Saturday, July 21, 2012

Weekly Newsletter 2

Week of July 15-21, 2012

 Some of you may be wondering if we will have eggs for sale again, and we are so pleased that the answer is yes! A couple weekends ago we received an order of lovely hens from the awesome Dare 2 Dream Farm in Lompoc.  They loaded these ladies up and delivered them right to our door.  They are between 10 and 14 weeks old now and we expect them to start laying sometime in the next couple months.  After being used to farm fresh eggs from pastured chickens it is hard to eat anything else.  And we have been told countless times that the eggs from our hens are the very best. We agree! And are glad that we will have eggs to offer to our members and customers this fall. The demand is so high that we hope to make another order for more hens later this summer.  Thanks to all of you and your participation in our program we are able to continue to invest in our farm for the benefit of our entire community!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma's COUNTERTOP PICKLES

This recipe is for 1 quart of pickles.  It is really easy to multiply it to make multiple quart jars.  The amount of cucumbers depends on the size - around 8-10 medium sized for 1 quart, more if they are smaller, fewer if they are bigger.  If you want to make more in a larger crock or jar but are not sure how to adjust the recipe just measure how much water the container holds.  This will determine how much brine to make, which gives you an idea of how many cucumbers you will need. 

WHAT YOU NEED:
• 8-10 medium sized pickling cucumbers, washed and lightly scrubbed to remove spines.
• 1 clean quart jar or crock with lid       • 1/8 cup pickling (rock) salt         • 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled                    • 2 fat slices of onion                     • 2 dill flowers        
• 2 grape leaves                                   • 1 hot pepper (if desired)             • 1 tsp pickling spices

1. In bottom of jar, place 2 cloves of garlic, 1 onion slice, 1 dill flower, 1 grape leaf and 1/2 of the hot pepper if desired.  
2. Fill jar with cucumbers, standing them up to get as many in the jar as possible.
3. Then add another 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion slice, 1 dill flower, 1 grape leaf and the other 1/2 of the hot pepper on top.  Sprinkle the pickling spices over everything.
4. To make brine, bring 1 quart water, the rock salt and vinegar to a boil.
5. Pour brine into jar over cucumbers.
6.  Cover loosely and let sit on your counter or in your pantry for 10 days to 2 weeks.  Occasionally check pickles and push back into brine.  When pickled to your liking (they will get more sour and less salty over time) Cover tightly and put into fridge.  Good for up to 2 months.

 

 

Rosemary Beet Roesti

 An almost unbelievably sweet and wonderful side dish. The sugar in the beets caramelizes, and the flavors of the rosemary, beets, and butter meld beautifully.

· 1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets
· 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 cup flour
· 2 tablespoons butter

1. Trim the beets and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in a food processor or by hand. Begin preheating a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
 2. Toss the grated beets in a bowl with the rosemary and salt, then add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.
3. Place the butter in the skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape the beet mixture into the skillet, shape it into a nice flat pancake-like circle, and press it down with a spatula. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide the cake out onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and slide the cake back into the pan  (I just used a big spatula and flipped it).  Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the second side is browned. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.


Zucchini Basil Orzo Salad                                                                                                          

This salad was really easy and so fresh and tasty.  We really enjoyed it.

 

Ingredients

·         Coarse salt and ground pepper
·         1 cup orzo
·         Olive oil
·         2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
·         4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
·         1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
·         1 to 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

Directions

1.     In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain well. Rinse with cold water to cool completely.  Put into large bowl and drizzle with about a teaspoon olive oil, mix to coat.
2.     In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add zucchini and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
3.      Add zucchini mixture, basil, vinegar, and remaining teaspoon oil to bowl of orzo. Season with salt and pepper if needed; toss to combine.

No comments:

Post a Comment