FARM FOOD

Farmer Sara setting a pie to bake in her 1950s GE Stove named “Babe”

Roasted Chicken - Farm Style

Notice how the cooked pumpkin squats down and is deflated. The skin easily pulls away from the flesh.

A simple way to roast a chicken with crispy skin and juicy meat that is stewed from underneath. The veggies are cooked along with the chicken and absorb all that flavor!

Spatchcock one farm fresh chicken. (How to Spatchcock)

Season the bird. Liberally salt the underside. Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers and rub salt and herbs under the skin. Then rub olive oil or butter on the outer skin and sprinkle with more salt and herbs. Let stand for an hour.

Gather your veggies. I like potato, carrot, celery, onion, rutabaga, apple, parsnip etc.

Chop veggies into large chunks and put one layer in roasting pan. 

Place bird on top of veggies add remaining veggies around the sides.

Add good stock and some wine to the pan. Make deep enough to come to the bottom edges of the bird. You want most of the skin above the stock so the skin will get crispy. The stock will baste the underside of the bird.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until the skin starts to brown.

Reduce heat to 200 degrees and cook for another hour or so until the bird is done.

Remove the bird and set on cutting board to rest. Using a slotted spoon put veggies in a separate dish.

Make a gravy or sauce from the stock left in the pan. 

Slice the bird, serve with veggies and drizzle with sauce.

Crispy skin, tender juicy meat and roasted roots make a hearty fall meal.

Preparing a Pie Pumpkin

This method of cooking a whole pumpkin or squash is perfect for pie or soup. 



I find when you cut, peel and steam, it gets soggy. Plus it is a lot of extra work and wastes some of the flesh. If you cut in half and bake, the outer edges get hard.

Wash the outside of the pumpkin, knock off stem, leave whole.

Poke 4 holes in the side of the pumpkin. I usually use a chop stick.

Bake in oven on a cookie sheet at 350º for 45 - 75 minutes, depending on size. 

You can tell it is done when it is soft and squats. 

Cool enough so you don’t burn your hand when peeling. 

Peel the skin with your fingers. It should easily peel off if it is done enough. 

Cut in half and scoop out seeds and guts. Be careful to not make a mess of it.

Many Ways to Cook Beets

Beet Greens

Wash and chop greens & stems, leaving baby beets whole.

Simmer in a bit of water until the stems are tender.

Drain off excess water, but leave a little. 

Season with butter, salt, pepper and a splash of your favorite kind of vinegar (any kind from distilled white to balsamic).

Basic Beets 

I’m including these instructions because many people cut or even peel beets before cooking in water. If you do, they will bleed out all of their flavor and nutrition. 


Wash Beets & Trim off the beet tops, leaving a bit of the stems on. Do not cut into the beet, do not cut the tail off the beet. 

Cook covered in a pot of water on medium-high until cooked through. I pierce with a butter knife when I think they are ready. If the knife goes in and the beet comes off easy it is ready. If the beet stays on the knife when lifted they are not quite done. 

Drain and run under cold water, gently pushing off the skins. 

Slice and season with butter and salt if serving hot. Or let cool and add to salads.

Borscht

A favorite in my house, made often - never the same twice. In my opinion borscht needs to have 4 basic ingredients to be borscht. After that your imagination is the limit.

Basic 4: Beets and their tops, Good Stock*, Dill, Vinegar (I usually use pickle juice). Then add sour cream as a topper, so maybe it is a Basic 5.

Prepare beets as the Basic Beet recipe. Set aside once cooled, they will be added to the soup just before serving.
Chop beet greens and stems and simmer in Good Stock. Chicken, beef, lamb, pork, vegetable, it doesn’t matter. Just has to be a Good Stock. Don’t even try with that store bought watery stuff.

Season with some vinegar or pickle juice and dill, salt and pepper to taste. You can use dill weed, seed, dried, or fresh, or a combo. Dill seed is strong, and takes a while for the flavor to come up. Start small just get some in there, you can add more to taste if you think it needs it later. That is basic borscht, but now this is where it gets fun!

Additions: You can add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, rutabaga, kohlrabi, diced tomatoes, chicken or beef or pork or lamb (often I use leftovers). Once you have it how you like it, add the cooked sliced beets. I do this toward the end of cooking so they don’t get overcooked and loose their flavor. 
Serve with sour cream and a splash of pickle juice. Crunchy croutons make a topping good too.

* Good Stock instructions to come.

Greens

Recipe applies to any green: kale, chard, collards, beet tops, rutabaga leaves, mustard greens

Wash and chop greens & stems.

Simmer in a bit of water until the stems are tender.

Drain off excess water. 

Season with butter, salt, pepper and a splash of your favorite kind of vinegar
(any kind from distilled white to balsamic).

Greens & Eggs

Chop greens, add about 1/2 inch of water to a cast iron skillet (or any oven friendly pan).

Simmer until stems are tender (stirring occasionally) and water evaporated.
Drain off excess water.

Stir together in a separate bowl; sour cream and milk (cream is better), salt, pepper and a little chili powder and/or garlic, if you like a bit of spice, and pour over cooked greens.

Sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs to help thicken. (Optional step, omit if gluten intolerant). 

Stir together. Then make wells in the greens mixture for each egg.

Crack an egg into each well.

Blob sour cream here and there on top of the greens and a bit of grated parm or other hard cheese.

Bake 350º until eggs are desired doneness, I always broil for a minute to brown the cheese and sour cream.
Serve with roasted potatoes or corn tortillas.

The Essential Kale Salad

Once the cool and wet weather arrives, kale starts to shine, and it is in its prime after the first frost. The cold transforms kale from a strong, tough green into a sweet, crisp, juicy treat. Learning to love kale salad is essential for enjoying a Fall CSA.

Wash kale to remove any bugs or dirt.
Remove the stems from the kale. I hold the end of stem end and cut off the leaves by sliding the edge of a large knife at an angle along the stem toward the top of the leaf.
Slice the leaves into thin ribbons, then cross cut extra fine.
Drizzle a Good Dressing* over the chopped kale leaves and massage in.
Add your favorite toppings. Pick a fruit, a nut and a cheese. Such as sliced pears, apples, raisins, walnuts, pecans, toasted sunflower seeds, a strong cheese such as romano, parm, blue, chevre. Maybe add some garlicky croutons. Get creative!

* Good Dressing needs to have a good fat such as olive oil or bacon drippings or duck fat. It also needs an acid like vinegar or lemon juice, and a sweetener like farm honey or in the emergency of no honey in the house, use brown sugar.

Honey Mustard Dressing
Pour some apple cider vinegar into a mason jar, maybe a 1/4 cup.
Dissolve 1 TB of honey in the vinegar, put the lid on and shake. Taste it – should be slightly sweet and tart. Adjust to your liking.
Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil and a couple teaspoons of stone ground mustard.
Shake jar vigorously. Taste again and adjust to your liking.