Plowing the Furrows

Hello Folks!
In a rare dry moment this week
our boys completed numerous small jobs
around the home farm.
Any job is fun to them if they can
drive the smallest of our tractors!
Home schooling at its BEST!

Wet greetings from the farm! We have been blessed with many, many showers this week. We're choosing

During one shower this
week we had a beautiful
rainbow.

to think positive about them as they make or break the farm! Our ponds were rapidly being emptied by watering the high tunnels that don't get the rain, so we're thankful.

Shares all packed.

 The hard part comes when it's Friday, it's raining, and your shares need to be harvested. Pray for the men as they slosh through the mud picking your vegetables. 



We've had a busy week inside the

Lots and lots
of blackberries!

farmhouse also. It's blackberry season! We've been watching the berries ripen on our walks, and knew that this was going to be an OUTSTANDING year for berries if the spring rains didn't give way to early summer drought.

Our younger children have been scouring the dirt roadsides surrounding our farm picking berries for you during every free & dry moment! They've sent them off to farmer's markets in Crossville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Oak Ridge with high hopes of people using them in cobblers, jam, and quick breads as we enjoy.

We worked berries 3 days this week. Once was with 10 gallons of juicy berries, and then again

Luke was my right-hand man as we juiced
the berries!

on Friday we worked 15 gallons of berries! My kitchen still has pinkish-purple overtones! We canned a total of 201~1/2 pints, and 24 pints of seedless blackberry jam! Believe it or not, we have more to work on Monday! We're praising God for the abundant berry harvest!

We use a Champion juicer to work the seeds
out of the juice.

Ooops! I wear the juice "well"!

Seedless Blackberry Jam
1/2 Pints ~$5
     Pints ~ $9

Caleb harvested the
first flat of tomatoes
this year!

We're also very thankful for the beginning of the tomato harvest! We've just begun to pick, so pull out all those recipes that you make only with really fresh tomatoes, and gear yourself up. They'll soon be in shares when the harvests fully comes in!

Last week I completed the homework I

assigned ya'll the first week of the blog. I'm off a bit

I use Rubbermaid basins to
corral squash, kohlrabi, carrots,
and other vegetables in my frig.

in posting it since I traveled home to Massachusetts for 10 days. My refrigerator got its' spring clean and is ready for the abundant harvests! My daughter-in-love suggested I post the pictures of it to inspire you if you haven't gotten your refrigerator ready for your shares yet.

Now, I do have to say I have more than one refrigerator. I keep the most perishable items (my vegetables, fruits and the fresh eggs) that I want to use in each meal right before my eyes in my main frig. The contents of the bins changes daily. It all depends on what is leftover from each market.

Onions are readied for quick eating immediately.
Cut off root end, and trim tops to a usable size
before placing them into jars of water.

I trim the stems of the herbs and place them
into cups of water to keep them fresh.

Sandwich fixings, bulk perishable items and breakfast ingredients are in a second refrigerator as I know 

what is in them easily. I can stand at this refrigerator and load up with breakfast fixings, or pack a large lunch cooler without much running around. One glance inside my refrigerators will report how faithful I've been with all that is going on in my life. Orderliness means "I'm on top of things!"

I keep my fresh garlic in two ways. This is the
easiest...simply place on the shelf in a container.
My handiest way is to whirl bunches of green garlic
 in the food processor with a bit of olive oil.
Store in a jar in the frig for quick additions to your
meals.

We use the seconds (cracked or discolored) of
eggs for the family. Here I keep the duck and
chicken eggs that are for us.

To be honest, I'm struggling to write a post this week. My Daddy passed away on June 10th, and since then my heart and mind is running "too deep" for words.

 In my devotional time this morning I was touched and challenged by the following reading in an old devotional compiled by Mrs. Charles Cowman entitled, Streams in the Dessert, Volume One.  I highly recommend it. Find it used here at Amazon's used books.

"Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?" 

Isaiah 28:24

A view of our farm...all pictures are ours.

One day in early summer I walked past a beautiful meadow. The grass was as soft and thick and fine as an immense green Oriental rug. In one corner stood a fine old tree, a sanctuary for numberless wild birds; the crisp, sweet air was full of their happy songs. Two cows lay in the shade, the very picture of content.

Down by the roadside the saucy dandelion mingled his gold with the royal purple of the wild violet.

I leaned against the fence for a long time, feasting my hungry eyes, and thinking in my soul that God never made a fairer spot than my lovely meadow.

The next day I passed that way again, and lo! the

A plowed field ready for planting.

hand of the despoiler had been there. A plowman and his great plow,now standing idle in the furrow, had in a day wrought a terrible havoc.  Instead of the green grass there was turned up to view the ugly, bare, brown earth; instead of  of the singing birds there were only a few hens industriously scratching for worms. Gone were the dandelion and the pretty violet. I said in my grief, " How could any one spoil a thing so fair?"

Then my eyes were opened by some unseen hand, and I saw a vision, a vision of a field of ripe corn ready for the harvest. I could see the giant, heavily laden stalks in the autumn sun; I could almost hear the music of the wind as it would sweep across the golden tassels. And before I was aware, the brown earth took on a splendor it had not had the day before.

An abundant harvest of tomatoes will soon
be harvested.

Oh, that we might always catch the vision of an abundant harvest, when the great Master Plowman comes, as He often does, and furrows through our very souls, uprooting and turning under that which we thought most fair, and leaving for our tortured gaze only the bare and the unbeautiful." 

Why should I, His precious daughter, be startled when He turns the soil of my soul? I know He cares far more for me than my earthly father...He is preparing a crop...

Experiments from my farm kitchen this week....

In my quest to serve vegetables at every meal I tried a new recipe this week to serve with eggs at breakfast. This recipe for "Spinach Burgers" was easily made with the Swiss Chard found in your shares. I think you could make it also with baby kale, or other tender greens. 

Swiss Chard

Farmer Steve knows my love of spinach and bought me a bag of marked down spinach that surprisingly still looked like it was in good shape. It was well worth the

.50 cents! I made a batch out of spinach and another out of Swiss Chard to compare the results.

Chop 1 bunch of Swiss Chard greens (I twisted off most of the stems) or a bag of spinach lightly in the food processor
or by hand. 

In a bowl, mix 3 eggs, 1/4 C. chopped onion,
1/2 C. shredded cheese, 1/2 C. bread crumbs (I used almond "flour"), 1/2 t. red pepper flakes, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. garlic powder. Add chopped greens and mix well. 

Shape into patties using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 Cup measuring cup, and place on a well greased hot griddle or frying pan.

Let cook over medium heat until patties are golden brown and firm, about 4-6 minutes.

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture before we dug in!
Serve with poached or lightly fried eggs for a delicious breakfast!

I've begun to freeze our winter's store of pesto. This week we put 7 ~ 1/2 pints in the freezer. It is so easy to do, that I thought you'd like to share my favorite recipe!

Farmhouse Pesto

1 1/2 C. Basil

3+ Cloves Garlic

3 T. Roasted Nuts

(Almonds, Walnuts, or Pine Nuts)

1/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 T. Grated Parmesan

1/2 t. Salt

Heavy Sprinkle Coarse Ground Pepper

Place all but the olive oil into a food processor, and turn it on. Slowly pour olive oil in and let process until smooth. Scrape into a half pint jar and top with more olive oil. Refrigerate or freeze.

I love easy vegetable side dishes...little fuss...big flavor. This next recipe was little on the fuss, but exactly what we like with the lemon...a light taste is best. So if you really like a punch of lemon flavoring, up the amount of lemon zest a bit, and even consider adding it after your squash is grilled mixed with some coarse salt. I don't see why you couldn't prepare the squash in marinade up to the day before for a quick and easy side dish! I'll be trying it this week with our homemade Italian Salad dressing also! I love recipes that give you ideas for other meals.

Grilled Lemon Zucchini

3 small sized Zucchini ~ Whole
1/8 C. Olive Oil
1/2 t. Kosher Salt (any salt will do)
1/2 t. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
1 Whole Lemon, Zested

Cut tops and bottoms off zucchini and slice them

into quarters, lengthwise. Place them into a gallon Ziploc bag or Tupperware container. Next pour in the oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Juice the lemon and add to your marinade within the bag. Seal bag well. removing as much air as possible. Flip bag back and forth a few times over the next 20 minutes as it marinades.

Heat the outdoor grill or even (I didn't use this method) an indoor grill on medium-low heat. Grill the zucchini on three sides until tender. Carefully brush with marinade while cooking, but be watchful as it can burn easily. Slow and longer is better than my usual method of hot and fast!

One more idea...With a frig full of assorted vegetables I like to make an easy roasted vegetable blend. In the following picture I have 9 different vegetables...turnips, patty pan squash, yellow summer squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, red sweet peppers (store bought on super sale...ours are coming!) & kohlrabi.

Place an assortment of coarsely chopped vegetables on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the pan liberally with extra virgin olive oil. Toss the vegetables in the oil until shiny, but not dripping with oil either. Sprinkle on your favorite seasonings. We like Cajun or simply season salt with garlic powder. Roast at 450 degrees until the vegetables have a slightly charred look and are tender. Serve immediately.

More Pictures of the Family & Farm This Week

Faith Anne bakes cookies for the Cumberland Sustainable Farmer's Market each week.

Our Friday night packing crew "hard at work". We're blessed to be able to work and fellowship at the same time!

After a long day of harvest the boys back the trucks up to our porch to unpack. I always hold my breath until the back-up beeper stops...

Brother Tim Brock is also known as "The Friday Night Farmer". The length of the rows of squash this year is a challenge to him as he keeps up with our boys. He and his family have been working with us for 4 years and they are a huge blessing to us! They are "marrying into the farm" as their daughter Destany is Isaac's fiance!

Levi is heading out to gather the eggs.

Happy 4th of July!

Is the Lord turning the "furrows" of your life too? What kind of harvest will your life produce? 

Seeking the Keeper of My Heart,

Abundant Blessings,

The Farmer's Wife 

      ~Val~

What's in Your Hands?

"What's in  your hand" this week? What do you mean? Come for a virtual visit in the farmhouse to see what I mean...and how God answered my prayer! I'm the Farmer's Wife, Mamma to 13 children & 3 Grandblessings!

The men have lots of tiny transplants "in their hands" this week. 

Sometimes I have a desire for something that seems to be "just what I need"! This spring I've had this feeling. I wanted new curtain fabric, new paint on the walls of my farmhouse dining room, and just a finished look!

Years ago when I was pining away in prayer for a

farm to raise our family on, God asked me, "What's in  your hand?" At first, I was stunned. I just sat there and looked at my pen as I wrote in my journal that morning. He wanted me to look past the pen of course, and see all He had put into my hands to work with all ready. No, He hadn't given me a farm yet, but He had given me a one acre "homestead" to farm on.

That was the beginning of a journey for me. In the quiet of my living room I left my discontentment at His feet, and began to look anew at all He had blessed me with to serve Him and my family.

With this fresh perspective I learned new methods of gardening, the postage stamp garden I had with the children. We also built raised beds on the solid rock in our yard to increase  the amount of vegetables we could grow.

Our oldest son Matthew (now 31) began to raise bees

for honey, and Adam (24, was about 6 at the time) began to raise a small patch of strawberries. We planted pear and apple trees...We raised 4-H chickens...and the list could go on! All this was done on one acre with 9 children to help!

It was about the time when Farmer Steve began to research digging a pond to raise catfish that the Lord seemed to say, "That's enough!" It was then when we were busily content with "what was in our hand" that the Lord Jesus Christ gave us our farm...40 times what we had on our "homestead" debt free!

This lesson of "What's in your hand?" has been

learned time and time again in all areas of our lives. My most recent lesson was in the seemingly insignificant area of decorating my home. 

We've lived in our farmhouse now for almost 10 years, after 5 years of living in a small, old mountain "cabin". We've been focusing on fields, vegetables, livestock, and of course children for so long, that my desire for finishing our home seemed impossible. But now I "needed" to make the inside of our home reflect me...and be finished. I'm definitely NOT a decorator, but my God is, and He once again whispered, "What's in your hands?"

What's in your hands this week? "My share", you

say? "Vegetables from the farmer's market.", another may say. A few will say, "There's a ton of lettuce in garden ready to bolt!" Well, that's what's in your hand...will you be faithful to use it? Or will you miss the opportunity, and feel the guilt of throwing away your hard-earned purchases?

When I peered into my fridge this week there was an abundance of greens (as usual in the spring)! Here's a great way to use Swiss chard or spinach this week. It's real easy and quick. You can use your favorite pie crust or simply grease the pan, and make a crust-less quiche!

Spring Greens Quiche

7 eggs

1 C. Mozzarella Cheese

1 C. Cottage Cheese

1 1/2 C. milk or half & half

salt & pepper to taste

1 lb. Spinach or Swiss Chard, lightly sauteed and drained

2 Pie Crusts, pre-cooked (optional)

Optional: leftover ham or bacon diced small

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bender. Arrange vegetables and meat on the bottom of a well greased pan or pie crust.  Pour the contents of the blender over the vegetable mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees until a knife inserted comes out clean. Let set 5 minutes before serving. 

This theme of "using what's in your hands" has been "haunting" my thoughts this week as I plan my meals. I knew clearly that this is what the Lord wanted me to write about! 

I have a "formula" recipe that helps me be a wise steward of leftover or small amounts of food. We call it "Whatever Casserole", but I'm renaming it as of now...

"What's in Your Hand Casserole"

2 C. Meat: leftover ham, tuna, chicken, hamburger, or bits of Sunday's roast!

4 C. Starch: boiled potatoes, rice, cooked noodles, Quiona, beans, etc.

2-4 C. Sauce:  Most folks use Cream of...Soups, I use a white sauce with mushrooms or herbs in it, cheese sauce, tomato sauce, gravy, etc. 

Layer the three categories into a greased  9X12" pan.  Layer the meat, starch, and sauce. Top with bread or cracker crumbs, or your favorite raw biscuits. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve bubbly hot with a fresh salad or other seasonal vegetable.

Here's what my casserole looked like this week. My bottom layer was rice, next leftover roast pieces (not enough to feed the whole family, but enough to say there's meat in this dish :) The next layer was leftover green beans, sauteed onion, and carrots. Now I had a use for the leftover gravy as it became my sauce. Really, it looked like a deconstructed Yankee Pot Roast Sunday dinner! 

Summer vegetables are now beginning to mature! Squash recipes to come.
Search this website for past recipes this week.

I've used broccoli and chicken with noodles and cheese sauce, Quinoa with pepperoni, onions, peppers, and pizza sauce, and the list could go on. This simple "formula" has been handy when God whispers, "What's in your hand"?

Back in the farmhouse this week I've taken some time to see "what was in my hand" as I went about my day in regards to giving my home the finished look without major outlay of funds. I had no real theme, unless old & odd things is a theme. My Saviour knew my needs...even the insignificant ones like this, and helped me to create this...

I know my style is a bit odd...

My Mamma gave me these tea towels, and I love the country feel of clothesline curtains.

All the little things that I gathered around my home I grouped together to give the dining room a touch of me!

What a joy to see what God did "put in my hand" come together and reflect His provision for me!

Have you ever thought about what's in God's hands? As I gaze upon Him in my heart, I see His love written on His hands. The nail prints there were for me despite my sin, even despite how He knew I'd fail Him after I was saved. This kind of love is humbling, and motivates me to obey Him and serve Him daily. 

There's a lot in our hands this time of year...seeds, transplants, share boxes to be filled, leftover vegetables from markets, and all that goes into family life! May God find us all faithful to use what He has placed in our hands this week! 

Early Wednesday morning before breakfast
the boys are busy packing shares for Chattanooga and Knoxville shareholders.

We gather 15 dozen eggs a day...
Gently hand washed and packaged for sale within 24-48 hours from gathering.

We've moved our flock of laying hens to their new permanent pasture.

When the new chicken coop was made
it was to be moved by our smallest tractor.
NOT! After the first rains it just sank deeper into the ground. We finally got it moved the end of last month to it's new pasture that will be divided out into paddocks for continual rotational grazing...a "controlled free range".

Moving a flock of over 300 hens can be quite a challenge IF they aren't in the chicken
coop when moved! Sometimes we just do things the hard way!

Our ducks are one year
old!

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present  you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever more. Amen."

Jude 1:24,25

Abundant Blessings,

The Farmer's Wife,

Val

& 

Farmer Steve