If Only I Had My Own Farm...

Have I mentioned yet that I would love to live on a farm? Sometimes I sit around and daydream about what it would be like. The life lessons my children would learn, the love for our livestock and what it provides, big fields of produce growing abundantly, manure magically disappearing, sunshine, rainbows, ponies, and deliciously healthy food appearing on our table every night with little effort as we sit around and eat as a family listening to some Michael Buble. In reality I know it would entail hardwork, crankiness, dirtiness, long days, chickens you may want to kick and send flying into the oblivion, that one rooster that won't ever be quiet, as well as dependence upon forces you can't control such as weather, insects, food costs for livestock and so on. The only 2 things my current life has in common with my daydream farm life is the food we get from our CSA box and my garden, and listening to Michael Buble on occasion during dinner. I've tried to convince the hubs that we should get a couple of chickens, and I have even looked up the city codes on having poultry on private property within city limits, but he says it's a no go. He asked me what I would do with a chicken. Well, the obvious answer is get eggs. The harder answer is eat it for dinner. He wasn't convinced that I have what it takes to butcher a chicken (and I don't blame him, I almost threw up the first time I roasted a turkey and felt the bone in its wing break), but after a lot of research I'm certain if I needed the food I could do it. Then I would promptly throw up. Then dig into my delicious roast bird while crying a little.

In the past couple of years, admittedly since becoming a mother, I've wanted to know more about not only where my food came from, but how to prepare it. Have you ever really thought about how much our food process has changed in the last 100 years? How much more reliant we have become on a grocery store? On a box of pasta, a bag of bread, or even our deli meat? Maybe it's the becoming a mom thing, maybe it's the rash of post-apocalyptic novels I've read or shows I've seen (if you want a good book to utterly freak you out read One Second After), or maybe it's an appreciation for past generations, but I want to know how to take care of my family if I couldn't go to the grocery store and grab a quick easy meal. Of course I easily get carried away with things, hence the farm daydreams, and I realize as much as I research how to grow my own wheat, harvest, dry, and grind it myself, I know that I will more than likely never need that skill. So I currently am satisfied with the fact that if the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I can at least be wasteful and make a satisfactory scratch whole grain pasta with a butter garlic sauce to go with my meager portion of wild turkey leg (assuming I learn to hunt though I despise guns and have no idea how to shoot an arrow).

I share all of this so you understand that though my reasoning may be a little crazy, it's a lot of why I appreciate my CSA box so incredibly much. I know how much effort I put into my own tiny little garden, keeping it healthy and chemical free. I can't imagine how much effort these farmers put into the box I get every week. It blows my mind a little actually. It also gives me peace of mind of knowing exactly what we're putting in our bodies as a family. Yeah, sometimes peas get thrown across the room, or squash gets spit back out as a defiant toddler refuses to eat it, but for the most part I know they are getting healthy food much of the time. I won't lie, they get to dig into cookies and cupcakes as much as the next toddler, but still, at least they eat their veggies. :) Just maybe that will turn into a lifestyle of healthy eating for them. I loved learning to cook with my own mom, and I hope my girls are as interested in their food as I am! Right now K loves to cook with me, and they both love going to see our "vegetable truck" on Wednesdays. Of course that could be because there's a playground at our pickup. Oh well. :) Until next time!

Future baker in training!

Clockwise, starting left: green beans, beets, choi, broccoli florets, pork chops, eggs, beef, patty pan squash, green onions, strawberries.

-Sam

P.S. - Please ignore my lack of pictures and poor quality of the ones I have this week. I was scatterbrained and my camera phone had to do in a pinch!


Recipes #1 & #2 - Baked Parmesan Orange Roughy & Baked Squash Hushpuppies

1 package (thawed) orange roughy fillets
2 eggs
1/2 c buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup parmesan
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Slice fillets into strips. Combine wet ingredients in one bowl, combine dry ingredients in a pie dish or plate. Dip strips into egg mix, dredge in cornmeal mix, place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Should be lightly browned on both sides.

As far as the hush puppies go, I followed the recipe exactly except for the cooking instructions. I wanted something healthier than deep fry, so I lightly greased a muffin pan, rolled the (very sticky) mix into 1-1/2" balls, and baked at 425 for about 13 minutes. They look a little muffiny, but the inside had the same texture as a regular hushpuppy.

I wish I had some tartar sauce to go with, but I ran out of time.

Recipe #3 - Creamy Potato Kale Soup

1/2 stick butter
2 cups sliced kale
1/2 cup green onions
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
5 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Cornstarch (optional)

In large pot saute onions in butter until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add sliced kale and potatoes and stir until well covered in butter. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce temp and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Once potatoes are entirely cooked through, transfer to blender and puree, or use an immersion blender. (You can strain the larger chunks of kale that don't puree well if the texture bothers you, I did this) Add heavy cream, salt, pepper and put over medium heat until thickened. Add cornstarch if you want it to thicken quicker, dissolve in 1/4 cup water and whisk first.


Recipes #4 & #5 - Cheesy Burger Buns & Sloppy Joes

Normally the buns I make are a little sweeter and have more sugar, but I thought the parmesan cheesiness of these would compliment sloppy joes, and fortunately I was right! I did accidentally roll them too big and make GIANT buns, but can a sloppy joe really be too big? It worked out in our favor. I followed the bun recipe, but added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and garlic powder in, and the sloppy joes I just added about a tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 tsp of honey. I just wanted the sloppy joes a bit sweeter since the buns wouldn't be. It was a great combination! I made the bun dough in my bread machine so there was very little hands on time and effort involved. And I forgot to take a picture. My brain has been gone this past week. Whoops! Just imagine a big, meaty sandwich of awesomeness.


Recipes #6 & #7 - Chocolate Beet Cake & Poured Fudge Icing

Makes 3 - 8 inch layers OR 2 - 9 inch layers with a few cupcakes.
2 1/2 cups cooked beets, pureed and then cooled
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 3/4 cups sugar
3 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon baking soda
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together beets and eggs and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa, vanilla and oil. Mix well. In another separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients into the oil and cocoa mixture, mixing together. Finally, add the beet and egg mixture mixing until well incorporated. Stop and marvel at the gorgeous color of this cake batter. Pour into greased and floured pans. Or, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Bake cakes for 30-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and top of cake springs back to the touch. (Try 18-20 minutes for cupcakes) Cook cakes in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to a rack. Wait until completely cool to frost the cake. (Recipe borrowed from a document posted in the Avalon Acres facebook page by Kelly Larabie.) Side note - the batter seriously was a gorgeous purple. Too bad it baked into a deep rich brown color, the purple would've been fun!

Icing:
1-1/2 c sugar
1-1/2 c powdered sugar
2/3 c cocoa
3/4 c + 2 Tbsp milk
1 stick (1/2 c) butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine both sugars, cocoa and milk in a large saucepan or deep skillet. Mix well, then bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Stir often so nothing is scorched, and mix will expand in size so make sure you have a deep enough pot. After mixture is considerably thickened (coats a metal spoon completely and runs off in a solid stream), remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir until fully incorporated. Spoon enough onto your first layer of cake, and smear all over. Let set 1-2 minutes, then repeat. Add next layer of cake. Repeat spoon process twice, and after the second time sets, pour remaining icing over the top from the center out, letting it run down and coat the side of the cake. For easy cleaned up, strips of wax paper around the outside of the cake can collect excess and be pulled away when icing has set. Stick in freezer or fridge if you need to speed the setting process up a little.