Roast LAMB

I am so looking forward to tonight's dinner. My entire house smells like garlic, olive oil and rosemary and I wouldn't have it any other way. Fresh lamb leg roasted with have a bulb of garlic and lots and lots of frozen rosemary (courtesy of the 12 inches of snow outside). I'm serving the local free ranged lamb with roasted rutabaga, sweet potatoes and broccoli. I also made something that is a mix between pita, naan and pizza loaded with olive oil, rosemary, pink Himilayan salt, and garlic.

Here's what I did.

1 leg of lamb
1/2 bulb garlic
3 long springs of rosemary (Enough for about 3 Tbs chopped)
olive oil
pink Himalayan salt
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Smash about 3/4 of the garlic and all of the rosemary with morter and pestal. Whip in about 1/4 cup olive oil. Rub leg with mixture until well covered. Make several slits in meat, insert remaining garlic bulbs. Split in half in necessary. Roast in oven for 30 minutes at 400, reduce to 350 and cook another hour. Let set for 15-20 minutes before slicing. BOOM.

Oatmeal Pumpkin cookies

When the weather starts to get chilly, I turn to creature comforts: moccasins, extra blankets, coffee (even more than usual), hot tea, and FOOD. Tonight I made a really great, lean dinner and I was left with a craving for sweets. I'm not a "sweets" person. In fact, I blame my husband for me eating any sweets at all. Sure, holiday sweets or the occasional summer ice cream, but I used to be the type of person to pass on birthday cake. Not anymore. After 13 years of feeding my husband's sweet tooth, I've kind of developed one of my own.

So tonight I wanted cookies. I had a little Cinderella pumpkin just waiting to be used, so I decided on Oatmeal Pumpkin cookies and threw some raisins and cranberries in there. To use an old friend's favorite saying, they are thebomb dot com.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 Tbs. oil
4 Tbs. apple sauce
1 cup shredded fresh pumpkin or winter squash
1 to 1 1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 c raisins (optional)
1/4 c dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine wet ingredients, including sugar. In seperate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. Spoon onto baking sheet and bake 16-18 minutes.

Healthy "Oatmeal Cookies"

I'm not the type of mom to try to pull one over on my kids, but... Maybe I have by accident with this recipe. I make these little biscuits that I refer to as cookies... They look like cookies, taste like a yummy snack, but are devoid of the copious amounts of butter and refined sugar that you get in a "regular" cookie. They are the perfect finger food, great for snacks, breakfast, or whenever.

Healthy Breakfast "Cookies"

2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup apple sauce
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour or spelt flour
1 tsp cinnamon or five spice powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup raisins, cranberries, or chopped prunes
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, spice, and oats in medium mixing bowl or kitchen aid mixer. Mix in remaining ingredients until a stiff but pliable batter is formed. If too stiff, add more apple sauce. If too runny, add more flour and oats.

Drop by the tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Cook 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Healthy, Everyday Pancakes

I make pancakes for my three year old all the time. She loves them. She likes it when I make shapes and faces out of the dough. I've done some pretty creative designs--a flower, Diego, hearts, smiley faces, Mickey, etc. They rarely look like what they're supposed to, but it doesn't matter, she loves them. We top our pancakes with plain, whole cow's milk yogurt and/or pure maple syrup. If I'm feeling adventurous I'll make a fruit dressing for them, but mostly we're purists here.

This recipe is fluid. In fact, I've made it so many times, I don't measure anymore. Experiment with ingredients you like. Sometimes I add nuts, seeds, or fruit, sometimes not. You can substitute cow's milk for almond milk, if you would like. We cut cow's milk out a while ago. As a nursing mom to a babe with food irritations, I avoid most cow's milk products, with the exception of yogurt. I've even substituted water for almond milk and cut out the egg, so that my 7 month can enjoy some finger food. The basic proportions are what are important, experiment!

Pancakes are a great finger food to keep on hand. I usually make 4-6" pancakes for my daughter's breakfast, then a series of 2" medallions to keep in the frig. She snacks on them throughout the day.

Easy, Everyday Pancakes

1 cup flour (Preferably organic spelt or white whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole grains (old fashioned oats)
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup almond milk, cow's milk or water

Add-ons
2 Tbs. nuts, seeds or dried fruit (chia, flax, cranberries, raisins, walnuts, etc) (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 egg (optional)


I start by placing the uncooked oats into a bowl and pouring the boiling water over them. Let them sit while you get the rest of the ingredients ready. Mix the flour with the baking soda and salt so there are no lumps. Add the nuts or seeds and mix. Add the almond milk and the egg, if using. Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in the soaked oats.

The viscosity of the mix will depend on which ingredients you use. For instance, if you did not use the egg, you may need to add more liquid. If the mixture is too thin, add more flour. If the mixture is too thick, add more almond milk.

Rosemary Soft-Pretzels (Whole Wheat) (Vegan)

We weren't feeling well today so I decided that some old-fashioned chicken noodle soup was in order but we needed something else to lighten up the day and make things more exciting. So, I decided that the perfect accompaniment would be big, chewy, salty soft pretzels. I looked at two recipes for inspiration, two peas & their pods and Will Cook for Smiles. Both had the same great ideas, but I needed to make some slight variations, as I wouldn't be using eggs nor would I be using sugar.

Rosemary Soft Pretzels

For dough:
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp yeast
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp maple syrup
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh Rosemary, chopped finely

For topping:
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh rosemary, chopped finely

Additional:
1 large pot of boiling water with 3 Tbs of baking soda in it

Throw the ingredients for the dough into kitchen mixer and mix on low for two minutes. Continue to beat on med-high for an additional 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out and form into pretzel shapes on parchment covered baking sheets. Allow to rise for an additional 20-30 minutes. (Note: the pretzel will rise a good amount still, so when forming them you may want to keep this in mind or you could get pretzel rolls).

Boil each pretzel for 1-2 minutes on each side in the pot of water with baking soda in it. Remove from water, brush with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt and additional rosemary on top. Bake at 450 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.

The Perfect Tomato Sandwich (Vegan Optional)

Aahhhh... In a perfect world, I would eat a tomato sandwich every day. The chewyness of homemade bread, the fresh tomato bursting with awesome old-fashioned tangy fruity flavor, the creaminess of the mayo and a little heat from the fried hot peppers that top it. I am salivating just thinking about it. So, everyone has ideas on what makes the perfect tomato sandwich, I'm not knocking yours, I'm just telling you mine. You can do these vegan or not. You can use any tomatoes, but they really should be homegrown and/or heirloom to get the best flavors. Today I used Constolato Genovese and Paul Robensons. I really like these two varieties because they both have a deep, striking tomato flavor that I can not get enough of.

Since my tomatoes have been ripening in my garden, this is what I've been eating everyday.

The Perfect Tomato Sandwich (vegan optional)

1-2 Heirloom Tomatoes
2 slices of crusty homemade bread, whole grain or whole wheat
1-2 Tbs Vegenaise or homemade mayonnaise (recipe to follow)
2-4 slices of fried peppers (recipe to follow)



Slather both sides of bread with mayo, stack the tomatoes high and place the peppers on top. Repeat several times. Slice sandwiches in half, sit down and enjoy!


Homemade Mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups oil (olive oil, canola, peanut)

 Whip the egg yolks, vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl, slowly add the oil while continuously whipping until the desired texture is formed. Alternatively, add the first 4 ingredients into a food processor, turn it on and slowly drizzle the oil in until the desired texture is formed.

Italian Fried Mangoes (Peppers)

1-2 pounds banana peppers (we use Hungarian Wax), sliced in half with seeds and stems removed
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Kosher salt

Over low-med heat, toss the peppers with oil and fry until they begin to soften. Do not turn the heat up too much or they will cook unevenly. After they begin to soften, add the two cloves of garlic and the Kosher salt liberally. Cook for a few more minutes until tender. Remove and eat copious amounts with every meal.

Tropical smoothies

It's going to be 97 degrees today and so Ellie and I wanted to start the day off with something like and refreshing. We have a plethora of fruit that is on the verge of being overripe sitting around (pineapple, mango, coconut, avocados, apples), so I'm thinking smoothies for the next week! I am also coming off my month long vegan adventure and missing my plain organic yogurt pretty bad, so it's a perfect match. No, plain soy yogurt did not cut it. The shakes I made today were incredible! I can't wait for the rest of the week.


Tropical Smoothies

1/2 c fresh pineapple
1/2 mango
3/4 c fresh coconut water
3/4 c yogurt
1 cardamom pod

Crack the cardamom pod with a mortar and pestle. Remove green shell. Grind spice very finely. Add all ingredients in blender and purée.

Veganism and the end of the world

So, after watching the much acclaimed Forks Over Knives, my husband and I made a pack to go vegan for a month. We started a couple weeks ago and we love it! I honestly thought it would be ridiculously difficult, (my first thought was, "what can I eat???"). In fact, that is the single most asked question, "Sooooo.... what do you eat?"

Its kind of bizarre that our society's diet is comprised so completely of meat products. In fact, when I first started this I thought I would be living on rice and salad for a month. It seemed everything I thought to make had eggs or cheese or meat in it. But the truth is, save a big slab of meat, you can cook pretty much any dish you love vegan. I've made sushi, some awesome curries, potato salad and sandwhiches, indian dahl, pasta dishes to die for, vegan enchiladas (recipe to come), thai spring rolls and some awesome stir-fries. It has been an adventure finding new dishes to "veganize".

The hardest part for me was to give up eggs. I get beautiful farm fresh eggs delivered every Friday and eat them usually every other day for breakfast. But, I've made do with some bomb oatmeal (yes, oatmeal can be bomb) and other tasties like fried polenta and tofu scrambles for breakfast that don't leave me wishing for eggs at all.

Not only are we interested in going vegan but we've cut out highly processed food.  I make my own whole wheat bread so we still have that, but have cut out most other processed foods, like sugar. We're using maple syrup for any sweetener we want. Also, we cut out coffee.... aaaahhhhh! No, don't stop reading, we aren't crazy! We still treat ourselves to soymilk lattes here and there, but are not making it every day. We've replaced it with green tea. The caffeine swap was more difficult than the food swap.

We've noticed that since we're eating a mainly whole foods diet that we are not as hungry as we were before (booyah!). We've also noticed we have more energy and our moods are better regulated. Now, that may not be from our food choices, but I believe it has a major part in it.

So, I strongly suggest you throw some vegan dishes into your regular diet. Considering we just got our order of free-ranged chickens from a local farm here, I don't think we'll stay completely vegan, but you never know. I am really really digging this diet and how I feel and look!

Leeky Ramp Soup

We collected wild leeks this weekend and made a delectable ramp soup. The sun was shining but the wind had a chill to the air--this soup and a baked potato with some plain yogurt and sliced leeks made a great dinner.


Easy Ramp Soup

2 large bunches wild leeks (this should produce about 1 1/2 cups chopped bulbs and 2 cups chopped leafy greens)
4 cups homemade stock
2 slices organic free ranged smoked bacon (optional)
1 onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the leafy tops off of the ramps and set aside. Chop and sauté the bacon with the chopped onion and chopped leek bulbs (the white fleshy parts). When the plants are translucent and the bacon crisped, add the stock. Allow to cook for some time, about 20 minutes, then chop and add the leafy green tops. Cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste. That's it!

whole wheat power pancakes

I made these for my daughter this morning and she loved them! I like mine topped with plain yogurt, my husband likes
maple syrup and Ellie takes both.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup thick cut oats
1 1/2-2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 mashed banana
1 egg
2 Tbs. flaxseeds

The batter is pretty thick, so you don't need a lot. Makes about 8 nice sized pancakes.

Citrus Coconut Layer Cake

I went on a run the other day. I ran 7.5 miles in the rain and almost collapsed from exhaustion. However, not before I devoured a piece of this completely decedent cake that my husband and I baked. There is nothing healthy about this cake, I didn't use whole wheat flour or cut out the processed sugar as I usually do. However, the taste and texture of this little piece of heaven was well worth it.

That said, there are some things I would change: I would not make the butter-cream icing again. It was much too rich for my tastes.


Citrus Coconut Layer Cake

The Layers:
1 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
6 eggs
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 Tbs orange rind
1 tsp. lemon rind
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 c shredded coconut

The Citrus Curd: 
2 Tbs. tapioca flour (or cornstarch)
cold water
2 eggs
rind of one lemon
fresh orange juice
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
6 Tbs. butter (softened)

For the Frosting:
1/2 c unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
rind of 1 lemon
6-8 Tbs of fresh orange juice
1/2-1 c shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour three cake pans. Sift flour and salt together and set aside.

Place 6 eggs in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Beat with an electric mixer until frothy, then add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and beat until mixture doubles in volume (about 10 minutes).

Remove from sauce pan, fold in orange rind, lemon rind, lemon juice and coconut. Fold in the sifted flour until mixture is smooth. Divide among the three cake pans and bake until it pulls away from the sides, about 20 minutes. Let stand and then transfer to a cooling rack.

In a medium mixing bowl, blend the tapioca flour and a little cold water to dissolve. Whisk in 2 eggs and set aside.

Combine lemon rind, orange juice, water, sugar and butter. Bring mixture to a boil and whisk in the egg/tapioca flour mixture. Whisk until thick, five minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon rind and orange juice until you obtain a thick, spreadable icing.

Arrange the layers, spreading the citrus curd in between each layer. Cover the cake with the frosting and lightly press the shredded coconut onto the tops and sides.

Yummy Naan bread

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
4 Tbs melted butter or oil
1 1/2 kefir, yogurt or buttermilk
2 Tbs water

Mix by hand or in mixer for 10 minutes. Allow to rise until doubled more than 1 1/2 hrs. Punch down and divide into 16 pieces, roll out into pancake shapes, brush with melted butter and bake at 475 for 6-8 minutes.

Whole wheat French Bread

It worked! Got a French bread loaf that was healthy and full of whole wheat, but light and crusty like French bread. Here it is:

1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 c Unbleached flour
4 tsp vital wheat gluten
1 3/4 c warm water
1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp salt
3 Tbs oil


Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix in half of flour, salt and oil until well blended. Gradually add remaining flour. Knead by hand or in mixer for ten minutes. Allow to rise in an oiled dish covered, until doubled. Punch down and allow to rise again. Punch down and form two small loaves or one large loaf. Leave to rise on parchment paper sprinkled well with cornmeal. Preheat oven and baking stone to 500 degrees. Place a pan underneath stone. Once risen and preheated, carefully slide bread to stone, throw a cup of water in the pan and close the oven door. Turn heat down to 425 and bake for 30 or until golden brown on top and hollow when tapped on bottom.

Healthier Banana Muffins

I had a bunch of bananas past their prime and so i set out to make a healthy alternative to banana bread. I took King Arthur Flour's Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread and cut out the -gasp!- stick of butter, then added some other tasty treats and baked muffins instead of bread. I was pretty happy how these muffins turned out and Ellie ate four of them in a few hours, so I think I scored! Here's the recipe:

Ellie's Banana Muffins

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs veg oil
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)
1/4 cup wheat germ

Baked in muffin pan at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until baked through and browned at the top.

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

I love cranberry sauce and this super easy recipe gives a fun (and healthy) twist to traditional cranberry sauce.

1 12oz bag cranberries
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2-1 1/2 c sugar, depending on taste
1 heaping cup of pomegranate seeds

Keep the cranberries, juice and sugar at a lite boil for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in the Pom seeds.... Wonderful!

Perfect Rye bread

The last rye bread I made was dense and flat. It was great for hummus and spreads, but it didn't have the springy texture that I love in slicing bread. So I took a recipe for Eastern European rye bread and modified it to ensure I'd get the proper rise, thus texture I was looking for. It was super easy and really enjoyable.


Rye Bread Recipe

2 Tbs active dry yeast
2 3/4 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1/4 cup of softened butter
3 cups of rye flour
2 tablespoons of finely ground caraway seeds (use a coffee grinder)
1 1/2 tablespoons of caraway seeds
5 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
8 tsp vital wheat gluten

Take a large bowl and coat the sides with butter. Combine water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for about 5 mins. Add salt, butter and stir in the 3 cups of rye flour, the ground caraway seeds and the whole caraway seeds. Then add the regular flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for 15 mins in mixer.

First Rise: Form the dough into a ball and coat with a light layer of olive oil. Then place the dough back into the mixing bowl and oiled plastic wrap. Let rise for until twice the volume (about 1.5 hours).

Second Rise: Deflate and turn it over and form into a ball and let it rise again for 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.

Shaping and Final Rise :

I shaped mine into two large boules.
Cover with a lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rest till dough doubles in volume. (30 mins)

Glaze
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon of cold water
Caraway Seeds (optional)
Coarse Sea Salt (optional)

Mix the eggwhite and water and using a pastry brush, coat the top sides of the dough. Sprinkle with caraway seeds or salt. Then take a sharp knife and make 4-5 slashes across the top.

Baking The Bread
Heat oven to 425. Place a shallow pan on the bottom shelf of your oven.

1) Open and place the baking sheet with the bread dough into the oven and close the door.
2) Quickly pour the water into the pan and close the oven door to trap the steam.

Bake at 425F for 30 mins, then reduce the temp to 375F and bake for 10-15mins longer or until the internal temp is 200F. Allow to cool for 20 mins before enjoying. For long term storage, allow to cool a few hours ,then seal in a ziplock bag and freeze.

Mother Earth News Magazine

In our early twenties, my husband and I began subscribing to Mother Earth News magazine while living in a little condo in downtown Denver, CO. While we diligently maintained our balcony container garden and sold our cars to reduce our fossil fuel usage, we dreamed of the day we’d be able to buy our own home, raise chickens and have a garden to grow more veggies than we could eat.

Our dream of buying a home came true when we moved closer to our families in Pennsylvania. This is the fourth year at our home, but the thrill and excitement of knowing that we own a little plot of land is still with us. But by little, I’m talking .24 acres little. No fields and woods for chickens to roam, no barn for our would-be goats and cow. Instead, our house is sandwiched in town, where you can hear the neighbor’s television and see the glow from Wal-mart’s 24 hour shoppers… But in our yard, we’ve created a little piece of heaven. Our grass may not always look manicured, but we have managed to provide all of the vegetables our family of three needs for the year. After the grass fed beef, chicken (plus eggs!) and pork we purchase from local farmers, we have just about everything we need. We are not completely sustainable—I still purchase approximately $50/month of goods from the supermarket—but we’re so much closer to being independent and that makes us happy.

This year, we have grown enough for us to enjoy (plus much more to can and freeze!) the following:

Lettuce (several varieties, including Buttercrunch, Romaine and Looseleaf)

Spinach

Bok Choy (several varieties)

Red Onions

Yellow Onions

Perennial Onions

Garlic

Beets

Turnips

Daikon

Radishes

Kale (several varieties)

Collards

Green Beans

Yellow Beans

Cowpeas

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Tomatoes (over thirty plants, most heirlooms)

Tomatillos

Okra

Peppers (over thirty plants, most heirlooms)

Winter Squash (Several varieties)

Lima Beans

Yard long Beans

Parsley

Basil

Rosemary

Oregano

Marjorem

Thyme

Sage

Peppermint

Spearmint

Lemon Balm

Apples

Rhubarb

Additionally we picked locally eight quarts of strawberries for jam and to freeze. I plan on picking other fruits to supplement our inventory. 

The Mother Earth News fair at Seven Springs Resort is coming up in September again and we are once again looking forward to it. Thank you MEN for inspiring our lifestyle!

Hot buns!

Here is a recipe for easy, quick homemade hamburger or hotdog buns. Made these with our organic, grass-fed local beef burgers last night.

Quick buns

1 1/4 c warm water
1/4 c half and half
1/4 c melted butter
1 c white whole wheat flour
3 1/2 c bread flour
2 Tbs instant yeast
1 Tbs honey
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine water, butter, honey, half & half in your kitchen aid mixer. Beat in egg plus two cups flour, yeast and salt. Then add the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix on 4 (med) for 5 minutes until smooth. Divide dough into 12 pieces and form into buns. Let rise on baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 45 mins or until doubled. Bake @400 degrees for 8-9 minutes. 

You can also brush tops with an eggwash to glaze. I did not.

Seedlings!

I started seedlings this year February 4th. I'm in Zone 5 and that is about 13 weeks before our last frost here. This should show you what kind of winter I'm having--it is the first in a long time that I can not wait for Spring to come. I started the 2/4 seedlings early for two reasons: 1) One variety actually needed planted that early 2) I just wanted to see some green.

So far, this is what I've started:

February 4, 2011:
Aji Dulce Peppers- 111 days. (green > orange-red > red) [Heirloom from Venezuela] For those who like the flavor and aroma of Habanero peppers but find them too hot. Aji Dulce has the same shape, size, color and aroma of Habanero, but is sweet, spicy, and delicious, with only a trace of heat. The fruits are highly aromatic and the flavor is unusual and complex, with overtones of black pepper and coriander, and undertones of other spicy flavors. Aji Dulce is an excellent choice for saut?ed vegetables, rice and bean dishes, paprika, or herbal vinegars. The thin-walled pendant fruits are 2" long and 1" wide, tapering at both the stem and blossom end.. Plants have good foliage cover and bear at 18" high. Seedlings are slow growing at first, but grow rapidly later in the season. 70% germination. First time grown.

Marconi Peppers- 75-90 days. Prolific Italian heirloom prized for its gigantic sweet red fruits. Delicious 12" long peppers are excellent eaten fresh or fried. 70-90 days from transplant. 40% germination. Tasty peppers, no bigger than 6-8 inches in yrs past, not extremely productive for me.

Brandywine Tomatoes- 90 days. 1885 Amish Heirloom. Winner of countless taste tests. Heavy producer of big, boat-shaped, beefsteak fruits. Tempting pink-red color, 1- to 1 1/2-lb. size and rich, creamy aftertaste. Indeterminate. 100% germination. No previous luck, blight yr 1, rodents yr 2.

Black Krim Tomatoes- 80 days. This unique heirloom variety is considered one of the best “black” tomatoes around. Indeterminate plants produce large, 6-in. fruits that weigh 10-16 oz. each. Heat-tolerant, Black Krim’s color deepens as the summer temperatures rise. Rich, slightly salty flavor makes them an ideal addition to salads. Great for fresh eating, too! 100% germination. First time grown.

I chose to start these four varieties because the Aji Dulce demanded it at 111 days and because in years past, my Marconies and Brandywines haven't started producing until September.

February 11, 2011:
Aci Sivri Peppers- 75 days. A centuries old Turkish heirloom. Each plant produces dozens of slender, curved spicy peppers averaging 7” in length. Exceptionally high yielding and trouble free even in Northern areas where it’s often difficult to produce a large pepper crop. Ripening to a shiny crimson, these can be strung for a lovely ristra. Temperatures are only moderately hot making this a very versatile pepper for kitchen use. Originally brought to Nichols Garden Nursery by a returning Peace Corps volunteer.

Jalepeno Peppers

Orange Bell Peppers

African Fish Peppers- 75 days. Very unusual and ornamental pepper plant is variegated both on the foliage and the peppers themselves. Both leaves and fruit are striped with creamy white and green, with the peppers eventually turning orange-red. Very hot fruit, 1 to 2 in. long, was used to season fish and shellfish in the African-American communities around Baltimore and Philadelphia back in the 1930's and 1940's. Plants are attractive enough just to be used as ornamentals, but peppers are prized for use in cooking. 0% germination TD, very prolific, beautiful. Excellent medium hot pepper, fresh or dried.

Wisconsin Lake Peppers- Sweet Red.


February 22, 2011:
Orange Nebraska Wedding Tomatoes- 105 days. An old Great Plains heirloom reintroduced! Produces huge, globe-shaped fruits of a deep orange color, weighing up to 10 oz. each. Vigorous plants yield a heavy, concentrated set of fruit. Not grown before.

Polish Linguisa Tomatoes- 73 days. Plant produces excellent yields of 10 oz red tomatoes. Tomatoes are very sweet and are more productive than most heirloom varieties. These huge sausage shaped tomatoes are excellent for making paste and sauce. A heirloom variety from New York, USA dating back to the 1800's. Not grown before.

Blueberry Pie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I made this wonderful dessert for my husband's birthday this past weekend. Here are the recipes:

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cupsugar
• 2 tablespoons peach preserves (got this from Alton Brown's recipe)
• 1  vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight.

Remove the hull of the bean. Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer for 30 minutes. Spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

Blueberry Pie


Filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 c tapioca flour
• 1/4 c AP flour
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 4 cups blueberries
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pie crust:
2 1/2 c AP flour
2 1/2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
7 Tbs lard, chilled
3 Tbs butter, chilled
5-7 tablespoons ice water


To make the crust, in a large food mixer, stir together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Work the butter in, on "sitr" level, until pea-sized lumps form. Sprinkle in the water, 1 tbsp. at a time, and adding only enough of the water to form a rough mass. Form into two balls and refrigerate for about 20 mins before rolling out. Lay one 12 in round of crust for bottom. Meanwhile, mix together ingredients for filling and transfer to the pie. Place the other 12 in round pastry on top and pinch sides to close. Make appropriate slits to allow air release.