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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Aprons

Greetings from our mountain farm! I've been contemplating what to write to you about this week...when after a busy day of baking the bread shares and packing vegetables it hit me! I love it when the Lord directs in answer to prayer! This is how it happened...

Life in a packing shed after a long day of picking and packing usually ends with everyone being jolly and jostling for a position in line packing shares. Yesterday (Friday) it was packing tomatoes...there were about 160 quart cups lined up on tables to be filled with tomatoes that had JUST been picked. Several of us had flats of ripe tomatoes (not green and gassed) and were filling the cups "until they looked good". To me, pretty looked good...to the boys big looked good. Hmmm, well, the flats fit under the men's arms better than mine so I was balancing mine on the edge of the table and knocking the empty cups on the far back of the table off on the ground. It was some "handsome" son's job to pick them up....then I had to have someone with longer arms fill the last two cups on the far side of the table. (None of my children have inherited my "petite" genes...so whoever is closest at the time is called handsome and asked to pick up the fallen empty cups. They "melt" when they are called handsome, and are ready to do what I need done.) After being alone in the packing shed most of the day it was a sweet blessing to be joined by 7 of my sons to finish up the work.

When the tomatoes were taken care of and the last of the thyme was bundled they begged me to begin supper...it was 7 p.m. and they were having hunger pains. I was ready too after packing potatoes, onions, yellow/zucchini/patty pan squashes, green beans, thyme, and tomatoes I was ready to retreat to the hominess of the farm kitchen. I had been wearing an apron made from the skirt of an old jumper which protects my clothes from the mud, water, and blossom ends of vegetables when as I scooped it up, my post idea came! As I held out my ample apron I had different boys scoop up potatoes, squash, onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables to carry down to the house for supper. I made a "goulash" as an elderly friend calls that type of a meal from all that was in my apron.

The last generation of mountain women all wore aprons. Recently I inherited three of my mother-in-love's aprons as she cleaned out her home. She and many other ladies wore these aprons everyday as sort of a uniform. It was a mark of pride that they were wives, mothers, and homemakers.

I have fond memories of farmer Steve's Aunt Glen who took me under her wing and taught me many of the skills I needed to provide for my family...she cooked, sewed, canned, gardened, quilted, along with the many responsibilities of being a farmer's wife. I've stood by her side canning peaches...not just a few...but BUSHELS of peaches on steamy August afternoons. When the Preacher or a neighbor stopped by for a minute on an unplanned visit she would quickly change her work apron as they got out of their cars, into one of her company aprons. Aunt Glenn then greeted her guest at the door looking fresh, and ready to entertain. Her days were filled with nonstop duties that ministered not only to her family, but to the widow down the road, friends who owned farms in other states, and of course the newest member of the family who knew nothing about rural farm life...ME! She "wore her apron WELL."

Where has the uniform of a homemaker gone? With the loss of the apron came a loss of pride in our"profession" or calling from the Lord. Society began to look down on the women who stayed at home to raise the children and provide a haven for their husbands. The highest calling for a woman is still her home. Charles Spurgeon once said,"You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God's fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts." Nothing is more important.

The many skills a homemaker possessed in the past two generations that generated the need for the apron are also now vanishing. I thank God a few women are once again raising the standard high for this generation of wives, mothers, and yes, proudly, homemakers to see. What the world has to offer in the areas of food, clothing, entertainment, education, and even worship cannot compare to the time intensive commitment of a woman serving her family "from scratch".

My aprons are getting a lot of use this week..I've just finished a HUGE batch of almond granola. By HUGE I mean it contained around 90 cups of dry ingredients. It takes me most of the day to bake it, so I made a double batch of jalapeno summer squash relish. This is the second time I've made it this summer, adjusting the heat level each time....this is hot. :) Adam is finally smiling! So today I've made 23 pints of relish and two big bus tubs of granola...a good day.

Tonight I served 5 vegetables, homemade pinto beans, and cornbread in pans I also inherited from my mother-in-love. The recipe for her truly southern pinto beans was in one of last year's issues of The Farmer's Wife. We are eating tomatoes three times a day...ahhhh...so I thought I'd include a few ideas for using your tomatoes and other vegetables this week.

Several of my tried and true recipes come from these older mountain women that are now in glory with our Saviour Jesus Christ. They've left a legacy behind for me to follow. They often used ingredients found in their cupboards. "Running to town" was unheard of, as they often only went off the mountain to town weekly, if that. The fancy ingredients found in most recipes today would make them laugh, or ask, "What's that?!" Why not try this recipe for three of the vegetables in your shares this week. The buttered crackers were a treat and something new in the cupboard 30 years ago when I set up housekeeping...they often substituted buttered bread crumbs for the topping....you could too.

Baked Zucchini and Tomatoes
2 medium zucchini
2 medium fresh tomatoes
1 medium mild onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crushed, buttered broken cracker crumbs

Wash zucchini but do not peel. Peel tomatoes and onions. Slice all vegetables into thin crosswise slices.
In a greased baking dish make alternate layers of zucchini, tomatoes and onions, sprinkling each layer with a little salt and pepper, also dotting with butter.
Cover top with crushed cracker crumbs. Bake in a 350* oven until vegetables are tender.

As a young homemaker I was encouraged to experiment with what the garden was producing. I had my "postage stamp" sized garden, and eventually added raised beds on top of the rock the Lord blessed us with. I fell in love with gardening and how I was able to suppliment our meager food budget. This recipe is one of my earliest experiments. It earned me a third place in the state of Tennessee Dairy Contest for homemakers! It makes a large dish, so simply halving the ingredients would fit the needs of an average family. Substitute what vegetables you have on hand and have fun experimenting yourself.

Garden Lasagna
4 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/8" slices
1 large onion, chopped in 1/4" pieces
1 medium green pepper, chopped in 1/4" pieces
1 carrot, scraped and diced in 1/4" pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. butter
2 , 16 oz. cans tomatoes, drained well
1, 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1, 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup white grape juice
2 T. chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/2 t. seasoning salt
1/4 t. "freshly" ground pepper
3 qts. water
2 t. salt
9 lasagna noodles
1, 16 oz. carton cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Swiss cheese
1 C. grated Parmesan Cheese

Saute zucchini, onion, green pepper, carrot, and garlic in butter in a dutch oven over medium heat until very andante, 5 minutes or so. Stir in the next 9 ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes then uncover and simmer another 15 minutes until sauce "thickens" a bit, stirring occasionally.
While sauce is thickening, combine 3 quarts of water and salt in a pasta pot; bring to a boil. Gradually add lasagna noodles. Boil, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes or until noodles are just tender; drain well.
Spread 1/4 of sauce in a lightly greased 12 x 9 x 2" baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1/3 cottage cheese, 1/4 Swiss/Mozzarella, and 1/4 of the parmesan cheese; repeat layers twice. Top with remaining sauce, Swiss, and parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350* for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

I'd like to promote the cookbook we are selling to our shareholders this year. Last year it was my handbook for trying new recipes and I fell in love with it. The Practical Produce Cookbook is FULL of ideas from planting, to cooking, to canning just about every vegetable we sell. I think it only failed me once last year, and that was when we had a BUMPER CROP of daikon radish to deal with and I had no idea how to use them. (After a bit of experimenting I figured it out. :) There are recipes for desserts using vegetables, soups, salads, breads, and much more. I like a recipe book that calls for everyday ingredients and this is just like that. The Scripture on food and farming related verses that is sprinkled throughout the pages are an encouragment to me when I was rushed to come up with a new way to use ...say zucchini...for the 10th week in a row. Do you need an easy supper tonight using what you all ready have in your cupboard and share in the fridge? Try this simple meal.

Stack Supper with Tomatoes

2 C. long grain white/brown rice
1 head lettuce, chopped
3 lb. ground beef, browned
(this can be halved, and substitutions like turkey or chicken used)
2 C. chopped onion
1 qt. milk
1/2 lb. process cheese
taco sauce or salsa

Cook rice according to package instructions. (I use a rice cooker. A GREAT invention!) Prepare other ingredients. Heat milk and stir in cheese to make a cheese sauce. Pass the ingredients in the order given, stacking one on top of the other with the cheese sauce going on last. Top with taco sauce or salsa.
Variation: Delete rice (very economical when bought in bulk) and replace with slightly crushed tortilla or corn chips.

I like to have special meals every once in a while to encourage my men that work so hard on the farm. Here is one I'm going to try this week from the Practicl Produce Cookbook that uses the fresh basil, tomatoes, and onions from our shares. It directs me to broil the fish, but I may try grilling or baking them as I have a CREW to feed and we've outgrown our broiler.

Tomatoes Stuffed Fish Fillets

1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped
1/4 C. finely chopped onion
1/4. t. basil leaves
1 1/2 lb. fresh fish fillets
(They suggest flounder or haddock but use what you have.)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine tomato, onion and basil; set aside/ Brush both sides of fillets with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Plae small amount of tomato mixture in center of each fillet. Overlap both ends of fillet over tomato; fasten with wooden picks. Arrange on broiler rack. Broil 3 inches from cources of heat, turning once and brushing with olive oil. Broil 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork but is still moist.

If you are interested in getting a copy of The Practical Produce Cookbook, ask for it at your farmer's market next week! They are $15 which is a savings over buying it online. E-mail Adam to reserve your copy for next week. I guarantee it will be a help to you.

Well, this post has taken a week to complete. My aprons have got a lot of use this week as I've canned, baked, gathered vegetables while gardening, and I even dried tears with it. I thank God for His direction in Titus chapter 2 to be a "keeper at home"...there is soooo much to "keep" in a family!
The Lord often gives me Scripture to encourage me in my calling. When my spirit lags He brings them back to my remembrance...one such verse is Proverbs 31:25...as I put my apron on I remember "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." As mothers we don't see the fruit of our labors immediately...just like in our fields. The harvest comes months, and with children even years later! The Holy Spirit is my strength in these times and I see my apron in the verse that says, "She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms." Proverbs 31:17. By remembering my high calling as a wife and mother the Lord "strengthens my arms" to serve Him in my home. Is there an apron hanging in your kitchen? Why not put it on and let the Holy Spirit remind you where your strength comes from..."my strength cometh from the Lord." Then proudly go about your day renewed, and knowing you are in the perfect will of God serving your family.

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife

From the Farmer's Wife Week 13

Steamy Greetings From Our Mountain Farm!

Since I've written the opening greeting I've....made 30 loaves of whole wheat bread, packed 56 large shares of squash, made zucchini pizzas with Italian sausage and onions, feed 11 people, discovered the oven's gas was turned off while baking the first 15 loaves of bread (must have been on a dab since I sort of baked it and it never baked well, cleaned up a messy kitchen, put two little ones down for a nap, posed for a picture by a long row of tables with tomatoes cupped up on them...and soooo much more that all mothers do every day. My life is full.

My life has been REALLY full this past week. Since the boys want to include strawberry jam in your shares again soon I made 150, 8 oz. jars along with 48 jars of my new jalepeno squash relish. Then my week got really busy. Wednesday we started to get ready for our Crossville market. This farmer's market is really cool! Most of all the buying and selling is done online between Sunday and Tuesday night. Then the bakers, farmer's and herbalists get a list of all that they sold and begin to prepare. We were grinding corn into the best tasting cornmeal when...EEEEERRRRRRRRIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEE! That sound from an electric mill means only one thing...the teeth that grind the grain have hit something hard and the mill is lost. Thankfully it has a lifetime warranty, so back to Utah it goes! But that left us with a MAJOR dilemma...there is A LOT of flour to be ground for bread shares and the market with no mill! I had a overwhelming sense of peace after sending a cry heavenward and as I prayed for Farmer Steve to have wisdom in what to do. He took an older hand mill and hooked up the motor from his band saw on it and we were in business once again...MUCH SLOWER, but able to mill again. So if you receive a bread share each week, the appearance and feel of the bread is different. The wheat was ground with a hand mill and the flour is a different consistency. I'll get the hang of it and before long our mill will be back from the manufacturer.

Life doesn't always go smoothly. When a multitude of things go wrong, how do you respond? I'm one to get flustered....I can't think as clearly as I'd like. I hate this, so it throws me at Jesus' feet for wisdom and the ability I need to do the MANY tasks He has called me to each day. "Rejoice evermore!" So when there are 15 loaves of bread on my counter that can't be eaten because the propane was turned most of the way off; I need to rejoice in another opportunity to learn patience...actually I've found I need to thank Jesus out loud whenever I feel the rising tide of emotions spurred by mishaps, children, or even my beloved husband. God loves me enough to teach me patiently how to respond as He does to me. Oh, what a patient, loving Saviour He is!

In between all the baking I did this week my family still needed to eat. I pray you are enjoying your shares. We rejoice at the variety of vegetables He is growing on the farm! My refrigerator is bulging with yellow, white and green squashes, green onions that were culled, slicing onions, carrots, cucumbers, egg plant, lettuce, purple, "white", and green bell peppers, jalapenos, and MUCH more! God is so good. While at the market this week I talked with a chef who make New York style pizzas. He was amazed that I was making them on zucchini slices. I bartered a strawberry cake (with our berries!) and granola for supper. I tried a new method of the zucchini pizzas with lunch today...On top of the slightly cooked zucchini place slices of tomato, onion rings, fresh garlic, and finely chopped jalapeno peppers. They were spicy, but GOOOD!!

Life is full for everyone. When "THOSE" life lessons come our way, how should we respond so our family doesn't feel the crisis emotionally? Jesus Christ cries to our hearts, " Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you ." 1 Peter 5:7 ONLY His provision of peace in our emotions and His wisdom for our responses will carry us through. Do you know Him in this intimate of a way? Seek God for salvation...not only will you inherit eternal life, but you will have the blessing of His abiding presence! The Christian life is a vibrant day by day relationship with THE God of this world. We pray you'll seek His face.

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife

"I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed: for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea; I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness...For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, sayng unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." Isaiah 41:9b, 10, 13

From the Farmer's Wife - Week 11

I've been struggling with these new fangled ideas of our son Adam...a blog...I am not a blog person. I have nothing witty or intelligent to say. I'm just a farmer's wife with a large family that can share our daily farm life, lessons the Lord is teaching me, and a few recipes I've been using in my farm kitchen. So, I'm going back to the "letter" idea that I sent out to the shareholders last year...so on with...

From the Farmer's Wife
Week 11

Greetings from our family! It's been a while since I've written because I've been really struggling with being a 21st century, computer savvy woman. My mother told me I was born a century too late. I agree to some extent as I like the simple life the Lord has given me. At times it is NOT simple, but usually that is of my own making. As a young wife and mother 25 plus years ago I made certain decisions that have led me to this path. Saying, "no" to modern methods, whether they be working outside the home, schooling my children, ways to dress or cook, and many other decisions we make every day have molded my life into where I am today. Trendy fads don't usually allure me. I've learned that it's the little decisions of obedience to God's Word that determine our life's path, from birth to death. When I look at His plan for women in Scripture and model my life around His ways, there is a contentment I see many women searching for these days.

Can we as woman really have the peace of heart and mind in this ever-changing, busy world? The King James Bible gives us the answer to this question in a 3-fold answer which is the will of God for "younger women". 1 Timothy 5:14-15 teaches that we should 1.) Marry 2.) Bear Children 3.) Guide the house. "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." Is it that easy? Yes, and No, there is a lot to learn how to accomplish each of these things in an honorably way. But this is God's will for all women! Titus 2:3-6 give us further instructions, which on close study are eye opening in the 21st century. We will, Lord willing, look at these verses in the weeks to come.


Here on the farm we are all busy today picking tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, basil, carrots, lettuce, and the like for your shares. Months of work have gone into this harvest. Our family knows first hand the labor, sweat, and toil that goes into each share and we enjoy the sense of working alongside God Almighty growing produce that will nourish our family and yours. This way of life is a mighty tool in His hand to fashion us into His image...attitudes, work ethics, and obedience to His timing are all ways we are learning to be more honoring this season.

We're busy thinking fall this week as we plant late tomatoes, lettuce and other crops you'll prayerfully enjoy in the months to come. The place where our strawberries for next season will be planted is being prepared, and our thoughts are constantly running to how to make things better in the field. We are always learning!

There have been many new "labor saving" devices added to the farm this season as there is ALWAYS more work than daylight and strength to accomplish. The most enjoyable to the older "littles" in our family has been an old riding lawnmower my son-in-law gave the boys this spring. Actually there were two or three of them, but they've pieced one together and now have a wagon behind it to transport tubs of squash, lettuce, or onions from the field. One would think they had been given a 4-wheeler (their dream vehicle for the farm) as they used it ONCE to even get the mail a quarter of a mile away, give the little ones pleasure rides in the wagon behind it, and use it to get to where they are to work...yes, it mows also! There is drip tape, pumps, and a few new sprinklers to help us irrigate. This is a great improvement over the 11 watering cans Steve purchased in early in the season last year! The Lord has sent sufficient rain to keep the pumps running, Praise His Name! We now also have a box truck to haul our many tables, tubs and vegetables to market. We are growing!

We are growing in many ways this year! Of course we are growing vegetables, but the number of families that are now part of our CSA has grown to about 135! God be praised! It is an honor to be use of God to supply your needs. Like all CSA farms, what we plant does not always produce in the manner we hoped. This year the deer have been a problem (our dog is now gone and we will soon replace it as it helped more than we knew) and have eaten the green beans to the ground! More have been planted, but until they produce we go without. Our tomates are late since we were unable to plant during the usual period they were to go out. We had a tornado pass within 1/2 mile of our farm. It moved whole rows of vegetables, pelted us with hail, and flooded our fields. It has been a year of seeing God's hand!!

As you know, it's been very hot lately. My farm kitchen has been steamy as I've been canning different jams and relishes. I have fun experimenting at least one day a week with leftover produce. My favorite has been a zucchini relish using our vegetables. I hope to offer it to ya'll latter this season. I also have been busy with baking for the Crossville Sustainable Farmer's Market on Thursdays. I'm humbled by the response to the cinnamon nut, and cinnamon raisin rolls, granola, zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini bread, and my jams. I thought you would like to make the chocolate zucchini bread, which is a lot like a moist brownie bread. I like to think of it as a healthy snack as I grind my wheat, grate fresh zucchini and use only a "touch" of chocolate. If zucchini is piling up in your frig, try this:

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 Eggs
1 C. Honey
1/2 C. Oil
1 t. Vanilla
3 T. Butter
6 T. Cocoa powder
2 C. Grated zucchini
2 C. Whole Grain flour (not bread flour)
1 t. Salt
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
2/3 C. Chocolate Chips

In mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla. In saucepan, melt butter and add cocoa powder. Set aside to cool. Grate zucchini. Mix zucchini, with cocoa powder/butter mixture and when cooled combine with egg mixture. Add flour, soda, salt, cinnamon. Mix only enough to blend. Dampen chocolate chips slightly in a small bowl. Coat with a few pinches of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of your bread. Add to batter. Pour into 2 greased 8" pans. (I use bread or muffin pans.) Bake at 350 degrees until cake tester inserted comes out clean, depending on pan size.

The family has been so hot lately it's hard to know what to make. Do you run into that challenge also? I've found they really enjoy a LARGE salad (3-4 shares worth of lettuce!) grilled vegetables and meats. We've also been enjoying the zucchini pizza recipe that I did for the Knoxville News Sentential. Find the link to it on our home page. One experiment with squash (which our shares have an abundance in each week) turned our fantastic. I made squash crusts in traditional pizza pans for a vegetable pizza. I made several with just thinly sliced (1/4") squash with traditional toppings baked until the "crust" was limp and the cheese was bubbly. Farmer Steve and my favorite though had a touch of the past thrown into the "crust". As a new bride (from the north) 30 years ago I had to be taught how to cook southern. One dish was fried squash. I dutifully sliced up small slices of little yellow crookneck squash, dipped them into beaten eggs, and coated them with cornmeal seasoned with salt and (my touch) garlic powder. I've abandoned that method as it takes HOURS to make enough to feed my family and have adapted the recipe to make an "oven fried" vegetable dish. (We have a link to this recipe on our website also.) Back to the vegetable pizzas...I fried squash the old fashioned way as I described using large lengthwise pieces of yellow and patty pan squash. I let the oil I fried it in drain well, then placed the fried sqush on the pizza pan as the crust. This I topped with the traditional pizza toppings, and baked at 400 degrees until the cheese was melted. The children preferred the easier pizzas, but Steve and I liked the more time consuming pizza...was it worth the time? Probably not when I have to make 6 large pizzas plus the salad! Why don't you try vegetable pizzas this week

Zucchini Pizza

8-Ball Zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices crosswise (lengthwise slices of traditional zucchini will also work)
olive oil
pasta sauce or pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
your choice of:
onions, diced
mushrooms, sliced
pepperoni/sausage/bacon
green pepper, diced
black olives

Put slices of zucchini on cookie tray. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 350* until slightly limp. Remove from the oven and top with traditional pizza toppings. Return to the oven until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with a big salad or fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Some more recipes on my blog from last year (and I'm sorry they are not user friendly) that you could try this week are a tempting stir fry, wilted salad, egg rolls, sauteed squash, vegetable spaghetti and more. Open up last years letters that are posted under January and browse my old letters. When the chilly days of winter allow leisure time for Adam, I hope to get the recipes all combined on the website. Until then, I'm going back to my old method of these letters. By doing this, our friends from Crossville online Farmer's Market folks can log into the recipes also.

Well, I'm needed in the packing shed to pack the shares, so I must finish this letter again another time.

I'm back again. It's Saturday and all the men and boys are at your markets delivering your shares. I've cleaned the farm house with my 4 little ones and finally finished cleaning the packing shed. When I left it yesterday afternoon after packing shares it was almost tidy...then the boys picked, cleaned, and packed all the vegetables we sell on table at the markets. This was after a late supper....suffice it to say 2 1/2 hours latter all the trash vegetables are composted, tables are hosed down and all tubs are stacked....even the walk-in is swept out and clean. Ahhh, we're ready for another week!


In the walk-in I have a bus tub of zucchini that I need to use on Monday. Since apples are barely coming in I think I'll make "zapplesauce" to make muffins and zapple pie for the family. :) What is zapple sauce? Overgrown zucchini can be made to an mock applesauce or pie easily. The trick is to use overgrown zucchini as the little guys tend to make a bitter sauce.

Zapplesacuce

4 C. Peeled, seeded, and diced zucchini or summer squash
1/3 C. Fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
2 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 T. Ground Nutmeg

Combine zucchini and lemon juice in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar (which I reduce the amount, and will try sorghum molasses this year) the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Let cool to room temperature.
Use this sauce in:

Zapple Muffins

3 C. Flour ( I use freshly ground soft white wheat with a few other grains mixed in.)
1 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/4 t. Ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 C. Sugar
2 large Eggs
1/4 C. Buttermilk
Zapple sauce above

1. Make Zapplesauce as described above.
2. Preheat oven to 350* . Grease 18 regular-size muffin cups with butter or olive oil spray.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
4. Beat together the butter and sugar in another large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with teh buttermilk, until smooth. Stir in zapplesacue just until evenly distributed.
5.Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. The batter will be stiff; an ice cream scoop does a great job of distrbuting it.
6. Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, until they have risen and a knife inserted in teh center of one comes out clean.
7. Turn the muffins out on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

I've made mock apple pies before with Ritz crackers but it never became a family favorite. This recipe is made with overgrown zucchini that are peeled and cooked with lemon juice then sweetened and spiced to "perfection" will fool "all but the most discerning palates". It works best with older, overgown squash as the young fresh squash will have a trace of bitterness htat advertises the pie's vegetable origin. If you'd like some overgrown squash included in your share, JUST ASK!

Zapple Pie

Pastry for a 9" double crust
6 C. peeled, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced zucchini or summer squash
1/2 C. fresh lemon juice
3/4 C. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar (I use cane juice crystals with molasses mixed into it.)
1 1/2 t. ground Cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. freshly ground nutmeg
2 T. instant tapioca
1 T. granulated sugar ( I use cane juice crystals)

1. Prepare the pie dough according to your recipe directions and refrigerate.

2. Combine the zucchini and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally for even cooking. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

3. Remove the zucchini from the heat. Stir in teh tapicoca and let set 15 minutes.

4.Preheat the oven to 425* with a rack on the lower third of the oven.

5. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pastry. Moisten the edge of the bottom of the crust with water. Fold the dough circle in half, lift off the owrk surface, place the pastry across the center of the filled pie., and unfold. Trim the edge 1/2 inch larger than the pie plate and tuck tthe over hange under the edge of the bottom crust. Crimp the edges with a fork or make a fluted pattern with your fingers. Make several deocorateive slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. I like to use an apple cookie cutter to make the slits on top and add a little leaf or two to the stem slit.

6. Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350* and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the granulated sugar and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbly.

7. Cool the pie on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I gleaned these two recipes from a great book for seasonal eatters called, Serving Up the Harvest, Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables by Andrea Chesman.

My to-do list is growing for the beginning of the week....carrot relish, canning beets, Kosher Dill Pickles...Soooo many decisions on what is BEST for each day. May you too consider before THE Lord Jesus Christ the path you choose to walk...in obedience to His ways. I can guarantee that the end of the path will lead to life eternal!! Until next week....

"Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name." Psalms 86:11

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife

My Day as a " Cooking Video Queen"

I've had my day in the spotlight and am VERY glad to be back in my farm kitchen, known only as Momma, Val, or "The Farmer's Wife". Ahhhhhhhhhh, the bliss of a quiet house, boys working int he fields staking late tomatoes, babies napping, and my husband making kitchen cabinets in the shop. How did I get to be a "Cooking Video Queen"? Welllll, just let me tell you how Steve and Adam, my 20 year old son, crowned me "cooking video queen" for the day.....right Mary?

Last week was a very long week, that's why last week's blog is being written this week. :) That is why I'm basking in the quiet pace of Tuesday... Last week found me making over 200 half-pints of strawberry jam...canning shredded zucchini....baking for the Crossville online market....and falling at Jesus' feet in prayer for His perfect will...and having endless mammograms, sonagrams and finally after 7 plus hours two biopsies. When the dust settled Friday morning we worked as a family preparing for our shareholders...baking bread, picking vegetables, and packing vegetables....all with two clouds over my head ....cancer?....cooking video on Monday!!!??? Sooo, that's how the weekend went. We did get the joyous news that I was cancer free, PRAISE GOD! But looming right up there with the unknown was my day in the "limelight", Monday morning at 9 a.m with Mary from Edible East Tennessee.

Now all Moms, answer this question honestly... What does your kitchen (not to mention your house, packing shed, fields, porch, and kitchen gardens) look like at 9 a.m. Monday morning? After marketing since last Thursday and all the prep , a day with Momma gone, a day of worship and rest (Praise God for Sundays!!) mine is usually a bit disheveled. By lunchtime on Monday I usually have my feet on firm ground again with our bread baked, 8 plus loads of laundry done, and am ready to tackle any challenges the Lord sends that week. Not this week. :) I was up at 4:30 grinding wheat for bread, making my tea and having devotions...for without the Lord's wisdom, direction and reassurance I know how my day will go...poorly. We ate, cleaned up from breakfast for 13 (two married daughters [Missy and Hope] had arrived by now to be my cheerleaders and right hand gals) and gathered our thoughts on how to give me a makeover of sorts...from Momma to "Cooking Video Queen". This is all tongue and cheek of course...I hesitantly chose two dishes I make for the family using our vegetables; gathered the ingredients and was ready for the "film crew" to arrive at 9 a.m.

Was I ever nervous! I am not one to watch cooking shows...we don't have a t.v., just a monitor for well chosen videos. My daughter Hope advised me to go to UTUBE and educate myself by watching a few...no time for that...so the first one I've seen in about 20 years will be my own. Now my older children used to like to watch Yan Can Cook (spelling?) on the Public Television channel in the late 80's...I had to stop many a knife "exhibition" when they tried to copy his style. Matthew (now 27, serving in the Air Force in the Middle East, and anticipating his wedding in California on July 9th) used to jabber in Chinese and make the knives chop furiously like his cooking hero....definitely not my style...so I was me, welcoming you my shareholders into my farm kitchen. I was greatly relieved when Rachel (the camera gal who was about the age of one of my daughters) told me she'd be editing the tape. Praise God! For I didn't know what to do with my messy hands, fumbled over the right words, and even cracked up when I was introduced. Oh my...my day in the spotlight could actually be comical if left unedited. :)

So, I made Zucchini Pizzas and a quickie "fried" vegetable side dish...and lived through it! I found that I could enjoy my new friends, Mary and Rachel, who made me right at home in my own kitchen :) and was actually interested in what I had to say.

What a blessing new friends can be. They left with fresh bread and strawberry jam in hand...now I'm waiting for results again...not from biopsies, but a newspaper article and video online at Knoxnews.com . Mary and I have learned a lesson...20 year olds don't really know if it's a good time to open their home to the public. Mary and I may talk again..........

P.S. It's out...the results are in...3 plus hours of work was whittled down to a couple of minutes tops! Wow, Great job Rachel! I even made sense of sorts!

Busy Farm Life

Life is busy around the farm lately. Spring vegetables are phasing out and summer vegetables are beginning to be picked. For this to happen consistently allll season, we must plant, plant, and plant again. There is always someone walking around with seeds, watering in the greenhouse, or hauling a 16 foot trailer loaded with transplants to the fields. Life on a farm is NEVER boring...exhausting yes, but never boring.

The strawberries are petering out. We will miss their tangy sweetness. BUT I have about 700 cups of mashed berries in my freezers to use in our farm kitchen. We are closing in on having the kitchen being finished and then comes the state inspection. I've taken the classes, and
we've passed our water test, so we may take advantage of the new state laws that allow uninspected kitchens to produce baked goods and "non-hazardous" foods for sale before the final inspection. So, if you love our berries, look for jam, cakes, and other goodies with them for sale at your market.

Sweet snap peas and squash are replacing strawberries. Adam and I are getting our act together with recipes. I've had them ready each week, but the recipe section of the site will probably not be in use this year. Instead, we are putting the recipes at the end of your weekly "What's in My Share?" e-mail. We're learning, but inside computer time is short during the growing season. By the time we can sit down at the computer it is late at night and we're not very coherent. This week you'll find some unusual uses for zucchini along with squash, onion, and spinach recipes. I hope they are an inspiration when you too open your frig door and ask yourself, "What should I make for supper?!"

I'm excited these days about my kitchen being finished! I know I've mentioned it but I've waited almost 5 years dreaming of one day enjoying the orderliness of a finished kitchen. Farmer Steve has traded hats this week...he's cabinet maker Steve. The boys have been running the farm "alone". So, while I wait, all my pans are stacked outside the kitchen and I step over the air compressor cord and sweep up sawdust. I praise God for His provision!

I had fun this week using all the spring vegetables! I made my first green smoothie shake. A dear sister encouraged me to visit the "Green Smoothie Lady" on UTUBE. Afterwards I whipped up a Colvin Family Farm version with our kale, Bok Choy, an apple, our strawberries, and a banana! The young men shied away from it but all my little ones and Farmer Steve really enjoyed it. I also made "That Beets All" Quiche, roasted onions, Green Eggs and Ham, LOTS of salads, vegetable platters with red carrots from my kitchen garden, plus steamed beets, broccoli and cauliflower from the fields. It's a fun challenge each time I open my refrigerator door!

I know your life is busy also, so I appreciate you visiting this blog. I want to encourage you to take time to do what's MOST important in life. The old hymn says,

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.

First thing each morning the Lord is waiting for us, His children, to spend time with Him. The story of Mary and Martha has been a big encouragement to me over the years. I purpose in my heart daily to "choose the better thing" like Mary did. I picture Jesus waiting for me by my rocker in the living room and I don't want to disappoint Him by not showing up! I get to sit by His feet each morning to learn of Him! I brew a cup of herbal or fruit tea to make this time extra special. Reading from the King James Holy Bible, praying for family, friends, and even you our share holders, along with copying Scripture allows me to talk to and listen to my Saviour each day. What a privilege! As you hustle and bustle about your day, take time for the TRULY IMPORTANT...seeking and serving Jesus Christ!

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Galations 6:9

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val Colvin

As I was praying about what to write about this week a thought came to my head...What was I doing at the time? Well, I was cutting up store bought cabbage (the last from a late winter purchase) to steam. I had just peeled 3 freshly cut kohlrabi and slice them into the cabbage pot when the thought hit me. What is the difference between store bought vegetables and the ones I had been packing since early morning? (By the way it is now 8:21 p.m.) Here are some thoughts...

1. Our vegetables have been prayed over. Not only by us, but our church is also praying for rain with us...are you?

2. If you are about my age or a bit younger you have fond memories of hours spent pouring over the Sears and Robuck Wish Book each December. There was page after page of toy cars, dolls, games, building and craft sets that stretched our imaginations to the limit. This scene is similar to seed buying time here at Colvin Family Farm! My boys start planning when the first catalogs come in the mail in November...no we're not really done when I see them huddled around a new catalog from Johnny's Select Seeds, Fedco, Peaceful Valley, or Territorial Seeds. The furry grows towards the end of December as they have to be among the first to order to guarantee receiving their choice of snap pea or seed potato. Picture our 12' farmhouse kitchen table with about 5 boys huddled around a catalog...now you may get a glimpse at the care that goes into our seed choice. Whereas the seed pool used by commercial growers offers very few varieties of vegetables. The seeds are even "copyrighted" like the soybean with the poison "Round-Up" bread right into it. There are thousands of varieties, but only a limited number is offered to commercial growers. Commercial varieties are chosen for durability in shipment and short days to maturity, not taste. Our standards? TASTE, ability to grow in organically, and what our customers prefer.

3. Grocery store vegetables are grown in ground that is depleted of needed nutrients. How does this affect you? Well, the tomato that looks soo good most likely doesn't have the vitamins and minerals the Lord designed for it to have. We are duped into thinking we are eating healthy when we are eating "empty vitamins".

4. Each of the vegetables that we pack for you is picked by hand by a member of our family. Big farms have harvesters that are cruised through the field cutting the lettuce, picking the beans, or harvesting the corn, or they hire migrant workers seasonally to pick and pack their harvest for market. At this point we don't hire Mexicans, or other outside workers as other farms do. By joining with our farm you are supporting a local family farm...and all that it means to be a family.

5. Our vegetables are harvested and in your hands within about 24 hours. Store bought vegetables are sprayed with preservatives which enable them to last weeks. I can taste it worst on salad mixes that folks sometimes serve. These are poisons! We deliver shares weekly for that's about the shelf life for most of what we produce.

6. We pick RIPE vegetables. We live in a rural farming community. They specialize in tomatoes and pumpkins. Now, I'm not being overly critical of their methods, but they raise what you typically see in your local stores. They pick their tomatoes green, gas them, then ship them off...you are essentially eating a green tomato. Sound yummy?

7. I'll stop on the Biblical number of perfection...our vegetables! No, they're not perfect, but they are as close as you can get to having a garden of your own without the work a garden entails. We consider each of our fields a work of God. When your family eats a yummy fresh salad, bites into a sweet snap pea, or shreds up zucchini for a homemade bread, you are partaking of His blessing. Praise God for His provision with us, and enjoy your season of FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN GOODNESS!

So, what will your choice be? The convenience of the local store...or the path less trod to wholesome eating? The answer is plain to us...that is why we farm for YOU!

Have a great week! May God bless each of you as you seek His face.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray; and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val Colvin