Mud Creek Farm CSA

Pick your Own Flowers!

In front of me

Behind me . . .

Ground Cherries- in the Tomatotillo family - sweet/sour - new for us

Fresh basil - making lots of Pesto!

So we joined a CSA- Community Supported Agriculture.  Every week we go to the farm to pick up our share. There are pre-picked things that we go through a line and collect and then there is pick your own out in the fields- so like flowers, Basil, Beans Ground cherries are Pick your own.   As with any growing things we are at the mercy of Nature for how much we get. Will it be hot, Cold, rainy, sunny.  We have had a lot of Swiss Chard, Kale, Kohlrabi.  I would love Beans and squash every week right now- but not really happening. I love the concept, not sure if this is the right place for us or not- need to do more research.  Meanwhile trying to stay on top of eating Fresh from the Farm to our table.

This last week that I went out after work, it had been a heavy rain- torrential downpours of like 2-3 inches in less than an hour.  The  Fields lived up to the name of the farm Mud Creek. While out picking flowers my feet got stuck on more than one occasion and when you are slipping on the mud- it can catch a bad back just off guard and ouch!  The bAsil has been brilliant this year and my freezer if filling with Basil for those winter moments when you just need a little more summer.

Cinnamon Pizza

I guess you could say this is a Chestnut Hill Original.  After a variety of trails it all comes down to this very simple thing.   Pizza dough- store-bought or homemade.  The King Arthur Cinnamon Filling from King Arthur online.   Lastly Cinnamon Sugar.    My kids love this and requested it special this week.. It is vacation week this week and due to circumstances beyond our control we could not travel any where so spent the week at home.  For me it was a lot of cooking, cleaning and laundry as always. I keep thinking I will get those moments to paint, sew, quilt of read but then another crisis  needing to be put out arises. I have however made some of the kids favorite things.

             Cinnamon pizza being one of them.   I spread the dough out in a prepared pan- ( olive oil and some corn meal to prevent sticking)  Then I usually mix 1/2 cup of the cinnamon filling dry with 2 Tablespoons of water and spread it all over the dough.  Them simply top it with cinnamon sugar - like you would put on toast.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 min, cut, serve and watch it disappear.
         

        So no this is not garden related but we did eat it outside.  Yes I have missed posting but we did cut through the internet cable to the house on a Pond project so we were off the grid so to speak for several days.  Get out and enjoy the remaining Summer days - they are fleeting.

Making a Fritatta - for my kids . . . .on Friday!

So for my out of town kiddo that wants to cook . . . here is a simple thing you can do - that most always turns out great. Vary what you put in it. If you do not have cast iron then use a casserole and just bake it from the start. Good luck and enjoy!

Cast Iron works best because it can safely go in the oven too, saute up whatever veggies you want to put in it.

This is like 6 eggs but the amount can vary on how many people are eating it. I did not use any milk but you can.  I did use some salt and generous pepper. Pour the egg over the filling. ( could add cheese here)  Besides veggies and meat you can put in rice or other as well. Pretty much any thing goes. Heat it on the stovetop until the edges set.

Put into the oven 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes until you can see that the whole thing is set.

Cut, serve and enjoy!!! Two will never be the same most likely.  Leftover Fritatta - is also good warmed up .

Easter 2014

the bunny came!

Asparagus Cheese Tart

Doughnut Bread Pudding

After dinner walk in nearby park- on a ridge Trail

Eggs 2014

Love all the bright colors!!

  A few of the things that made Easter special.  We stayed home and caught up on some much needed yard work, some had not had attention for well over a year. We searched for Easter baskets, dyed eggs, went to church and Maundy Thursday  service, had a brunch and went for a nice walk afterward, it was close to 80 that day and as i write this- we are expecting snow overnight . . . .will it ever end???  Hoping that everyone enjoyed Easter  and all the joy that it brings with it.

Maple Maple Maple

" Before the budswells, before the grass springs, before the plow is started, comes the sugar harvest.  It is the sequel of the bitter frost; a sap run is the sweet goodby of winter" 

John Burroughs

So for maybe 4-5 years now we have been tapping trees and making our own Syrup. We usually get between 1-2 gallons  of Syrup - 40-80 gallons of Sap, we just can it in Jam jars in different quantities. We all have our jobs in the  process.  Tapping, collecting sap daily 1 or 2x. Boiling the sap down, finishing it off, canning it, and of course baking with it and consuming it!  Fresh Maple Syrup on good vanilla Ice Cream just can't be beat!!!  Get out and find your local Maple Farmer if you live in the Northeast.  Yum Yum Yum!!!  One of our favorite spring family  traditions!!!

Maple Weekend Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast

ScouterDan

Well it has been busy times here at Chestnut Hill.  Last weekend was Pancake Breakfast fundraiser Sat. / Sunday I worked 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM both days.  This is one of our major Fundraisers for the Troop and a lot of work.  We had good success despite the snowstorm on Sunday that dropped 10 inches and made roads very difficult to travel.  I work in the kitchen keeping the pancake batter mixed, sausages to be ready to bake and general clean up  . . .  My husband flips the flapjacks and boys usually work the serving line or are runners with food from kitchen to line.  Many Hands make light work and that is what makes this work.

Friday's Food . . . Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread . . . .

So this is simply made with a sweet yeast risen dough.  Any favorite recipe will do. When a yeast dough is sweet it usually has sugar, eggs, and butter in it. Often Milk and sometimes vanilla.  So, my favorite recipe is out of the Fanny Farmer Baking cookbook that my Maid of Honor gave me when  I got married.  You make the base dough and turn it into sticky buns, kuchen, Cinnamon rolls etc.... or in this case Cinnamon Pull apart Bread.

• Make the dough , after the first rise, roll it out in to a rectangle. 
•  Rub butter all over the surface or brush on melted butter,  then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.  
• Next using your Pizza cutter cut your rectangle into 2-2.5 inch strips vertically then make similar cuts horizontally until you have squares or rectangles.
• Pick up 4 and stack them and place in your well greased Bread pan, into 2 rows. 
• Set pan in a warm place and let it rise again.
• Bake as directed by your base dough,  usually 30-35 min at 350 degrees or until golden brown.
• Remove from pan and enjoy while warm

A couple of basic Yeast Sweet Dough recipes are as follows:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basic-sweet-roll-dough-recipe.html

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-sweet-dough/print

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7h7bg4fx/basic-sweet-yeast-dough.html   - this one makes a lot of dough- probably 2 of these.  Amount of flour tells you how much you are making, this one has 8-10 cups of Flour, standard is closer to 4-6 cups.

Comfort Foods . . .

            Back in January we had a discussion at the table about what our comfort foods were. . . . . Those foods that wrap you in a hug and tell you that everything is going to be ok.  Those foods that you make after a long day, long week or bad news. Here is what we came up with here at Chestnut Hill . . .  What are your comfort foods?


Toasted Cheese and Tomato Soup
French Toast
Pizza
Homemade Oatmeal with Milk
Pasta with Parmesan Cheese
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Scrambled Eggs and Toast
Roasted Corn ( on the campfire)
Cheese and crackers - any kind of either will do
Crusty Bread with butter
Grilled Hamburger
Crisp Apples
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk

Oatmeal with Maple Syrup

Brie Bites for Friday's Food . . . .

Well these are as simple as can be and were introduced to me by my friend Vicki.  Start with Filo Shells from the freezer section. Next cut off small pieces of your favorite Brie, put the cheese in the shell top with Jam- I used Peach but you could use a variety of flavors . . . then add a Pecan half - Bake at like 400-425 for 5-7 min - until cheese starts to melt.  Remove and drizzle with a little bit of honey . . . pop in  your mouth for untold goodness. I served them recently when a friend came for lunch and again at a family Birthday gathering that we hosted.

    If you have not used Filo shells before - they are very versatile, dessert filled with pudding or fruit and many savory options. . . .

Whats Happening on the Hill ?

                Well life is as full as ever. We have 2 kids that are in the college application process, one as a freshman and one as a Jr. transfer student. That means we as parents are busy with FASFA forms . . . So essay proof reading, support, application fees . . . mid-terms, starting a new semester, buying books . . .all are part of everyday life right now.

                  The weather here on the hill can best be described as blustery and bone chilling. We have had so very many days that start below zero with wind chills in the -25 region than I can remember. Living on a hill the snow is driven across the yard and drifts in to the driveway. Some years we put up a snow fence but it does not really help all that much. The wood stove is warm and cozy but the almost 200 year old house is very drafty. This time of year it is good to be the knitter and quilter in the house. Everyone needs or wants something.

Seasonal decorating keeps us inspired, this has now changed to red and valentines :> :>

Our feathered friends are gracing our feeders and we try to be diligent about keeping them in food and water. This is a white breasted Nuthatch.  They love to cache seeds that they take from the feeders.

This is a rosy breasted Nuthatch, smaller but still a lovely bird.

This is our old wood stove, it is an Irish wood cook stove and it came with the house.  The large door on the right is the oven. The firebox for wood is the small door on the upper left.   We cook on the top - great for stews and soups and we cook in it. Wood heat is such a comforting heat.  We do thankfully have alternative heat - baseboard hot water especially with this winter, but the first year we were here - this was all that we had.  There was many a night coming home from work to sit in my coat, sipping hot cocoa and watching my cold breath.

We have been having a lot of fun listening to  and following the Syracuse Orange Basketball Team.  They are 24-0 right now and every game is a close one.  Because of our rural area we only get one TV station and it does not have SU basket ball or the Olympics- boo hoo but we are trying to make do with using the computer.

 So that is a little picture of everyday life here on the Hill.