days on the Farm

 GREETINGS!

It may be grey and wet outside, but inside I'm enjoying the quiet days of winter. While my older boys are gearing up for growing vegetables, this farmer's wife is enjoying cooking, baking, organizing recipes, organizing my herbal notebook, sewing, teaching school, cuddling on the couch reading seed catalogs, and relishing the warm bed at 5:45 a.m.! Some people eat seasonally, but we also live seasonally!

Tis the season for many things on our farm...

*Tis the season to prepare our bodies for the long season ahead. I'm intentionally fixing meals that will build up our immune system and strength. Farming long hours for about 8 months of the year is very draining. While the children school at our 12' farm table, I work in the kitchen next to them...teaching... kneading... reviewing...mixing...giving tests...experimenting with an idea for a new recipe. I call on children to join me, as they learn so much as we work together. Charity Rose (about to turn 4) is getting to be quite a good bread baker! This way I model several things to my children. #1 Momma is a learner, and there are a lot of things to learn outside textbooks. #2 My children see me serving in our home being a "keeper at home" and prayerfully they will catch the godly vision of Titus 2.

*Tis the season to prepare our seed and equipment orders for the season. We have lots of plans, but a lot of them depend on YOU. When you sign up for your share, it enables us to put our plans into ACTION. The variety and quantity we are able to plant depends on the support we get from our shareholder family. There is a lot on the line as I type this.

*Tis the season for researching, researching, and more researching for ways to use our vegetables in innovative ways. If you are a longstanding share holder you may remember that when I first started typing out hard copies of From the Farmer's Wife in 2010, our family liked steamed vegetables...old time tried and true methods. Being "The Farmer's Wife" has challenged me in a good way to break out of this path and try new things! It only took one season of the Farmer's Wife for me to exhaust my recipe file! Now we braise, roast, grill, combine, pickle, ferment, etc.

One funny thing about my research is that NOW I KNOW WHAT A BLOG REALLY IS! "What?!!", you say! I had never read a blog until this winter other than my own! Odd eh? Well, I'm being challenged now by other women in my calling as a wife, mother, and farmer's wife! There is soooooooo much information out there that I actually hit overload...there was a growing stack of computer print offs in a stack in my desk area! I had to tell myself to stop printing off recipes for casseroles, breads, soaps, herbal mixtures, etc. until I had organized it all. Thankfully that didn't take too long!

*Believe it or not,  tis the season  to plant in the greenhouses all ready! As seeds arrive different varieties of cabbage are being planted. Before today's planting there were 4,000 seedlings there..more today. This is cheap "therapy" for my older boys. They are like me...they get the planting itch around now.

*Tis the season for rocking chair gardening! Anything is possible in my garden during the long snowy nights of winter! I picture the perfect cottage kitchen garden with a new rustic wattle fence defining it. I dream about quiet moments enjoying its solitude during the busy season...
When we started our CSA in Dayton in 2002 we used mainly 1250 square feet of raised beds in our side yard. We fed 25 families plus our own needs in this area. It's amazing what you can grow in one square foot! 9 bean plants, 1 tomato plant, 16 green onions or radish, 9 beets, PLUS A WHOLE LOT MORE! For more information how to grown in a very frugal way, visit square foot gardening.com. Well, these beds are now not needed and are overwhelming to me along with my other responsibilities... I realized last spring after planting the whole thing that I could not keep up with it. I felt guilty, and frustrated that I didn't have the needed time to work in it. (I was used to working 6 hours a day in it until it was established.) So for the first time last summer I got the food we need same as you do, from boxes leftover from drop offs. BUT I still have the need to garden, it's me...that's how the boys have fallen in love with growing. It's been our classroom, our hobby, and our livelihood. So the beds are coming out with some of them being rearranged closer to my kitchen door. I plan to plant them back with my all ready established herbs, and flowers in a more manageable size. I hope to border it with a rustic wattle fence that Titus and I are planning to make in March before the rush begins. So, now I'm putting little stars by all the flowers in catalogs that strike my interest...that's free...and maybe a few will end up in my "picture perfect cottage kitchen garden"!

*Tis the season to experiment in the kitchen! I love to light candles or my kerosene lanterns, gather the children about me and cook. Here is one recipe or formula that helps me to use the leftovers in my refrigerator. I give all the credit to Green Apple Home on UTUBE. Faith Anne (11) and I cleaned out the refrigerator yesterday and made a delicious supper!

WHATEVER CASSEROLE FORMULA

2 C. meat (cubed chicken, ham, tuna, leftover roast etc.)
4 C. starch (cubed potatoes, noodles, rice, or other grains)
2 C. chopped leftover vegetables
2 C. sauce (1 can cream of __ soup, cheese sauce, gravy, etc.
Topping: buttered bread crumbs, croutons, fancy fried canned onions, etc.
Shredded cheese (optional)

Here's what my first casseroles looked like:

2 C. (or so I just layered it) cubed chicken with bits of congealed chicken juices on it
4 C. layer of leftover brown rice
2 plus C. layer of broccoli and cauliflower mixture (We're thankful we froze so much!)
Buttered bread crumb layer (From our own whole wheat bread.)
Sprinkle of cheese for looks (optional)

Bake covered for 30 minutes or until bubbly (more like 45 minutes if your ingredients are cold), uncover, sprinkle with cheese. Continue to bake until cheese is melted. You can freeze this before baking and have it to pull out on a hectic evening.

*Tis the season to enjoy a good night sleep. During the growing and marketing season we may get to bed in the early hours of morning and need to be up at 5 a.m. This winter I've enjoyed reading before bedtime with a cup of tea by me, snuggled under my quilts. When the alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m. I get to decide if I want to get up. Mostly I discipline myself to get up and meet with my Lord, but on weekends, this can be pushed back a half hour to an hour without mishap. It's hard to describe this wintertime blessing!
More leisurely breakfasts have been fun also! I have been having fun on Friday mornings trying special recipes. The Recipe Girl at Recipegirl.com  inspired me with this treat for last Friday's breakfast!



Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Pancakes:

1 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk
1 T. canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 T. ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 T. butter
2 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, JUST until moistened ( a few lumps are fine).
2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggies and set aside IN THE REFRIGERATOR. This will help it to thicken to toothpaste consistency.
3. In a medium, microwave safe bowl, heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.
4. Heat large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray (or lightly oil). I like to pour my batter into a water pitcher to pour to desired size, but the recipe girl calls for a whopping 3/4 C. of batter for each pancake. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.
5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

Comments: I made the pancake filling with Ideal (Xyilitol, a natural sweetener). This helped cut down on the sugar content. I used regular confectioners sugar for the glaze. My first ones were a bit messy as I tired making them with 3/4 c. of batter...too much! So I recommend much less! I made a 5 times batch as I was serving 18 scrambled eggs with this, and had more than enough glaze, so don't be tempted to double the glaze just to have enough. There is a great tutorial on making the swirl filling here http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/11/09/gingerbread-cinnamon-roll-pancakes/ HAVE FUN!

*Like all home schooling Mommas know, tis the season for lessons. We're busy these frosty mornings doing the book work the government requires. I do believe though that my children learn more "on their own". Their love of learning keeps me on my toes! Right now we're exploring space. Complicated unit study? Chapter in a textbook? No, I simply fanned the flame of interest... first directing my little ones (Jr. High on down to kindergarten) to the book shelf that holds our non fiction books on space, astrology, and biographies of astronauts to answer a few questions that had cropped up. This only excited them more, so I visited the local library and checked out about 75 books on the subject. I put them in a huge Longerberger Laundry basket which we call the book basket. The children know the basket is FULL of exciting stories, the answers to their questions, and recipes related to the topic we're delving into! This Thursday we'll have a space themed supper, oral reports, stories and then we'll have a constellation party outside. These books aren't read on school time...we "don't have the time" for the extras since we school as we do now...don't ask...but the children love to learn during these long, dark evenings...just don't tell them "we're doing school"! (Six of us just huddled into the downstairs bathroom to watch Noah (13) do a science experiment. He showed how water travels through water using a Pringle (that had somehow made its appearance in our home) container filled with water, and a flashlight...no assignment, just a love to learn. smile) (Update...since it takes me so long to get one of these blogs out, we've had our space night all ready. We used meatloaf to form a space lab (carrot sticks connected the parts) which "floated" on the milky way (mashed potatoes), made cinnamon star toasts, and for dessert we splurged and made saturn ice cream cookies. (Freeze balls of orange sherbet and make sugar cookies. When serving, slice the sherbet balls in half and put a sugar cookie in between the halves.) The table was decorated with pictures of famous astronauts and Lego Apollo spaceships. We had a fun time reading the reports and imagining life in space.)

*Tis the season to prepare. Last week we bought 3 used greenhouses about an hour and a half from the farm. Yesterday all the men (that left Levi (6) out) went there and took the greenhouses down. It was a LONG day of hard work! This "school field trip" taught my boys how men really work...not just on the farm, but wherever the Lord calls you to. Now we'll have our temporary packing shed, an equipment shed, and the needed greenhouse! Praise God for HIS provision! Now all we have to do is put them all up!

*Tis the season for getting realistic about our capabilities on the farm for the 2012 season. It is extremely hard for Adam and Caleb to face the reality of what we are able to do, in contrast to what they dream could happen. It's sort of like my dream garden...what we could do may not be what we can do. It's all up to you. If you haven't signed up for your share yet, PLEASE DO. Equipment needs are critical right now as we plan our field crops. We're planting in the greenhouse like we have certain pieces of planting and cultivation equipment. We are, Lord willing, growing past the plant and water by hand stage of farming. We're experiencing the growing pains this winter...so please if you can, do your part. Pray first, as we are that the Lord would send the shareholders HE wants us to serve. Then sign yourselves up! Lastly, please spread the word! We have brochures that you can hand out to your family, church, or clubs. Just ask! Lastly, I want to say a big, "thank you" before the season even begins. Thank you to the Lord, who I KNOW is faithful, and to ya'll who support this small family farm. 

*Tis also the season to consider our hearts before God before it's too late.. Jesus said, " I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me." John 14:6. Do you know Jesus?...or better said, Does HE KNOW YOU? Write or call us if you'd like to know more about our Saviour, THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD Jesus Christ. 

If you are saved, is there anything in your life that gets more attention than our Saviour? A daily time reading the King James Bible will be essential to your strength to live for Jesus Christ each day. Let's be found faithful!

 "To every thing there is a season...a time to plant..."  Ecclesiastes 3:1



Abundant Blessings,
The  Farmer's Wife

Are you frugal?

It's a new year, and I'm focusing on how I can serve my Lord Jesus Christ and my family in a more honoring and efficient way in 2012. I've come across a website that is encouraging me to do things I used to do...before maybe the 11th baby...before we moved into the "modern" farm house....before Steve came home full-time...before Colvin Family Farm became a full-time business...before life got REALLY busy....

I want to "simplify" once again...make the laundry soap I USED to make... and make the yogurt I used to...and other nifty things are encouraged on this blog. It's a frugal blog...that is how we have lived all of our married lives....that's how we supported our family on one income...that's our lifestyle...BEFORE it was cool or green.

Would you like to be encouraged to live more simply.."Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without?" The "Frugally Sustainable" blog will be a great help. It's help me dust off "the archives of my heart" and make the time to do it myself!

The blog is having a 23 day challenge...want to join me? It will be fun! Here is the link.

One incentive to visiting the website is the recipes that describe new ways to use the vegetables you receive in your shares or at the grocer. I've got a long list of articles I MAY get to read on one of these frosty winter evenings bookmarked in a folder...until then I'm back to making my own laundry detergent and making my creamy yogurt by the half gallon! :)

I pray all is well with you and your family...it's about to snow here! There is hope for spring though in the strawberries and garlic that still show green through the straw! For now, we're enjoying the "rest!"

Haven't reserved your share yet? It would be best to do it soon since we are "restricting" the number of shares at each market this year. Chattanooga and Oak Ridge are our new pick ups for the year, and we hope that Dayton and Crossville will be growing! I got an inside peek at the seed orders and there are SEVERAL new vegetables we are going to try and grow...artichokes...shallots...melons of several varieties...oh, I had better stop...I'm drooling! ha ha!

I hadn't planned a formal blog today, this just happened when I read about the challenge once again. Why not try it?

From our Farm to Your Homestead,
Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...."

Snowy Greetings from Our Farm!

As the old Christmas carol says, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.." I know that before this gets posted the snow will be gone, but it sure has put me in the mood! We ended up with 2 inches of beauty clinging to the trees, blowing across the fields, turning the grey of late fall into a beauty characteristic of God Almighty!

There is so much going on here on the farm since we delivered our last share, and picked for our last farmer's market! There are many decisions to be made in order to serve you correctly come spring. We're about to sign the final papers on our new farm! There will be 30 more acres to grow a WIDE variety of vegetables and fruits now. The new farm also has a reliable water sources with a pond and year round stream. We've bought seed for an innumerable amount of different verities of vegetables. (The boys only groaned when I asked them exactly how many varieties!) We're putting our strawberries "to bed" for the long cold mountain winter with cushy beds of straw and row cover. Calculations are also being made for greenhouse supplies, and marketing supplies. Equipment needs are also lively topics of conversation around the farmhouse dinner table as we are growing out of the hoe and watering can stage of the farm and into a midsized family farm. Sometimes my head swims with all the facts!

We are praying more of you sign up for the coming season soon as the bills must be paid for all of this EARLY in the year. A down payment on a share (or the total cost if you are able) for a loved one would be an amazing Christmas gift! If your family would like to be used to meet a need in a struggling family's life, consider giving the gift of a share for Christmas! Church groups, civic groups and family members can help a family in a meaningful way by doing so. What a blessing that would be!

Inside the farmhouse we're busy with the book work side of our school year. With 6 grades and a preschooler there is never a dull moment. Levi (just turned 6) has all ready finished his first math book! He's learning to read also...so he keeps me on my toes! I also have a 12th grader zooming towards the finish line (he'll be done well before the growing season begins in earnest in March). The Lord has me in several stages of life at the same time...this all keeps me on my knees beseeching HIM for wisdom. I'm a blessed woman!

Since family farming and Farmer Steve being carpenter Steve at the same time doesn't really work, we're working feverishly to finish our home this winter while the greenhouses are empty and frosty. Early plantings will be the the big boy's work, so Farmer Steve's goal is to get as much as possible done during the winter. So far he's "finished" (all framing and rough sheet rock hung (not finished) the mud room, 10' 'X 6' pantry, family closet just off the laundry room, and the library/home school room/family room is taking shape. There is even a large closet that will hold sewing supplies...we'll have to really get organized...so that too is in the works...a complete reorganization. I revel in this as I am an organizer.

The Lord has progressively blessed us with more and more space over the past 12 years. When we moved to the farm we had a little mountain (shack) "cottage" with 1,000 square feet for 11 people. We put a bathroom in it and felt RICHLY blessed. With a commitment to stay debt free we've built our home stage by stage. This final stage has a lot of the "heart" of the home in it...a LAUNDRY room!!!, family closet library/school room, and pantry!! Right now I jump from our back door into the little old "cottage" to get to my groceries... but a finished pantry right off the kitchen will be a HUGE BLESSING! I feel soooooooooooooo blessed!

During the finishing of the mud room we had a family crisis...Noah (13) had an accident with the large table saw. He was ripping studs when a knot shot out slicing the fleshy part of his thumb/hand.This brought an involuntary response as he fell into the blade. The blade cut across 4 of the fingers on his left hand! Praise God he now is regaining the use of most of his fingers. Many stitches and a skin graft latter; he is on the mend. We praise God for His protection, as he could have lost those fingers!

I've been enjoying cooking with my children again now that the kitchen is back to a family kitchen again! I loved the challenge of baking for the Crossville Farmer's Market, but it was a HUGE drain on our family, and Lord willing we will be taking on a new focus for the 2012 season. Now that Momma is focused only on family, the kitchen is once again an intricate part of our classroom. Each child has an assigned day of the week where they get to serve alongside me as we minister to our family's needs. I love the creativity and energy they bring to the kitchen! Each one of the olders has several specialties, partly because they LOVE to make what THEY love to eat. Isaac (17) loves Mexican and Italian, and can whip up the best pizzas (it takes about 7 large pizzas for supper along with a fresh salad and fruit.) Caleb loves roasts, homemade cornstarch pudding and doughnuts. Adam's specialty is oatmeal...really he knows how to cook, but plays helpless and needs lots of directions. He is funny in the kitchen. Give him a recipe and he's fine...he feels competent the woman the Lord is preparing for him will be a GREAT cook (so he doesn't have to!) ha ha! The younger children follow recipes and work alongside me. Titus (15) and Faith Anne (11) can take over the bread making if need be, and really enjoy it! I love fall and winter evenings in the kitchen. I light candles or the lanterns, and we use the summer's bounty to create new dishes.

Here is a new idea for the greens I pray you froze or canned this summer. If you didn't have any extras tucked away for winter, try using fresh or frozen spinach from the grocery store. I did get about 80 gallons of mixed greens put up, so I just pulled one of these bags out to make this winter savory soup. Serve with your favorite quick bread, or a loaf of fresh bread....for me, it takes 3 loaves!

SAVORY SAUSAGE AND BARLEY SOUP

1 pound Italian or Smoked Sausage
1, 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach (or fresh)
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
48 oz. Chicken broth (bouillon cubes will work in a pinch)
1/4 C. pearl barley (if you'd rather substitute brown rice, millet, or a mixture of both like I have done)

In the bottom of a stock pot brown sausagae, onion, and garlic. When meat is browned add Italian seasoning. Next add chicken broth, carrots, the greens of your choice, and grain. Simmer until gains are tender. Time depends on your choice of grain.

My, it sure is looking a lot like Christmas! It has taken me too long (again!) to get this posted. We've been baking cookies, making fudge, and a pot of homemade cranberry sauce is bubbling on the stove with cranberries from my uncle's bogs in Massachusetts. We've decorated an old fashioned Christmas tree with homemade ornaments,a string of popcorn, and a colorful paper chain the children made. I've been making gifts, and the workshop has been a hum of activity. BUT, the real meaning of Christmas isn't lost in all this activity. We have two nativity scenes as the focal point of our home during this time....it's too easy to loose focus. The world is SCREAMING its message of buy, buy, buy, get, get, get...gooooooooooo! Christ's message is full of peace..."I am come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Which do you choose?

Abundant Christmas Blessings,
Mrs. Stephen E. Colvin
The Farmer's Wife

Overcoming Arugala Phobia

Friday, October 28, 2011
5:30 p.m.

Steam is rising from my stove top, the food processor has been whirling, my hands smell like garlic, and there is green "stuff" in every dish I'm making tonight. Everyone that comes to see what is for supper tonight has made unpleasing sounds...what's up?

If you ask my boys at market what our favorite way to use arugula or rocket they say something like, "We like to compost it best." This has actually happened several times! They don't like the smell in the field...packing shed...or my kitchen. Honestly, it rarely makes it to the kitchen. We're tickled so many of ya'll like it so well, as it is a very forgiving crop.

Well, tonight I've decided that we are going to overcome our arugula phobia...as we haven't given this green a fair shake yet. I did some research and chose three recipes to try. We're baking up about 30 potatoes to fill the gap IF we decide we were right all along. I kind of have it figured that we have some room to grow....like a small child that doesn't like carrots at first sight. If you try the same vegetable again in a few weeks they don't spit it in your face, but delight in the sweetness. I thought I'd share the results with you along with the recipes (and of course my tweaks) in this post.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

The dust has settled on the long curving driveway away from the farm...Adam and Isaac are in the grand city of Knoxville at the downtown Market Square Farmer's Market, Caleb and Noah are also in the metropolis of Farragut selling produce and delivering shares at the Dixie Lee Farmer's Market, then delivering to the West Knoxville drop off at a sweet family's home where over a dozen folks pick up, and Farmer Steve and Titus have made their drop off in Dayton...they alllllllllll survived the Great Arugula Challenge! I'm proud of the contestants! Everyone ate well, almost heartily. :) Here are the results:

The top rated dish was Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Peppers. In our family, almost anything hot and spicy will go over well, so I thought this would be "the spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. In the most delightful way". It scored an average of 9 out of 10. I plan on trying this recipe with some of the mixed greens I've frozen this winter. You can control how spicy your meal is by how much pepper you add. I used dried peppers you've gotten in your shares all season. I encouraged you to dry them...I ground up 2 and used the entire amount for a delightfully spicy, but not overpowering dish. We usually don't like tuna casseroles...but the boys said they didn't even know tuna was in it! The garlic and peppers hid the fishy taste remarkably. This is a good recipe to sneak fish into your diets. :)

Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Pepper

1 lb. dried fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic , or more to taste, finely minced
GENEROUS pinch hot red pepper flakes
1-6 oz. can tuna packed in water or olive oil, drained
sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 lb. baby arugula

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and boil until al dente.

2. While pasta cooks, heat olive olive oil in a large skillet on medium-low heat. Ad the garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook until garlic is fragrant and sizzling. Add tuna and shred it into fine flakes with a fork. Season with salt. Keep warm over low heat.

3. Just before the pasta is ready, set aside 1 cup of boiling pasta water. Drain pasta and return to the warm pot set over moderate heat. Depending on the size of your post and skillet, either add the arugula nd the tuna mixture to the pasta in the pasta pot, or add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tuna mixture and add the arugula. Toss vigorously with tongs, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water. The arugula will wilt in the heat of the pasta. Salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Coming in second was Arugula Pesto. Since we finally got over our mind block on pesto, (yes, we have a couple of food "hangups"...thankfully the eggplant crop failed! I have a winter to prepare for the "Overcoming Eggplant Phobia" blog!) and have 6 pints in the freezer for the winter I thought Arugula Pesto would be another good recipe to try. I baked about 30 red potatoes to test it on...the worst thing that could happen is that we ate buttered potatoes, right? Well, the pesto was another hit. I don't have a number for it, but our new found pesto lovers liked the garlic taste without the bite of basil. (I like basil pesto better.) The real test came today at lunch when I was serving leftovers to Farmer Steve. He asked for the green stuff on his potatoes. :)

Arugula Pesto

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup shelled walnuts
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 clove garlic peeled and minced (not roasted)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used more.)

1. Brown 6 cloves of garlic with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

2. Toast the nuts in the same pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get the roasted flavor.

3a. Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

3b. Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth,. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

My favorite dish came in last...I like the fresh vegetable taste of the Stuffed Tomato recipe I found. Maybe I am appreciating the tomatoes more lately as I know their days are numbered. We had a freeze this morning, so there is no more picking for this season. Right now I have about 15 bushels left as I am in canning mode, and I took a few of them to enjoy this recipe. Our family doesn't like mushy vegetables even a little bit..so as for the stuffed pepper recipe I baked them only long enough to get the filling warm and keep the tomato al dente. I tweeked this recipe after reading the reviews. One reviewer mentioned how the original recipe needed some body as it was like eating a tomato with dip stuffing. So I added whatever I was craving by that point in the evening...so bacon, mushrooms, and onions were included in Val's version. By adding the bacon and mushrooms it turned this side dish into a main dish. Of course it will probably be just as good vegetarian style by just dicing up some of the tomato pulp to give the filling some body. I give it an 8, and enjoyed the leftover tomato for lunch today. :)

The Farmer's Wife's
Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

1, 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
4 ounces trimmed arugula
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 C. cottage or ricotta cheese
5 T. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 C. olive oil
6 slices bacon, browned and crumbled, optional
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed in bacon drippings, optional
1/2 small can mushrooms, finely chopped and sauteed with the above two ingredients (I used Portabella.) optional
4 medium to large tomatoes, pulp removed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a blender or food processor, blend the garbanzo beans, arugula garlic, cottage or ricotta cheese, 4 T. Parmesan cheese, and olive oil until smooth.

3. Stir in the sauteed ingredients, reserving bacon drippings for future seasoning.

3. Place tomatoes in an 8X8 inch baking dish. Stuff the tomatoes with the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until stuffing is warm and tomato is still strong.

So, the great Arugula challenge is over...another season is ending. We pray we've been a blessing to each of you. I'll be switching back to writing monthly, unless the Spirit directs otherwise. During this time of prayerfully slower days, I'd love to hear from you! I could use some feedback on how to improve this blog. I'll soon be loosing my rookie status, and want to do all I do to the "glory of God".

Striving to Please my Saviour,
The Farmer's Wife
stevecolvin99@gmail.com

BUSY Fall Days on the Farm

Greetings from our mountain farm!

We're all recovering from our biggest and best fall farm day ever last Saturday. Whew!! It was an exhilarating day of preparation, meeting new and also welcoming old members of our "farm family". There were many highlights for me...one special moment was spent in the kitchen with one talented shareholder that painted a picture of our vegetables as they appeared in her share during the season. It now hangs in our dining room as a remembrance of a our 2011 growing season, and one woman's delight in God's provision for us all. Thank you Pat!

The weather was beautiful and the Lord painted the perfect fall background to our day. One blessing to me were the children. I enjoyed sharing the wonder of nature with many of them as they discovered each item on their list during the nature scavenger hunt. (One adult couple even joined in, and were excited with their finds!) In the kitchen garden folks heard squeals of delight from toddlers finding peanuts during the peanut hunt. Lots of folks chose to go on a hayride into the woods with farmer Steve pulling them with his tractor. They visited our waterfall...the beauty this dry fall wasn't in the water, but the beauty of the woods off the bluff overlooking a deep gorge below.

The 30 foot farm buffet table was loaded with smoked turkey and pork, 4 kinds of breads, squash dishes, salads, pickled vegetables, potato dishes, and 6 ' alone of desserts! Everyone ate sitting around a campfire on bales of hay or chairs they brought....it grew strangely silent as folks enjoyed the meal surrounded by a fall farm landscape. As the darkness fell, children of ALL ages enjoyed roasting marshmallows over the dieing embers...and folks began to slip away into the darkness to return to their homes...

So, another farm day is over, and our season is coming to an end. Several folks are reserving their share for the 2012 season all ready. We will probably be limiting the number available at each market so we can spread our harvest days out over the week. So if you would like to be part of our "farm family" next year, go online and reserve your share. Then you can visit us once again in the spring! We are looking forward to it.

I've been VERY busy this week. Early Monday morning during my devotion time with the Lord I begged for strength and wisdom to accomplish all it looked like I needed to get done the next two days. I asked especially that the Lord would, "multiply my strength". One of the first things on my to-do list was to clean out the walk-in refrigerator of the weekly shares that weren't picked up and culled vegetables that were a bit too "nasty" looking to go into shares (but perfectly edible). It seems that several people think their shares are over, so I had SEVERAL to separate. The box truck brought four eighteen gallon tubs of mixed greens, three boxes of tomatoes, two bus tubs of mixed squash, two boxes of broccoli and cauliflower , and a box of basil! In my heart I was struggling with being overwhelmed as school had to be added to the list also...then ..WHAT A BLESSING HE SENT ME! My sons that are usually busy in the fields joined me in the farm kitchen for the day! My strength WAS multiplied! The kitchen was a bee hive of activity and I kept telling my "organized" self that it didn't really matter that things were done MY way, just that we all enjoyed getting them done. When the steam lifted, we had 5, 1/2 pints of pesto, 10 gallons of broccoli and 9 gallons of cauliflower in the freezer, 26 gallon bags of mixed greens, 51 quarts of salsa and 19 quarts of tomato juice canned, 1 gallon of chopped onions in the freezer along with 19 quarts of shredded zucchini and 4 gallon bags of squash frozen. We all were exhausted by the day's end, but we can all smile at the results. The years of including all my children in the food preserving process has been well worth it....from the youngest (Charity and Levi are our washers) to Adam, Caleb, and Isaac they all were used to answer my prayer of "multiplied strength". Thank You Jesus!

Like I said, we love to can our own salsa...we like it even better when all the ingredients come from our farm. We have gleaned tomato fields in the area for years, but now with the increased production of our own farm we f\inally have enough seconds for me to do some of our canning! Our salsa has a different "personality" each year....and even differs from batch to batch. This recipe does a mild tasting salsa, just add hot peppers to make it spicier. Here is our basic recipe.

Colvin Family Farm Salsa

1 1/2 bushels tomatoes
15 cups diced onions
3-4 cups hot peppers, chopped fine
4 1/2 cups vinegar
3/4 C. minced garlic
1/2 cup salt

Pour everything in a large pot, mix well. Cook until boiling and simmer for 30 minutes. Fill sterilized jars to one inch from top. Clean rim of jar with a damp paper towel. Top with sterilized flats and bands. Process in a boiling water bath canner 25 minutes. Let sit on your counter 24 hours after processing. Remove bands and store in a cool, "dark" room.

My week continued to be full with baking for the Crossville market...pumpkin and zucchini breads, pumpkin roll cakes, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, carrot cakes, molasses cookies, freshly ground whole wheat breads, cinnamon nut rolls, cinnamon apple rolls, and more...The Crossville market is a lively spot in my week. I thank God for the new friendships He has allowed me to make this year...Check out this online market for a look at the future of farmer's markets! crossville.locallygrown.net/market.

Today I've made 16 loaves of fresh bread for our shares, cleaned the house after a busy week, made a huge dinner for my hungry family, went to a birthday party with my little girls, AND WELCOMED MY OLDEST SON MATTHEW HOME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST WITH HIS NEW BRIDE BRITTANY! After the party I packed squash and lettuce shares, jostled in the line packing shares with ALL my boys (we taught Matt and Brittany how to pack shares! :) and then made a light supper.

Saturday (As usual I'm taking two weeks to get this out.)

My full life got fuller today. I am sooo blessed! My mother-in-love is wanting to make a special relish that I make called, "Red Stuff"...it's an old family recipe that we may can and sell next year. She called wanting to pick tomatoes today with me and my little ones. Since all the farmers on the mountain are preparing for a freeze, today is really the last definite day to do so. We have stripped our vines of all tomatoes this week also. With only 7 buckets to can I was wondering how to make what we need...today the Lord provided two HUGE fields of tomatoes to pick! I now have twenty-two bushels of tomatoes to can...more salsa, red stuff, and whole tomatoes will soon be put into jars for the long winter ahead. What a blessing it was to see my eighty-five year old mother-in-love and her new husband (he's eighty-three!) picking down the long rows of tomatoes with my children....they will cherish today's memory for years to come. We now have 23 BUSHELS of tomatoes to work! Praise God!

Tuesday (October 25th)

This is becoming more of a journal than a blog...sorry. We hosted a wedding reception for our son Matthew that is now home from the middle east last night. They are now off to Puerto Rico, my childhood home, for their honeymoon. They were married on July 9, 2011 and are now just getting alone together! I'm thankful that things have a chance to wind down a bit now as the season is winding down.

The boys (6 of them) are making salsa today. The farm kitchen is a bee hive of activity!! I've had other responsibilities to keep me out of their way...so I encourage, fetch needed ingredients, and will help with the eventual clean up! I'm soooo proud of them. I think they have about 100 quarts going on our 6 eye stove!! Jars are lined up over all my counters! I have to tell you about a first! Usually when I need jars from our root cellar I ask one of the boys please go get them. They bring up boxes of them to me, saving me a lot of lifting. Today, with Isaac (17) in charge, they brought a piece of plywood down there and sorted jars onto it...then they carried the board with 100 jars on it to the kitchen porch door! I grabbed the camera real quick to see this unique method. When we do something around here it is always in a big way.

I hope you are enjoying the fall vegetables in your shares. We are for sure! We've really enjoyed the cauliflower and broccoli, so I thought I'd share a few of my experiments from last fall. Below is the basic recipe...feel free to use just broccoli, a mixture of of the two or even chopped greens like spinach, Swiss Chard, kale, or others! I've used it many different ways with whatever the Lord puts in my hands to feed my family. :)

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Broccoli/Cauliflower Cheese Soup, Spinach Cheese Soup, Green Cheese Soup (that's fun)

Saute:
2 T. Olive oil
3/4 C. chopped onion

Add:
6 C. water
6 chicken bouillon cubes

Add and cook 3 minutes:
8 oz. vermecelli (thin pasta) broken up in small pieces
1 t. sea salt

Stir in and cook 4 minutes:
2 packages frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, greens, or combination of each(I freeze in quarts for soups or use 10 oz. frozen packages of store bought) cut up fine, but chunky
1/8 t. garlic powder

Add:
6 cups milk
1 lb. Velveeta cheese or grated cheddar

Cook only until cheese melts, BUT DO NOT boil.

OPTIONAL
Brown and crumble bacon for a garnish...this is best on cauliflower.

I'm getting the"fall itch" for soups and fresh breads...I get a craving, then it's soup season in full swing once again. Last winter we had soup almost every lunch. I put the ingredients in a 6 quart crock pot and ground the wheat for muffins while doing the breakfast dishes. Then as school wound down for the morning I mixed the muffin of choice and we had a nice cozy lunch. It sure was nice. Maybe you could try it out. Remember the above soup's vegetable choice can be almost anything you have extra of in your refrigerator. I'd really like it if you comment below on what you've tried...then maybe I can try it too!

Adam brought me to the "stats" page for this blog to reassure me that folks are reading it. Thank you! I felt like I was writing to empty cyber space. I pray it is a blessing to each of you.

Pretty soon we'll be enjoying early evenings with more time indoors for family fun. One thing the Colvin family likes to do is to cook together. One of our favorite fun times is to make pizza, a Mexican dish, or egg rolls together and then watch a good movie together. We use all kinds of vegetables to make our egg rolls...they are nothing like what you get in a restaurant but we love them! We clean out the refrigerator's vegetable shelf and add a bit of shrimp or something cut up small. I'll list several vegetables, but use what you have on hand. Plan a family fun night and try out this recipe!

Egg Rolls Colvin"ese" Style

1 small head of cabbage
1 medium onion
1 small carrot
handful of snow peas
broccoli
cauliflower
bean sprouts
1 rib celery
1/2 pepper
handful radish
ETC.

Meat or seafood in your egg rolls is optional. If you choose to include some, cut it in small pieces. We like a small amount of imitation crab meat or shrimp. You can use boneless chicken breasts, a small steak or whatever is in the freezer. Cut it up in small pieces and stir fry it in a small amount of oil with a tablespoon of choped garlic. Remove from the oil when finished and place in a small bowl. Place the bowl in the middle of a large round tray. (or improvise)

Next,cut all vegetables in small pieces. (They must be uniform size so they cook quickly.) As you chop your vegetables start with your seasoning vegetables first...onion and a bit of fresh ginger. Place them on a tray at the"12 o'clock" position. Then assess your vegetables...which take the longest to cook? Carrots are always longest in my choices, so I cut them up in small pieces and place them at the "1 o'clock" position on the tray. Then in the above list I'd chop cauliflower and place it at the "2 o'clock" position and so on ending with cabbage which is the last one to be added as it is your filler. You can do this ahead of time and cover it until cooking time. My children like to help with the chopping though, and we make it a "party" atmosphere.

I have a large wok, so I heat it up with about 1/8 C. oil. I add the seasoning vegetables at "12 o'clock" position. Cook only a few minutes before adding the vegetable in the "1 o'clock" position (if it's carrots, stir fry them a bit longer than the rest of the vegetables)...working your way around the tray giving each addition a minute or two to stir fry before adding another. The last addition should be the cabbage which should be your last vegetable as it is the "filler". When the stir fry is barely "limp", it is ready to fill your wrappers.

Follow the instructions included in your egg roll wrappers to wrap them. Be careful to not over fill them. (Start with about "1/4" cup of vegetables and see how it rolls up.) We use a mixture of 1 T. flour and 1 C. water to moisten the edges and "glue" it together. Place them on cooling racks to dry a bit before deep frying. We fry in our wok and drain in a vertical position to drain well.
Serve with sweet and sour sauce and Chinese hot mustard.

Val's Sweet & Sour Sauce

In a medium saucepan place and heat well:
3 T. oil
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. corn starch
2-3 T. soy sauce
2/3 C. apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 C. water

Add:
2-4 T. chopped onion
1 T. finely chopped grated giner

Cook until thickened. Refrigerate leftovers, keeps well. I like to mix with Chinese hot mustard for a zingy sauce!

As you face YOUR busy days this fall please don't fall into satan's trap of thinking you don't have enough time to spend in God's Word each day. We don't have enough time NOT to! I know he whispers the same lies to each of us, so what I struggle with, you must also. I cannot miss my time with Jesus each morning or I'll be unable spiritually and emotionally to handle the multitude of responsibilities that at times seem overwhelming. WITH Christ, alllll things ARE possible! On my own, I am nothing.

"Hast thou not know? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40: 28-31

Abundant Blessings from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
The Farmer's Wife

A Farmhouse Visit

Good Evening and Greetings from Our Farm!

(September 29th) Our family is standing out in the chilly breeze this evening packing your shares...I'm down at the house checking on a batch of bread that is almost done for the bread shares. The house smells yummy and the warmth of the stove is making my hands tingle...home...the word brings with it many fond memories.

We are praying for protection from the forecasted frost this weekend....the yellow, patty pan, and zucchini squashes I'm packing this evening will die quickly with an early frost. So please pray with us, for this is "your farm"!

This week we've planted around 11,000 strawberries as a family. It is always fun to have a big project to work on together. Adam's innovative idea on how to create raised beds with the equipment we all ready owned saved us a lot of money and possibly crop loss if we planted on flat beds. You can see the new crop of berry plants when you visit the farm for our fall farm day.

Speaking of the fall farm day, It has been announced officially now for October 15th from 3 p.m. until dark. We're very excited to meet you and your family. For you see, most of our family doesn't get to see you each week at the markets. We hear stories of each family, ways you are cooking your vegetables and funny stories of market "happenings", but we don't have a face to put most of the stories with. This is "your farm" , so come out and enjoy it. We are making plans to make it a fun evening together, so please be courteous and R.S.V.P. us as soon as possible. For those of you whose Momma didn't teach you what that means, it means répondez s'il vous plaît, meaning “reply please” or "please respond". The easiest way is to e-mail us...that way we can keep track. Last minute phone reservations will also be taken. I just REALLY need to get an approximate count so I can plan the meal. Thank you!

We will be providing the meat and drinks for the evening. We ask that each family bring a side dish (preferably with vegetables from your share and the recipe to share). For the comfort of your family please bring jackets, boots or sturdy shoes for children, blanket or lawn chairs, and a flashlight. We usually have singing around the fire at dusk, so if you play the guitar, mandolin, or banjo, please bring it with you also. We love to sing!

I'm also going to give a plea for help this year. We've found that the more our shareholders get involved, the more fun they have. If you'd like to help set up, serve, run the farm sale table, or plan/lead a children's activity, just write me at stevecovlin99@gmail.com. Our farm sale table will be located on the porch where you sign in and Lord willing we'll be selling jams, relish, bread, granola, pumpkin and apple cinnamon rolls,wooden children's toys for Christmas, and more.

It's after 9 p.m. and we just finished our supper...Fridays are very busy here as we like to pick the majority of our vegetables for your shares the day we pack. You can't get much fresher unless you have your own garden. As I was grilling our hamburger "steaks" I grilled the Italian frying peppers (long red ones) that were in shares last week. I filled the halves with mozzarella cheese as they neared completion and they were a special treat. We've also enjoyed bartering for mushrooms at 2 of our markets (Market Square and Dixie Lee) and have enjoyed the following dish:

Val's Mushroom Brown Rice

Enough rice to feed your family (I cook up 4 C. brown rice to 8 c. water)
1 large onion, sliced
1 lb. farm fresh mushrooms (available from other vendors at both markets)
2 garlic cloves (put thr0ugh the handy "musher")
1/4 c. butter
1/8 c. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Since this is just a made up concoction, do all the above to your family's taste and size.
Cook brown rice as directed. I have a rice cooker and I highly recommend them. When the rice is nearing completion melt the butter and oil together. Add "mushed" garlic. Next add a layer of onions. Place sliced mushrooms over onions. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir at this time. Watch carefully and serve when onions are still a bit crisp and mushrooms have begun to "wilt". Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over rice. I will also be stuffing peppers with this mixture next week.

Stuffed Peppers
Using the above recipe add 1/4 lb. browned breakfast sausage.
Cut the tops off sweet peppers and clean out the seeds and membrane as much as possible. Spoon warm rice mixture into the pepper cavities. Place them upright on a casserole dish. Bake until the peppers are el dante. (That's the secret..we don't like mushy peppers.)

We are now proud grandparents! I've delivered 13 children; each a miracle...but this was different! The admiration that surged through my heart for Hope as she labored to bring Samuel into the world was overpowering. He stole my heart first thing by looking right through me...he found his place in my heart, and now is Grandma's little boy. We've committed him to Christ...the giver of life.

Introducing....

Samuel Christopher Biggs
September 29,2011
8 lbs. 9 oz.
21 inches long
Proud Parents:
Bryan & Hope Biggs

We've all been enjoying the winter squash in the shares, but I wanted to share something with you about them. You don't have to use them up now while there is an abundance of vegetables in your shares. They keep real well in a cool dark place for months! The acorn squash (small green with ribs) will the be first winter squash to be used up as it has the shortest shelf life. So if you still have a few of them in your larder at Christmas, enjoy them for a special meal. In fact I'm putting small onions and squash aside now for those meals. I love creamed onions and they are a traditional side dish from my childhood.

One of our favorite recipes for winter squash is to bake, and whip it. I often serve squash this way for Sunday dinner during the winter. I can do all the work on Saturday, and then pop the casserole dish in the oven or microwave on Sunday.

Whipped Butternut Squash

2 ½ lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (see my alternative method)

3 c. water

¾ c. t. salt

2 T. butter

1 T. brown sugar

1/8 t. nutmeg

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring squash, water and ½ t. salt, if desired, to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender. Drain; transfer to a mixing bowl. (I like to take an easier method of cooking the squash. I cut the squash in half lengthwise, lay it cut side down on a cookie sheet. I then place the cookie sheet in the oven with a rack pulled out slightly. I take a small pitcher of water and pour enough onto the cookie sheet to cover the bottom with about 1/4” of water. I then bake until a knife inserts easily into the outer shell, 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on the size of the squash. I then can easily scoop out the seeds and membrane and discard. I use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the flesh of the squash into my mixing bowl. This same method can be used for baking pumpkin.) Add butter, brown sugar, and nutmeg and remaining salt if desired; whip until smooth. (If I am serving this immediately I treat it like I would mash potatoes by placing it into a deep serving bowl. But if I’m serving it at a later time, I put it into a casserole dish and cover. Place into the refrigerator. When ready to reheat, simply place into the oven or microwave to reheat.)

Variation: I have made this into a casserole by putting browned, seasoned ground pork or sausage into the whipped squash and placing it in a shallow baking dish. I’ve topped it two ways and once combined the two! Either top the casserole with buttered bread crumbs, or shredded cheese. Bake 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Winter squash takes some forethought, but is well worth the effort. I’ve even prepared several at one time and frozen Ziplocs with enough for one meal inside. That way you heat the oven once and make a mess of the kitchen one time.

Squash Pancakes

2 eggs

1 c. mashed, dark yellow squash

1 ½ c. milk

2 T. vegetable or canola oil

1 t. vanilla

2 ½ c. biscuit mix

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

Beat together eggs and squash. Add milk, oil and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and stir in. Fry on a hot, lightly oiled skillet.

Frosty Day Squash Casserole

2 c. mashed winter squash

4 slices of bacon

½ c. chopped onion

2/3 c. grated cheddar cheese

¼ t. salt

dash Tabasco or black pepper

¼ c. buttered bread crumbs

Put squash into medium bowl. Fry bacon until crisp; crumble into squash. Leave about 1 T. drippings in skillet. Fry onion in drippings until transparent; add squash. Add cheese. Add salt and Tabasco sauce or pepper; mix well. Put in a buttered baking dish; top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and crumbs begin to brown –about 25 minutes.

(October 6th)As usual this blog is taking me two weeks...there is SOOOOO much going on in our lives! We are not publicity seekers...but folks have been coming to us this year...The Knox News Sentinel, John Deere magazine, The Furrow, and our new friends from Cobblestone Entertainment that are spending time with us videoing our farm and family. Between our "guests", school, canning, baking 2 days a week for the market in Crossville, and meeting my family's needs, my life is rich and full of the Lord's blessings. I would like to apologize to our shareholders for not keeping this a weekly blog. Our old shareholders may be like me and miss the personal touch of The Farmer's Wife...last year I printed off weekly letters "From the Farmer's Wife" and signed each one...then they were put in each share. This worked fine for about 40 shareholders and the ink cartridge was full...but when our numbers grew to 88 and our new printer's cartridges were small it became a burden. This year with about 165 families, this is the best way for me to communicate with ya'll. I'm definitely not the cyber-Granny type, so please be patient with me as I learn.

There is no particular theme to this week's blog, just a short visit with your farmer's family....so here is what has been going on!

We've begun planting for next year. Strawberries are in the ground and doing well. We have approximately 11,000 plants for early spring harvest. Be watching for details on how you can be guaranteed our sweet and tangy berries. (Well, Lord willing almost guaranteed.)

We are also planting around 13,000 plus garlic bulbs. My boys smell sooo good these days. When they come in the farmhouse on breaks the spicy aroma of Italy wafts through my kitchen! We so enjoy the fresh garlic and you'll be enjoying it too if you join us in 2012.

We are in the process of negotiating on acreage for farm expansion! This is a large step of faith for our family. It is approximately 63 acres and has about half that acreage in tillable fields. There is a year round creek that we can keep the pond full with. That is a BIG improvement for us as we ran out of water here on the farm in August this year and were unable to water. This put a BIG damper on seed germination. It looks like the perfect property for our family...separate tillable fields with even a great field for wheat, oats, soy beans and dry bean production that allows our "new" large combine direct access from the road. Our boys are VERY excited about the possibilities if the Lord allows us to purchase it. Please pray with us for the Lord's will in these weighty matters.

The men are still planting for your last weeks of shares. Today Bok Choy went in and tomorrow, Lord willing lettuce will be planted. I can all ready taste the late fall stir fries we'll be able to have! Ha ha!

The other day the boys topped a few Brussels Sprouts plants as the little "cabbage like" sprouts are now ready to fill out. They brought me home the tops...I thought they had cut me some miniature collards, so I made a great breakfast of Green Eggs and "Ham" (If you don't have that recipe do a search on the website for it.) with it. After we had eaten, the boys asked how I liked the greens...I really did as they were mild and collards are my favorite. That is when they told me we had just eaten Brussels sprout tops! What a great surprise! Most farmer's just cut thetops and drop them in the paths, but we know that most of the brassica family's (broccoli/cabbage family) greens are edible...why waste anything? Look for them in your share this weekend, and use them like any other green!

One vegetable that continually shows up on my counter each summer is green tomatoes...I have fond memories of pickled green tomatoes as they were the adults special pickle in my childhood home...that means I rarely got any. So nowadays I sit them on the windowsill or put them in the fridg with good intentions. Well, I've got a recipe that I think will bring smiles to my family and we'll be having it tonight. It calls for several items in your share boxes, so you may want to try it also with that green tomato that has been siting in your fridg for weeks also :)

Green Tomato Rice

This is a delicious rice dish to serve with pork or beef, and it's a great way to use green tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced, with most of green (6 to 8)
• 4 medium green tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• dash dried leaf thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• dash Tabasco sauce, optional
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, saute the bacon over medium heat until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. In 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings, saute green onions for 1 minute. Add green tomatoes and saute for 1 minute longer. Add garlic and jalapeno pepper; saute for another 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, rice, thyme, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in Parmesan cheese just before serving, if desired. Sprinkle with the cooked bacon

I know there is cauliflower in a few of your shares this week, and others will enjoy it in the coming weeks. Like all the other vegetables we grow, our family enjoys them best just simply steamed. Here are some basic ideas to get you started:

Steamed Cauliflower

Bring one inch of water to a boil. Add 4 C. cut up cauliflower. Add 1/2 -1 t. salt if desired. Return to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5-8 minutes. Drain. Cooking a whole trimmed head takes 10-15 minutes and is great for a special occasion. Serve plain, buttered or with one of the following butters or cheese sauce.

Lemon Butter

1/4 C. melted butter

2 T. Lemon juice

1/2 t. grated lemon rind

Mix ingredients and toss with 4-6 cups cooked cauliflower just before serving. Also Good on carrots, broccoli, green beans, squash, spinach and other greens.

Parmesan Butter

1/4 C. butter

2 t. Parmesan Cheese

Melt butter. Add cheese. Serve over cooked cauliflower. Also good on asparagus and broccoli.

Many years ago when I was learning to cook, my dear husband came alongside me and rescued me from a flopped cheese sauce. He wrote out his directions for me and my cheese sauce became a success! At the time I was buying expensive frozen Green Giant broccoli and cheese sauce! I used this to make Chicken Diavan. (see recipe below) Now I use it for whenever I want a cheese sauce..and I don't use the sliced cheese anymore...I just use shredded.

Farmer Steve's Cheese Sauce

2 T. butter

2 1/2 T. flour

1 cup milk

either

4 slices American Processed Cheese

or

1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Dash of salt or garlic salt & pepper

1. Melt butter in saucepan & blend in flour.

2. Add milk and other ingredients

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly 'til smooth and thick. Approximately 7 minutes

4. Serve over cooked cauliflower or broccoli.

As I was learning to cook while I was learning to be a wife, this recipe has grown with me. Nowadays there is boneless chicken breasts in the grocery store that make this recipe easy to make. But 30 years ago, in my little trailer kitchen I boiled leg quarters that I bought for 19 cents a pound (!!) and de-boned it to make my chicken recipes. In fact, we still do this as the meat is not as dry as boneless chicken breasts and I can now sometimes find leg quarters for as low as .49- . 59 cents a pound. I've served this over egg noodles, over brown rice, but our favorite way is over nothing. :)

Chicken Divan

2 cups deboned chicken
1 large head of broccoli or 2 packages of frozen
Steve's Cheese Sauce
2 T. mayonnaise
2 t. lemon juice

Chop broccoli up into mouth sized pieces. Steam broccoli lightly. Drain. Stir mayonnaise and lemon juice into broccoli, and then add cheese sauce. Pour into a large casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Optional: top with buttered bread crumbs.

I have an Amish waterbath canner from Lehman's that helps me save time in the kitchen all year round! It was designed with waterbath canning in mind, but I use it for many things. I can boil 100 pounds of chicken leg quarters in it to debone for recipes! When the chicken is removed I have several gallons of rich chicken broth to can for my chicken and dumpling recipe. I also have frozen this broth in small portions to use for cream of chicken soups that I make. There are so many uses for this broth. It's real handy for a quick chicken noodle soup in the winter. Check out the link to see what I'm describing. Husbands, it makes a great Christmas gift for a serious cook and shareholder. :)

I've been using this handy canner for years and this year I've put up to 84- 1/2 pint jelly jars into it!! I rarely use my 7 quart canner anymore as I can usually do one or two batches in my Amish canner and be done with it! It holds 15 quarts or 27 pints.

I also use it for a blancher! I thought I had come up with something new this year as I blanched my mixed greens and broccoli to freeze. I took an old thin pillow case and filled it with broccoli spears or chopped greens. With my Amish canner half filled with boiling water I dunked my 1/2 filled pillow case into the water. I then used a long wooden spoon to submerge the greens into the water then watched for the water to boil. When it started to boil, I set the stove timer for 3 minutes. When the timer went off I pulled up my bag (the end was layed over the side to keep it dry) and let it drip a bit. Then I used the wooden spoon to press the bag of greens against the side of the canner until it stopped dripping badly. Next I carried it over to the sink which was filled with cool water and dropped the bottom of the bag in again. I swish it around with my hand and let it cool. When it's cool, I lift it up into the dish drainer (that I've washed!) and press the water out of it. Then in just in a matter of minutes I pour the greens from the bag into labeled gallon bags. I've used this method for blanching for broccoli and for mixed greens with GREAT results! When my mother-in-love called the morning I tried out "my invention" I told her what I was doing...she exclaimed, "Oh I loved my blanching bag! It was all stained up, but it sure saved me time!" I guess I stumbled on an old idea that somehow has been lost in the age of fancy gadgets! Try it out this fall!

(Saturday October 8, 2011) Well the boys are all back from the markets in the big city. They are bubbling with stories and are also excited that many of you plan to join us for our fall farm day. We're excited too! The little ones are all had their Saturday night baths, and are tucked into bed. The boys and Steve are in the living room planning next year...I think it's funny how next year holds sooo much promise....we are like that each year. But with all the plans for expansion, their dreams may come true. They're about to start accepting share reservations for 2012, so reserve your spot. There will be a limited number of shares at each market accepted and we have a waiting list all ready.

Good night! I hope to visit with you soon in my farm kitchen!

"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee..."
Psalms 130:3,4a

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val

Thriving in Lean Times

I'm hearing it on every front..."times are tough"..."we're going to have to do something "..."we're not going to make it"... As a Momma to 13 in these "tough times" I surely understand. We've gone from one steady paycheck for almost 35 years to being farmers with an uncertain income...from eating all we can produce to sharing it with 164 other families...from patches on the overalls and jeans to patching the patches that were patched. Am I singing a woe-be-gone song? No! Though things are not as easy as my flesh would desire, I'm facing this challenge with dependance on God for wisdom and creativity. God is teaching me just what my NEEDS are and changing my wants to be more in line with what I should be desiring. How am I making the "ends meet"...well, in reality they've never met. Our family testimony has been to ask God for wisdom, work hard, trust God, and watch Him alone provide in ways that look impossible!

The first step in surviving in lean times is to acknowledge all that we have comes from the hand of God. As I look around my home I see soooo many items that I cherish have come from God's hand through the hand of another. My husband had a corporate job for almost 35 years. During that time he worked hard to provide for our family. We learned to be obedient to God's Word and tithe his earnings back to God...it was all His anyway! We saw how the 90% we had left after tithing went farther than the 100% could have...it was only God! Many, many people have asked over the years how in the world we could "make it" on one income. Striving to honor God in all areas of your life is the key...

The next key to not only surviving, but enjoying these days is all in our attitude. We can choose to be frustrated that we can't make our favorite casserole because we don't have the cream of chicken soup it calls for, or you can learn to make a cream sauce and add a chicken bouillon cube! The picture God gave me YEARS ago was, "What do you have in your hand now? That's what I am to use." Lean times are creative times...time to rise to a challenge as a wife and family....it's time for us all to learn to pray and see God's hand provide!

Thank you for making an investment into our farm by buying a share. One thing I've learned is that during challenging times money spent on QUALITY food will be the best investment for our families in several ways. Here are a couple of ideas to ponder on:
1. Good food boosts the morale of the family, making it easier to meet the other challenges that life WILL send our way.
2. Cheap food choices are often not nutritious. When our bodies are weakened by poor food choices, we easily come down with the latest "bug" going around. Sickness in the family makes it hard to stay "on top of" the challenges that lean times send us.

With this in mind, we're excited about the fall line-up of vegetables...one of the odd greens that you'll see is in your box this week is sweet potato greens. I've not tried my "mess" out yet, but here is the recipes I'll be trying. Buying a share of our vegetables also is a weekly entertainment and educational investment as you research ideas on how to use the vegetables and prayerfully cook together as a family.

Sauteed Sweet Potato Greens

2 cups Sweet Potato Greens - de-stemmed, rinsed & chopped
1.5 Tblsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Onion, diced
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 fresh red or cayenne pepper - de-seeded, & diced

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in saute pan.
2. Add an onion, ground pepper, and cayenne pepper & saute until tender & aromatic.
3. Lower heat to medium-low & add greens. Stir constantly until greens are slightly wilted and a deep green. Be careful not to over-cook.

Makes 2 servings.

Country-Style Sweet Potato Greens

• 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
• 1 quart, approximately, boiling water plus cold water (for blanching)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 pound sweet potato greens, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed

Rinse sweet potato greens and remove stems. Place in a strainer in the sink. Boil water and pour over greens in strainer. Let cool for 2 minutes, then pour on cool water. While that is draining, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add oil. When warm, add garlic, onion and chili powder. Saute for about 3-5 minutes, till golden brown. Pat greens with paper towels to eliminate excess water. Add greens to skillet, toss all well, and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. Greens will wilt and soften like spinach. Serve immediately.

I hope you also like the broccoli in your share! (Well, half of the shares are getting it this week.) It's one of my personal favorite vegetables. :) I'm looking forward to freezing as much as possible again this year. If you find you are unable to eat all that came in your share, you might want to freeze some also! There is nothing like eating freshly frozen/canned greens and other vegetables when the wind and snow are blowing in the winter!

How to Freeze Broccoli

Wash; soak heads down 1/2 hour in salted water (1/4 c. salt per gallon water) to drive out insects. Rinse in fresh water and drain. For uniformity in blanching, split stalks lengthwise, leaving heads about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Blanch in water for 3 minutes. Cool immediately in cold water; drain and put in freezer bags. (Cool water in clean sink with a milk jug that has been filled with water and frozen. Refreeze for quick and easy cooling of blanched vegetables.)

Like I said, I enjoy broccoli...but I REALLY enjoy our freshly grown broccoli. We eat simply, so I won't give out casserole recipes that mask the taste of the broccoli with cream of soups or cheese. You can find them easily on the Internet or in ladies magazines. Our society has acquired the taste for "special"...by that I mean I have friends that make almost every recipe special with processed amendments. (Creamed soups, cheeses, stuffing mixes, or flavored vinegars, etc.) This adds to the cost of a meal and in my opinion takes away the fresh unique taste of each vegetable. At our home we save the special dishes for special occasions...thus keeping them special. We like steamed vegetables...simple dishes that highlight what God has created, not what man has conjured up to make more sales for their processed product. With this in mind, here are our everyday favorites and our holiday favorite.

Steamed Broccoli

Bring 1-inch of waqter to a boil in a large kettle. Add 4C. broccolli florets and peeled, sliced stems and 1/2-1 t. sea salt. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 7-10 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain. Serve buttered.
Variation: Sprinkle buttered broccoli with Parmesan cheese or bacon.

Broccoli Roll-Ups

1-2 slices of ham/turkey ham per person served
1 broccoli spear per ham slice
1/2 slice of your family's favorite cheese per ham slice -optional

On a cutting board place one slice of ham. Lay a broccoli spear crosswise at one end of the ham. If using cheese, lay cheese on top of the broccoli. Roll the ham up starting at the edge closest to the broccoli. Lay seam side down in a casserole dish. Secure with wooden toothpicks IF they are unrolling. Bake covered approximately 1/2 hour at 350 degrees or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

Variation: Place cooked brown rice in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Place the brooccoli ham roll-ups on to of the rice. Cover with foil. Bake as usual until broccoli is cooked.

Broccoli Salad

1 medium sized bunch of broccoli-cut into bite small bite sized pieces
a small onion- diced
1/2 C. raisins
2 T. sugar
1 C. mayonnaise
2 T. raw apple cider vinegar (or what you have on hand)
Marinade above ingredients. Just before serving ad 1/2 lb. dried and crisp bacon and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds for garnish (optional)

We pray often for your family, as you are our farm family. We know of several families that are facing job relocations, job changes, and simply struggling to make the ends meet. If you are a believer go to THE only one who can meet those needs. Jesus Christ is waiting to hear your request...He wants to show Himself strong "on the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect towards him." No...we will not be perfect until we see His face, but perfect here means mature. Are we learning the lessons He's sending our way...or are we frustrated with "doing without". Let's all examine our hearts before Him and be teachable. Only then will we see the challenges as He does...lessons to conform us to His image. :)

How are you making your share stretch? I'd love to hear about it and the farm family as a whole will benefit if you will post your comments below. We need each others wisdom; so please share! I'll start us off...

How Do You Make Your Share Stretch?

1. I cut my vegetables in smaller slices so it appears like my family is getting a bigger serving. This works great for carrot and cucumber slices especially.
2. If possible when cleaning and slicing your vegetables, include the stems in your dishes. This is most easily seen in broccoli where you can peel the green off the stems and have a tender core to steam. This also works with greens...try chopping the collard, broccoli, mustard, or kale stems into small pieces. Put them on the bottom of your pot and lay the greens on top. The stems will steam longer and be tender.
3. I like to make vegetable soup stock from the clean peelings and outer skins of my weekly share of vegetables. For instance, wash the carrots or potatoes before peeling. save the outter oinon skins, save the tops to your celery, save the outer stem of the broccoli, etc. and place it into a ziploc type bag or jar in your freezer. When the jar or bag is full and you'd like to make vegetable broth for a recipe or to add nutrients to a soup place the contents of your bag into a large pot. Cover with water and simmer. Strain out the vegetable remnants. Freeze, can, or use immediately.
4. Serve your vegetables in a stir fry with a nice bed of brown rice. This stretches your meat as well as your vegetables.
5. Serve at least one raw vegetable or fruit at each meal. Raw vegetables and fruits have greater bulk.

Now it's your turn! Share how your family is making your vegetable or bread share stretch! Comment below.

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the filed, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewith shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. "

Matthew 6:28-33

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife

P.S. I don't know why there is a big gap between here and the post comments...just scroll down please. :)

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