Armed and Ready!

A lot of folks ask us how we are able to knead all the dough for the dozens of loaves we make weekly.

Don't get me wrong. Kneading dough is a wonderful, warm and homey thing to do and we do a lot of it for small batch bakes. Our basic bread recipe - white, wheat, sourdough, etc. -  makes 8 nice loaves. I've never weighed the dough (and I should to get the right price at the Lansing Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings from nine to noon beginning Memorial Day Weekend), but I'm guessing after all is said and done, it must weigh near 8 pounds. And that's a LOT of dough to knead.

Here's why we don't have Popeye arms -

Stuff It!

We can almost make the claim that we have as many giant zucchini as there are recipes for "giant zucchini" on line! However, there was one that inspired me as soon as I saw it.

It was a simple stuffed zucchini wherein the author used various leftovers from her fridge. Seemed like a pretty good idea and as I reached for the refrigerator I thought only of three things - bacon, butter and brown sugar. 

The butter and brown sugar inspiration comes from from favorite preparation for acorn squash. The bacon, well, because it's bacon!

Technically, those three ingredients are not leftovers, but it sure does open up a big door! If this one works well, the next one will be bacon and maple syrup. Then there's honey and prosciutto and maple and smoked ham with caramelized sweet red onion...

Here's what did:
Cut a large zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy pulp. Place the squash halves on a cookie sheet with the scooped out side up.

Brown 6 or 7 slices of bacon until they are nice and crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of water and add 3 tablespoons of butter and about a half-cup of brown sugar. Stir well, remove from heat and whisk mixture briskly in a bowl until slightly foamy. Divide the bacon between the two squash halves and split the liquid between them. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven with a pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven and the zucchini above it on the next shelf for 40 - 45 minutes. The time could be longer if you use a squash larger than the one I have used here.

Garnish with some fresh parsley sprigs and serve. Boy Howdy! It is some kind of good!

Bags for July 7th

Bags are coming to you a day early today due to my brother's memorial service on Saturday. As per usual, there will be a dozen farm-fresh eggs from Blake Family Organic Farms and a nice array of fresh organic veggies and greens. We are in sort of a "mid-state" right now with the veggies. Some of you will receive baby summer squash or broccoli, but everyone will get a half-head of cabbage to make your favorite coleslaw. Kale is still coming in strong and there will be more basil for you this week as well. There is also another horseradish leaf in each bag. We had a lot of comments on the horseradish pesto, so here is a recipe for creamy kale and horseradish leaf salad:

Creamy Kale Salad with Horseradish Leaf

Ingredients

• 1 bag of kale, washed
• 1 large horseradish leaves, shredded
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp cumin
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and massage with your hands for 1 minute to break down the tough fibres of the kale.
2. Serve just as it is, or add some additional chopped veg if you like, such as tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrot or beetroot, or sprinkle on some sprouts if you have some in too.

All in all, we have another nice mix for you and hope you enjoy the fresh flavors it will bring to your table!

How we make our Ginseng Tea

     Our ginseng tea is something we are pretty proud of. It is made from locally collected wild ginseng leaves, our own lemon balm and Numi organic gunpowder green full-leaf smooth green tea pearls. The health benefits of ginseng tea include a reduced risk of developing cancer, relief from menstrual problems, reduction in obesity, improvement of digestive disorders, and a boosted immune system, as well as improving signs of mental distress, asthma, arthritis, and sexual problems. Ginseng tea is quite popular as a digestive aid and it boosts the immunity levels as well.

     Also, ginseng tea reduces physical and mental distress, and has a relaxing and soothing effect on the body.

     Additional health benefits of ginseng tea include a number of curative and healing properties and are due to the naturally occurring chemicals called  ‘ginsenosides’ that are present in the root, leaves and stems. Our tea is made from only hand-picked leaves.

All ingredients assembled and ready for the mixing bowl

Green Tea Pearls added to the ginseng and lemon balm

Final mix ready for going into jars for airtight storage

     Once the ingredients have been mixed together well, the tea goes into jars for airtight storage and eventually into tea bags we put together here. Each bag makes one pot of tea. Simply let the bag steep in the pot for 6 or 7 minutes and you're ready to cash in all the benefits of this delicious brew.

     One dozen bags of this tea sells for $5.00. We also sell loose tea in bulk if you prefer.

     This tea is not recommended if you are pregnant. It is always a good idea to start slowly as, although very rare, there can be allergic reactions. Start with one cup and if you don't notice any discomfort, then go for it! You'll love what it does for you!

     Call us at 563-568-3829 or email jabbas54@gmail.com if you'd like to improve your health and outlook on life in general by drinking our own Kitchen Table wild ginseng leaf tea for yourself and your family.

     There is another blog post here on the benefits of ginseng and green tea together that goes into much more detail.

     

Come see our new farm store!

We have become a "Point of Sale" farm! As of this moment, we have fresh organic eggs, fresh-ground wheat flour and assorted breads for sale.
One dozen fresh organic eggs - $3.50
Wheat bread - $3.50
White bread - $3.50
Sourdough wheat bread - $3.50
Fresh-ground whole wheat flour - $2.50 per pound
Sourdough starter - $5.00
We have cleaned up the garage and have it set up for selling from there. There is a refrigerator right there for the eggs and anything else we need to keep cool.
If you want fresh-baked bread (or anything else we offer), call us before you come out to see what we have available. That being said, we will ALWAYS have eggs and flour on hand. Can't wait for the produce to start appearing so we can sell that, too. We're not far from being able to offer fresh-picked greens, foraged greens, wild onions and morels! Yes we will be selling morels, so spread the word for us!
We are also beginning the process of corning our own beef brisket today.
Hope to see you soon.

Good Morning, Honey!

We had an unforeseen tragedy in February. With the combination of frigid temperatures and strong west wind that really made the wind chills bad, our remaining beehive froze. Sad as that is, the bees left us a legacy...a SWEET legacy!

We are replacing both hives in a couple of weeks, but it's an expensive proposition. How about a Kitchen Table CSA Honey Share? Call us if you can invest in our honey operation - 563-568-3829 -

The honey is superb (and I'm not just saying that 'cause it's ours)! It has a hint of citrus and berries that is absolutely exquisite! We can't get enough of it on fresh-baked wheat bread toast!

What’s new for 2015

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We are very excited to let you know about a couple of things happening here at the farm for this new season. The first is all about strawberries. We will have a lot more this year than last. There are two varieties and that will increase our harvest time by about three or four weeks, from the first part of June through mid-July. Those of you who hold shares in the CSA will see them in your bags for at least two weeks this year. Those of you who wish to come out and pick or purchase your own berries will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Call us or watch the blog and Facebook for availability.

The second is all about sweet corn. We are field-planting two varieties this year. That will give shareholders lots of fresh sweet corn this year. Again, if you wish to come out and pick or purchase your own, call or check the blog or Facebook pages for availability.

We will have a roadside stand this year, too! Plans at this point are to open the stand from Thursday through Sunday, 7 AM to 7 PM. Breads will be available most days and organic eggs from Blake Family Farms will be available every day.

Greens are being planted in the hoophouse this week…we’ll be having fresh-picked salads in no time!

Watch for the announcement of the foraging workshops, too. That’s not far away either!