Peanut Brittle.

We had a few last little gifts to finish in addition to our other hand made goodies. I saw a recipe for microwave peanut brittle on the Full Circle blog so we had to try it. It is a great recipe, easy to make, easy to clean up, and tastes amazing.

We made the brittle, let it cool, broke into pieces, and put it in small goodie bags. YUM.
For the recipe, visit here.



Ingredient tip:
Those of you who have read the Omnivore's Dilemma will know what I mean when I say we like to avoid regular corn syrup. If you are avoiding genetically engineered ingredients or GMO corn products, then try Organic Light Corn Syrup - it is made from GMO-free organic corn and is produced without chemicals or additives.

ginger spice cake.

We baked a cake yesterday - a spice cake. The smell is amazing and it is so very moist. The crystallized ginger really adds a great texture and flavor-mmm.


ingredients::
1 c vegetable oil
1 c cane sugar
1 c unsulphured molasses
3-4 Tbsp minced crystallized ginger
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
3 c whole wheat white flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or mix of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp finely ground sea salt

1 c water
1 Tbsp baking soda

directions::
Butter a 9 x 13 cake pan (I used a large star pan). Preheat the oven to 325º.

In a big bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, molasses, and crystallized ginger. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth and creamy.

In a second bowl, mix the flour, spices and salt together. Stir the molasses mixture into the flour mixture until combined.

In a small pan on the stove, boil the water. Remove it from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Stir the hot water into the batter until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake in the middle rack of the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean - about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool before serving with something yummy like organic egg nog ice cream or sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mix.



Ingredient tip:
Use Celtic Sea Salt instead of processed salt - it adds minerals and trace elements that are just not in regular salt. I like Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt. Be sure to buy the more rocky salt - it retains more moisture (and more nutrients) and you can simply grind a little at a time with a mortar and pestle as you need it!

and...more cookies.

Yes, more cookies. It is that time of year, and today we had a few families from our playgroup over. SO we baked more cookies and made yummy key lime tartlets. These cookies are nice-not too much sugar yet they are soft and creamy. My photo is not the best since I forgot to take a picture until after everyone left tonight so the lighting is...well...but they are yummy!

ingredients::
1 c. butter
3 oz. organic cream cheese
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel (be sure to use an organic lemon when using peel!)
2 c flour (I used a thick ground organic whole wheat white)

directions::
Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl or kitchen aid. Stir in the sugar and then the lemon peel. Slowly add the flour. Cover and put in the fridge for an hour or two to firm up.

Preheat 375º

Roll dough into 1" balls (about 1 Tbsp). Dip them into a little bit of cane sugar. Then place on cookie sheet. Stamp the cookies down with a potato masher/meat mallet/fork to pattern.

Bake 7-9 minutes until the cookies are set but before they get brown. Cool on a rack. Makes about 4 dozen.



Ingredient Tip: Use organic butter which is from pasture/grass fed cows. This butter is much more nutrient rich and has many things our bodies need!

sunny butter cookies.

These little cookies are just right for Winter Solstice. The orange yolks and golden butter make the cookies a rich color - nice and sunny. We used sun and moon cookie cutters.

ingredients:
3 c leveled all-purpose flour
1 c confectioners' sugar
1 c (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg wash, (optional): 1 large egg white, beaten with 2 tsp water
Decorating sugar (decorating, cane, turbinado or demerara all would work)

directions:

Put the flour, sugar, butter, and salt in the food processor and process until mixture is the texture of coarse meal.

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and vanilla together. Then, with motor running, add it to the mixture in the food processor. Process just until a dough forms.

Preheat oven to 350º.

For rolled cookies: Divide dough in half; form into two 1/2-inch-thick disks. Wrap in plastic; chill until it is firm, at least 1 hour.

• When chilled - On a piece of floured waxed paper, roll out a disk and using floured cutters cut dough into your shapes and transfer to baking sheets. Re-chill rolled-out dough if difficult to work with. To decorate the cookies - brush with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar crystals.

For sliced cookies: Divide dough in half; form into two logs. Wrap in plastic; chill until it is firm, at least 1 hour.

• When chilled, remove dough from wrapper. Brush on egg wash, and roll dough in sugar crystals. Using a sharp knife, cut slices from the roll every 1/4-1/2". Place rounds on cookie sheet-brush the wash on the top of the cookie for a glaze, if desired.

(We made 2 disks and 1 roll with our batch)

Bake until edges are firm (not brown), 15 to 18 minutes. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on the baking sheets, and then cool completely on wire racks.


Isn't the color amazing? Using local eggs with the super intense orange yolks and the most creamy yellow local butter just made these cookies POP. And they are so good-they melt in your mouth.

candied orange peel.

Looking for yummy gifts to make for the holidays? This candied orange peel is a nice gift for Christmas or as a Solstice treat. The intense orange flavor is amazing!

Candied Orange Peel
From Carole Bloom’s Truffles, Candies, & Confections
Yield: 5-6 cups

6 to 8 large, thick-skinned organic oranges
6 cups organic cane sugar
1/4 cup orange flavored liquor or OJ

1. Slice the ends off the oranges and discard. Cut the oranges into quarters, then cut off all but 1/2 inch of the pulp, which keeps the peel from becoming bitter as it cooks. Cut the quarters into thin slices.

2. Place the orange slices in a 6-quart saucepan and cover with cold water. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain off the water and repeat this process with fresh cold water two more times.

3. After the third boil, drain the orange slices, rinse them in cold water, and remove any pulp that is still attached. In the saucepan, combine the orange slices, 3 cups of the sugar, and the orange liqueur, and cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Continue to cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently. Most of the sugar will be absorbed by the peel as it cooks. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately begin the next step.

4. Place the remaining 3 cups sugar on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll spoonfuls of the orange slices in the sugar, separating the slices to coat them completely. Transfer the slices onto another sheet of waxed paper and let them air-dry (20-30 minutes).


5. In a tightly covered container, the peel will keep for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. *

*Dipped in tempered bittersweet chocolate, it will keep (in an air-tight container, wrapped tightly in foil) for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

I used a semi-sweet fair trade organic chocolate chip -- the rich dark chocolate over the sweet candied peel is GREAT!




Ingredients Tip:
Since this recipe uses the peel, be sure to use organic oranges. I used organic cane sugar as it is less processed -- it has a richer flavor than the white sugar!


Tips to use the whole orange:
• The yummy middles that are sliced off (step 1) are of course good to just eat as you slice, or add to a salad.
• The sugar liquid left in the pot after you remove the peels (step 3) can be boiled down a little longer, and used as a syrup over your waffles (amazing orange flavor!).
• And, any sugar that is left after dredging the cooked peels in it is infused with a nice orange flavor (step 4). Save it and use it to sweeten your tea. I had a LOT left over.

Spice Shortbread.

We have been "testing" some cookie recipes for the holiday gifts coming soon. This of course is just an excuse to make cookies - the boys love to measure, pour and bake, and of course eat. Today we made our first batch of shortbread-it is delicious!


Spice Shortbread

1 c unsalted softened butter
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together until light. Mix in the vanilla. In a small bowl mix together the flour, spices, and salt. Slowly blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well mixed.

Flour your surface, and gently press or roll (flour that rolling pin!) into a sheet. Use buttered cookie cutters (or a scone cutter) to cut out shapes (this is a soft shortbread-so don't use too elaborate of a design) and place on the cookie sheet about 1" apart.

Bake for 17-22 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely.


Chocolate Edges
Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and dip the cooled shortbread into the chocolate to edge. Let dry.

Orange Glaze
Mix 3 Tbsp powdered sugar with OJ or squeeze a fresh orange into the bowl...stir and adjust sugar/juice mix until you get a nice glaze which is neither runny or gloopy. Drizzle over your cookies, or dip the shortbread into the glaze. Let dry.



Ingredients Tip:
Buy fair trade organic chocolate for your baking. It is better for both humans and the environment.

With Fair Trade certified chocolate:
• Forced and abusive child labor are prohibited
• Farming families earn a price that is adequate to meet their basic human needs
• Environmentally sustainable production methods are required

in from the cold.

After shoveling ice and snow outside in the cold, a warm hearty lunch is very welcome. Who says eggs have to be for breakfast, anyway? And with local eggs, milk, leeks, and cheese it is even better...not to mention the local fingerling sweet potatoes caramelized in a Dijon brown sugar glaze...

Sweet Potatoes
1-2 pounds fingerling sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thickly
1 Tbsp Dijon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

I first boiled the sliced potatoes in the skillet until I could poke them with a knife (not mushy). Toss out the water, and return the skillet to the heat (med hi) with a drizzle of olive oil to keep them from sticking. While they are sizzling, warm the mustard, brown sugar and butter up together--whisking until mixed. Drizzle over the potatoes in the skillet, and let it bubble for a minute (stir/turn) before removing from heat. SOOOO good.

The boys love the colors on our local eggs.

creamy butternut squash soup.

The butternut squash soup we made from our farmer's market produce was great! I love butternut squash--and this soup is a bit more savory than some, and is great with some rustic bread and a fresh grate of some yummy Gruyere over the top before serving.

Take 1 butternut squash--peel it, cut in 1/2, scoop the goop, and dice. Steam on the stove.

In a skillet, combine 1 diced cipollini onion, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 small/med. chopped leeks, a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of course sea salt, and a few cranks of pepper. As it starts to soften, add 1 Tbsp butter, and keep stirring until onions are pretty much transparent. Add some white wine (3 Tbsp?) and stir.

Put the skillet of goodies, the steamed squash, and 6 cups of stock (I used veggie, you can use chicken too) in a crock pot on high. I added 1 Tsp of yellow curry powder for some spice and flavor (mmm). Let cook on high for 1-2 hours. Turn crock pot to low, add 1 cup of milk, and stir.


Before serving, use an immersion blender to make a fine smooth soup (or blend in batches). Super good, super fresh, and local but for the spices!

irish coffee

It is the night before Thanksgiving, I have a brine in the works for our local heritage turkey, fresh herb bread just out of the oven, the eggs came fresh from a local farm just an hour ago for pumpkin pie and quiche...but I am going to post a recipe for...................Irish Coffee.

Today is the first snow, my husband is off of work, and we are not working this weekend - so a little warmth and comfort while we cook and prep for our holiday is a must.

How to make it:

Brew a fresh pot of fair trade organic coffee (yum). In mugs, measure 1 Tsp of brown sugar and 1 shot of good whiskey. Stir to dissolve sugar. Ladle fresh cream over the top (we used super fresh skimmed from our milk), using a spoon to diffuse. If you like, squirt/spoon fresh organic whipped cream to top it off...

I know, I used Scotch Whiskey when the recipe is for Irish Coffee and I'm about as Irish as they come. But as long as it is a GOOOOOOOOD rich peaty whiskey, you are set! Yum.

from amaranth O's to coconut granola...

We like to make fresh yummy snack-age for not only the kids, but also for a certain dad to take to work. Rather than run all over to buy a big list of ingredients which ends up making for expensive "granola", we like to use what we have. I always have some cereal in house that I bought that sounds healthier or has less sugar which of course no one wants to eat. That is a great thing to use in granola, as you sweeten and make it into something everyone likes. SO I had a box of amaranth peach O's (oh yes, you wonder WHY the kids wouldn't eat it, I know...). From that plus some organic oats, coconut and some extra added goodies, we made an amazing snack. Kids can pretty much mix this up on their own, but the little ones need help measuring.

1 box O cereal. I used Amaranth Peach O's.
2 cups organic quick oats (or you can roll your own...mmmm.)
1 cup UNSWEETENED organic dried coconut (don't use the sweet sticky stuff)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 Tbsp organic butter, melted
1 Tbsp black strap molasses
4 Tbsp organic unsweetened coconut milk (or 1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp bee pollen (sounds odd, but it adds crunchy sweetness and is good for you!)

Mix the oats, cereal and nuts in a big bowl. In a separate bowl melt the butter, then stir in the molasses, coconut milk, & maple syrup. Drizzle over the dried mix in the big bowl. Mix well QUICKLY (spoon or hands). Sprinkle cinnamon over while tossing. Spread mix on a big baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF. Stir it all up and return to oven another 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle bee pollen over the top of it all. Let cool. Eat!

Don't be tied to a recipe either...add different ingredients like dried fruit, cereals, nuts, flax, coconut oil-whatever you have. The coconut milk and dried coconut work with many flavors, add a nice richness to tie it all in together, and just smells and tastes amazing (and coconut is not only good, but good for you).

stuffed baked apples.

We picked a lot of apples this year - there are so many things apples can be used in - soup, desserts, drinks, cereals, breads - the list goes on. We have to keep reminding ourselves to USE THEM though. Seems that since they are away in a dark cool place, we tend to forget. This weekend we remembered and made a delicious baked apple dessert - super easy, but great flavor.

I have made baked apples before, but thought it would be tasty to stuff them with something. It turned out GREAT. SOOOOO...here is our stuffed baked apple recipe.

Ingredients:
6 baking apples
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash ginger
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar)
3 Tbsp. good rum (optional)

Steps:
Peel the apples about 2/3 way down. Carve out the seeds of the apples, leaving a hole for stuffing. Don't core through the bottom!!!!

In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup oats, 2-3 Tbsp softened (not melted) butter, 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 Tsp cinnamon, dash of nutmeg & ginger, and 1/4 cup (or less) maple syrup. Mix until thick and lumpy. If you use brown sugar it will be thicker - if you use maple syrup it will be more runny (you can add more oats if need be to get thick). Stuff mixture the holes in the apples. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.

Place apples in a pan, and bake at 325º for about 1.5 hours until soft. For extra steam, I placed a pan of water on the bottom rack during baking.

As an option, drizzle 3 Tbsp good rum over the top of the apples before baking - then after about 45 minutes baking take a spoon and scoop up liquids from the bottom of the pan and drizzle over the top and into stuffing. Gives a richer flavor.

Cool and then eat as is (don't forget to drizzle!) or with ice cream.

creamy acorn squash soup

We have been making meals to use all of the varieties of squash and pumpkins we received both in our CSA box, and which we bought at the pumpkin picks. I had baked 2 squash the other day, and had a whole bag of the puree. Soup sounded like a good idea - and it turned out delicious!!!!

First, you need to bake your squash. Cut 2 acorn squash in half, scoop out seeds, and place skin down on a baking pan. Cook 30 minutes at 350, turn over, cook another 30 minutes or so. It should be soft enough to scoop out the flesh easily.

Ingredients:
Flesh of 2 acorn squash (cooked, see above)
2 onions (chopped fine)
2 carrots (sliced fine)
2 Tbsp butter
1-2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 Tsp sea salt
Oil
1/2 Tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tsp curry powder (I used mild yellow curry powder)
4 cups stock/broth, warm (I used veggie, but you could use beef)
1/3 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups milk

Saute the chopped onions, carrots, and garlic in a skillet with a dash of oil. Let cook until tender - turn heat down and add butter and red wine to skillet and stir.

Make sure your smushed squash is warm, and put it in a crock pot. Add the onion/carrot/garlic/wine/butter mixture. Stir in the warm broth - stir until the squash puree is incorporated. Add the salt, pepper and curry powder. Cook on high for 1-2 hours. Reduce heat to low, add the milk (do a taste test and add more salt/pepper to taste) and let it all cook together in the crock pot another hour or two on low.

I used an immersion blender to make the soup extra smooth before serving, and cranked a little fresh ground pepper on top. OH my, it was good.

And extra bonus - everything except for the oil & spices were from local sources!

eat local for thanksgiving

The Crunchy Chicken blog has created a pledge to Eat Local for Thanksgiving this year. What does this mean? Try to use foods that are in season, local, and organic.

"In your pledge you can state what you are planning to do, whether that be acquiring a local turkey to getting all your vegetables at a farmer's market, etc. It's totally up to you. The point is to think about where each food source comes from and buy it locally or don't serve it if it's out of season or has to travel miles to get to your plate. "

So go pledge!

pumpkin bars made w/fresh pureed pumpkin

Wondering what to make with those little sweet pie pumpkins you got at the pumpkin pick? These pumpkin bars are super pumpkin tasting - not too sweet but definitely dessert.


How to make it? First you have to cook your pumpkins.

Take 2 small sweet pie pumpkins and cut them in half. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350º face down 30 minutes, turn them over, bake face up 30 minutes. The inside should be soft. Let cool and then scoop out the insides. You can take the pulp and run it through a food processor or a food mill to get it the consistency of canned pumpkin (smooth & creamy).

Now for the Pumpkin Bars!


Ingredients:

Crumb:
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Tsp sea salt
1/2 Tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter (softened)

You can add 1/2 cup of crushed nuts if you like too...

Filling:
2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice)
1 egg


Crust:
Mix together crumb ingredients: oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda & butter. Should be crumbly. Press 1/2 of the mixture into a lightly buttered 13x9 pan. Bake at 375º for 12 minutes.

Make the filling:
Mix together filling ingredients until blended and smooth. Spread it over baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake 30 more minutes.

Cool and cut into squares.

Spiced Whip Cream Topping:
We made our own whipped cream topping. It is tasty. Take 1 cup of heavy cream. Whip it in your KitchenAid -- while it is going, add 1/2 Tsp. vanilla, a dash of cinnamon and 1/2 Tsp. maple syrup (optional). Whip until it is whip cream consistency. Serve over bars. YUM.

New Glarus Brewing Co...Organic Revolution.

We try to buy local goodies for the bulk of our food & beverage purchases if we can. This includes wine and beer.

Today my husband stopped in at the New Glarus Brewing Company when we were in the area, and discovered that they have an organic beer which is naturually carbonated and 100% bottle fermented (and made using Wisconsin organically malted barley). So, of course, we had to get some.

Straight from the drinkers' mouth (that would be Brice):

The beer has a light flavor, clear golden color. Not sure about "dancing on my palate," but it does have a nice carbonation with more than just the initial beer flavor, which is a nice surprise. Overall, an enjoyable beer - even more so knowing its organic.

CSA Box This Week

Today is the day. Our final CSA box pickup of the season at the farm.

This week in our box:
Lettuce, arugula, mizuna, saute greens, hakuri turnips, red radishes, green cabbage, celeriac, rutabaga, onions.

purple kraut.

I have been reading the book Nourishing Traditions as well as a few branch off books over the past year or so. We keep trying different recipes for food preservation, fermentation, as well as just good things like bone broth for stock. We had a few cabbages come in with our CSA recently, so I have been trying sauerkraut - using whey. This batch I used purple cabbage. Yummy.


Basic Sauerkraut

2 pint glass canning jars with plastic lids
1 Medium Cabbage
1 Tbsp sea salt
4 Tbsp of whey (you may use already fermented sauerkraut as an inoculate or simply add another tablespoon of salt.)
Optional -- caraway seeds (1 Tbsp)

Grate cabbage with a hand grater or in a food processor. Put it into a big bowl with the salt and whey, and pound it a little bit with a potato masher or meat mallet.

Press the mixture into a clean glass jar using a wooden spoon. Press firmly until the juice rises to the top and covers the mixture, which it will do when it is pounded enough. Leave at least an inch or more of space at the top of the jar.

Cover the kraut and store the jar in a cupboard or dark place for 3-4 days before transferring to the refrigerator. The sauerkraut may be consumed after a couple of weeks, though if you allow the fermentation process to continue for a month or so in the refrigerator the flavor will be even better.

It tastes great - the purple cabbage seems to be a bit mild, and the kraut is almost sweet and tangy at the same time. YUM. And the color...crazy.

chewy ginger cookies

The boys made some yummy cookies yesterday. They are just chewy enough but don't stick together. Mmmm.

Ingredients::
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 tsp. baking soda
2½ cups flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. salt


Instructions::
Preheat oven to 350°F (200°C).
Cream the butter & sugar together.
Add the egg & stir in the molasses.
Combine the baking soda, flour, spices & salt in a separate bowl.
Combine the wet & dry mixtures.
Shape into small balls & roll in sugar (we used turbinado).
Place on greased cookie sheet. Don't flatten.
Bake for about 10 minutes.



And, using organic ingredients makes them just that much yummier. Try a version with a little bit of ground flax seed too - it doesn't hurt the recipe balance and adds a little more of that rich flavor and texture.

New blog ... getting it rolling.

Hello! This is a side blog to my main Mom in Madison blog. We have been doing so much to eat better - buying direct from the farm, visiting farmer's markets, joining a CSA, keeping a garden and so on. And, of course, all of that leads into our exploration of dehydrating, preserving, freezing, fermenting, baking and more. AND of course there is lots of cooking with kids. I hope to keep food a part of my main blog, but we have been doing so much, that I hope to be able to include more by having this here. I'll be duplicating some of my food posts here from my other blog, as well as adding to it as we go!

Fresh Udon.

After reading this issue of Saveur, I just had to try to make fresh udon noodles. I don't have udon flour, but I do have whole wheat. Hmmm.



The noodles turned out great. Very flavorful and just the right texture. Yummy.


I used pre-ground organic whole wheat flour for this batch to see how it went...now I am going to try to make some using some of our own freshly ground wheat berries!


The recipe is in the latest Saveur magazine issue - the recipe comes from the book "At Home With Japanese Cooking" by Elizabeth Andoh. There is also an easy to follow step by step recipe here, which has a more accurate water to flour ratio than in the magazine (I had to add a bit of water).

CSA Box This Week

Well, it is almost over. We have only one more CSA pick up after today. My seasons move with the CSA box, the outdoor Farmer's Market, and the U-Picks. We are very lucky to live where we can continue to visit the Farmer's Market throughout the winter and find much, much more than just soap and pickles well into the dark cold winter months. But it isn't the same as the feeling of abundance that comes into this area all summer. I am not a hot weather person at all, and really love the autumn coolness and cold nights and always look forward to the snow. But I do feel a bit of nostalgia at the end of each growing season.

Sure - I will have hints of summer flavor from my freezer and basement all winter. I will still get our dairy and meat from someone I can chit-chat with. And I'll still visit the winter Farmer's Market every week or two for those items I cannot find at the local coop. But for now, I'll enjoy these last few weeks of autumn and every bite that goes with it.

This week in our box:
Lettuce, arugula, spinach, hakuri turnips, red radishes, brussel sprout stalk, red cabbage, celeriac, acorn squash, parsley root.

Fresh Pasta.

Today we decided to make fresh pasta to go with the home made tomato sauce we cooked this morning. Think pasta from scratch is too hard? Hey - a two year old can make it! :) And boy did he have fun.


He helped measure and stir, but I did the kneading.

His big brother did come in to help with the pasta cranking, because what 4 year old could stay away? But this little guy did most of the work.

It turned out great - mmm. I'll post the recipe soon!

Pasta Sauce.

We decided to make some fresh pasta sauce today to use the last of our Roma Tomatoes. The boys rinsed them and then helped scoop out the gloop after I cut them into 1/2. We scattered diced leeks and whole fresh garlic on a baking pan, and then place the scooped halves skin up on the pan. We sprinkled over some of the dried herbs from our garden and some sea salt.


They baked for about 45 minutes on 325.


The smell was awesome. They came out when nice and roasted.


We put everything into the cuisinart for a whiz before going into a pot. We added just a little bit of red wine and some more of our dried garden herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary).


We let it just sit and simmer for a few hours and get nice and dark and thick. What is next? Well, we need some pasta to go with it!