Gingerbread House . . . a family affair!

I think this might become a new family tradition: building a gingerbread house for Christmas. It was Ethan's idea. He is our aspiring chef, and he decided he'd like to make one like he did in school. If I had been paying attention, I would have realized he was talking 'gingerbread' houses out of graham cracker, but my mind went immediately to the grand houses I've seen on TV.

I found a great recipe for the gingerbread dough that worked absolutely beautifully for making the pieces parts of the house. I decided to create my own template for the house, and this recipe made just enough dough for our house, with a little left for a santa and sleigh and reindeer and even a couple of Christmas trees. If you aren't into creating your own design, here is a great site for printable gingerbread house templates.

Here is Chef Ethan with our first dough roll out. This dough is VERY stiff. You have to chill it (at least two hours), but when you take it out of the fridge, you'll want to let it set at room temperature for 10 minutes before trying to roll it. Great work out :)

This dough does not puff or rise (there is only a teaspoon of levening in it). So you can crowd the pieces. However, you do want to bake the larger pieces seperate from the smaller pieces, as the cooking time varies.





The larger pieces take about 15 minutes to bake. You'll want a big spatula to handle them. You need to get them off the pan while hot and still flexible. Once the cool, they are VERY rigid. I recommend cutting out windows, etc. before baking, but you can do it while the cookies are still hot, out of the oven.

Here Ethan is working on the royal icing (the recipe is included here). This is the mortar that holds your house together, and it is still stuff. If you have a pipetting bag, you can use it, if not, we just put it in a gallon freezer bag and cut off a tiny corner to pipette out of. When we weren't using the icing, we wrapped the cut corner in a damp paper towel to keep the icing from setting up.

Here is Chef Ethan with the base of our house. Even with two hands, we found the canned food helpful for holding up the sides while the icing set. Once it sets, it's amazing how sturdy the house is!





Chef Ethan wanted to put a Christmas tree inside the house. Here is a cut out (of spare gingerbread dough) that I iced with royal icing and dipped in green sanding sugar. For the star, I added a little royal icing, and dipped in cold draeggers. Turnged out pretty cool. Next year, we'll going to try making stained glass windows and lighting the house from the inside (for Dad to figure out ;).



Here, we have the main structure built, and started adding embellishments. For the porch pillars we used stacked marshmallows, and the bushes are coconut macarooms. What you decorate with is entirely up to you. The kids and I had a great time checking out several sites online that had pics of other people's gingerbread houses. Some great and ingenious ideas out there to try!

Here, Chef Ethan adds M&M lights to the roof line, while brother Bennett hams it up for the camera. We also afixed a star, decorated with gold draeggers, to the front of the house, added pink non-perilles to the porch roof, along with coconut snow. Over each window we afixed a star anise for decoration.

Here, all four boys watch as Mom (me) tries to get Santa's sleigh and reindeer to stick to the roof. It turned out cute, but it was kind of a pain to get them to stay. We even have a Santa going down the chimney!

We created a stepping stone walk of sugar-coated cookies, and Zana lines it with gumdrop lights. In the foreground, Ethan is placing the shutters as he gets them decorated. We then afixed these to the house.

Here's a wide shot of the house, with Zana working on creating a sledding figure. The kids had more fun decorating the yard then anything else. Caleb created a melting snowman out of puffed marshmallows, as well as a snow fort out of candy-coated almonds. Quin created a couple of little creatures, and a tiny flower garden for along the walk.

One thing I would recommend when working with kids on this project, is have them help a couple at a time. When all five kids were crowded around the project wanting to do things, it got a little hectic, and things tended to get knocked over and broken. one or two helpers is manageable, more than that is chaos!

Here is a view of the back of the house. We afixed a decorated wreath to the house. I would still call this a work-in-progress. I had to stop for the evening and really, the decorations in place needed some time to solidify. We'll have to do another batch of royal icing to finish . . . tomorrow.

Here's a close up of Santa's sleigh and reindeer, with Santa himself poking his head out of the chimney. We used butterscotch candies to shingle the roof. I think we will likely do another batch or two of royal icing to add snow to the roofs, and maybe even some icicles . . . it's so much fun to decorate the house!

Here's a shot from above the house looking down in the yard. You can see a couple of Quin's creatures and his flower garden, as well as Caleb's snow fort, and our 3-D Christmas tree. The kids are having a wonderful time coming up with ideas for the yard!

Like I said, it's a work-in-progress, but it has been so much fun creating this with the kids. I strongly recommend this project. Even my 14-year-old son, Bennett, the aspiring architect has gotten into the fun, and informs me that next year, he gets to do the design.

This is definitely a new family tradition!

Do you have any family projects that you do during the holidays? Please share!

A Holiday Tradition - Nissua

Mmmm, been promising my Gram's nissua recipe. It's really pretty easy. You might recall I shared a recipe for home made rolls a little while ago. When you are adding the sugar (I add a bit extra sugar . . . maybe an extra quarter to half cup), add a couple teaspoons of cardamom.

Now smell the mix. You should be able to smell the cardamom. If you can't add another teaspoon. Part of the reason for this is that cardamom tends to lose its 'oomph' as it ages, so if it has been hanging around your spice cabinet for awhile, it may take a bit more to get the flavor to really come through in the dough, and you want the cardamom flavor to be noticeable.

Mix the remaining ingredients in as directed in the home made rolls recipe. Allow the dough to rise, and then punch it down. Split the dough into two to three parts (you want about a 4-5 inch ball of dough to work with). Roll the dough out. Spread the filling of your choice down the center of the dough.

There are several different prepared fillings that you can use. My favorite is apricot, but I'm also partial to poppyseed. Mom love almost filling. Whatever your preference. Fold the the side of the dough over the filling and lay, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise some (I'm impatient, this rising usually doesn't last long)..

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.

While it is cooking, make a simple butter frosting to put over the top. Cream butter and powdered sugar together, add a teaspoon of vanilla, and then milk to get the texture you like . . . I prefer it to be almost like a frosting, nice and thick, but if you like something more like a glaze, you can thin the frosting with more milk. Here's an easy buttercream frosting recipe that you can play with.

If you can wait, allow the bread to cool some before frosting. I usually can't, and the frosting ends up melting on top of the bread . . . not a bad thing, but it can get kind of messy!

What's your favorite holiday recipe?

A Cup of Comfort for a Snow Day

Snow day - Yeah!!! My boys couldn't wait to get outside and play in the snow today. Not only our first 'real' snowfall in northeastern Ohio, but a true Lake effect blizzard. The joy of a school boy's (or boys') winter.

But when they came in from the 17 degree day (feels like zero!) they were more than ready be warmed up. They shed their snowy outerwear, perched in front of the fire, and waited for me to make some good, old-fashioned hot cocoa.

Homemade hot cocoa is really easy, and this recipe is a snap . . . and way better then Swiss Miss!

1/3 C cocoa

3/4 C sugar

Mix together in a sauce pan. Add 1/3 C boiling water and 4-5 large marshmallows. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously (watch it doesn't scorch).

Add 4 C milk. Bring to an almost-boil (should be steamy and foamy). Pour into cups, add marshmallows, if wanted, and serve. This is the best hot cocoa you will ever taste!

If you want it richer, you can add some cream at the end. Whipped cream is a great garnish if you don't have marshmallows. For the adults, add a shot of peppermint schnapps for an over-the-top Peppermint Patty dessert drink.

So next time you are tempted to buy that hot cocoa mix, stear yourself toward the cocoa, first. You won't be sorry . . . I know my boys weren't!

What's your favorite comfort treat on a cold day? Please, share!

Holiday Spirit

Like many people, I love this time of year! Whatever their religious beliefs, nearly everyone seems . . . nicer during the holidays. Even the occasional Scrooge can't get me down for long ;)

The kids picked out our Christmas trees the weekend after Thanksgiving and we decorated. I just love our live trees - the smell when you come in from the nippy outdoors truly harkens the season. The colorful lights and decorations, the heavenly smell of pine and spices, the comforting song of carols, and the warm, soft snuggle of an excited child - this is my total sensory immersion in the holiday season. What could be better?

And then there is the food . . . my mouth water just thinking about our huge family breakfast on Christmas morning. Carmelized bacon, stuffed french toast, fluffy scrambled eggs, Gram's nissua - it's comfort food at its best. I thought I'd share a couple of the recipes with you as we approach the holidays. Maybe you'll find something that will help you build those wonderful family traditions that make this time of year so special.

First, carmelized bacon. Now this is a recipe you'll definitely want to use for the holidays, only. It's very simple. First, preheat the oven to 350F. Then get out just two ingredients:

Bacon, thawed (best if it is thin sliced)

Brown sugar

Put a cup or so of brown sugar into a shallow dish. One at a time, coat the strips of bacon in the brown sugar, and lay on a cookie sheet in a single layer (if you have a broiler pan, you can use it to get the bacon up out of the grease, but it isn't necessary). Place in the oven and bake until the sugar is bubbly and the bacon is done, 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because the sugar will burn if you are not careful.

Prepare a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. When you take the bacon out of the oven, immediately remove it from the pan and place on the cooling rack, and allow it to cool and drain for a few minutes. The carmelized bacon is best once it's cooled some, so the sugar has a chance to set on the outside. Enjoy!!

Do you have a favorite family holiday tradition or recipe you'd like to share? Please, do!

Thanks - Giving

The start to the holiday season is here! I just finished making pies. Tomorrow we'll be making mashed potatoes. Food coma, here I come!

I was watching Michael Chirello on Food Network, and he made pesto mashed potatoes, and I think I may take at least a few of the 10lbs of mashed potatoes we're making and add some Market pesto - it sounds delicious!

I can't wait for the traditional turkey spread my family puts on up at Amboy Hall. Yes, we rent Amboy Hall and have our Thanksgiving meal there. Last year we had around 60 people, and it seems to grow every year. It is a great family gathering!

The other thing I look forward to this weekend is Christmas Trees!! The kids will be anxious to pick one (or two) out and start trimming. It's hard to believe it's already that time of year. We also have pine roping in up at the Market. All the evergreen you need to trim your house for the season!

In the spirit of the holiday, allow me to thank you so much for continuing to support our family with your continued patronage at the Market. From us to you ... have a blessed Thanksgiving!

How to Stretch Your Food Dollar

Well, they keep saying the economy is improving. I'm optimistic that we'll see a rebound here soon, but for most of us, things are still pretty darn tight, financially. Which begs the question, how can you stretch your food budget?

So here is another food stretching idea for you, and it should get you a couple of healthy meals. First, buy some chicken breast (you'll want a bit more than you think your family will eat, perhaps enough to have one breast left over). Of course, I recommend the chicken breast from the Market. It is nicely trimmed, and you can pound it out in the package. Preheat your oven to 350F.

I like the chicken for this to be about half an inch thick, so it doesn't take much pounding. Smear the chicken lightly all over with olive oil, and season it simply - maybe some tarragon, thyme, then salt and pepper to taste. place in a casserole with sides (you'll see why later) and bake until cooked through - 15-30 minutes, perhaps longer, depending on the size and thickness of the breast.

Here's another site for great tips on cooking chicken breast by various methods. I offer this because chicken is touchy to bake. For the meal I'm describing, I want a dry cooking method, but I don't want the meat to dry out. That is part of the reason that I recommend pounding out the chicken. It is important NOT TO OVER COOK the meat. Chicken needs to be cooked through (no pink in the center) but JUST cooked through. Over-cooking will dry out the meat.

When the chicken is done, it's ready to eat with whatever side dishes your family prefers. My family is a potato kind of family, but I like to throw in green veggies every once and awhile if only to hear the inevitable groans. Since you have the oven on for roasting the chicken, why not try roasting some veggies, like green beans. And rather than putting butter and salt on the green beans, try crumbling some feta cheese over them instead - yum! Leftover beans or other veggies are also great in the next dish!

Place the 'extra' chicken (and veggies, if you have them) in a container and refrigerate for the next day. Deglaze the pan that you cooked the chicken in using water, wine, or lemon juice. Lemon juice? Yes, lemon juice - it lends a wonderful lightness to the chicken soup we're going to make with the left overs. It's a traditional Greek addition to chicken soup. My friend, Marian, converted me when she made me try it. You can adjust the amount of lemon to your taste, but I've found that I like quite a bit. And you can also add the zest of the lemon to the resulting broth for some extra zing. Refrigerate the broth for use the next day.

I call this my left-over soup. I use this 'recipe' as an opportunity to use up all the odds and ends left from meals for the last few days. Have some left over fresh salsa - throw it in. Left over bulgur, couscous or pasta - great addition. Left over veggies - why not? Now there are a couple things you are going to want: an onion, diced; some red pepper diced (green pepper works, too, I just prefer red), a few stocks of celery chopped, and some carrots, chopped.

Place a stock pan over medium heat, and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. sautee the onion, pepper, celery, and carrots until just softened. Add the broth you made the previous day, along with some additional chicken stock to make up the liquid to what you will need to feed your family (this is truly a 'stretchable' meal - need more soup, just add more stock). Again, I recommend the chicken base from the Market, which has no MSG and no added salt (unlike many of the cheap chicken bases you can find other places that are mostly salt).

Shred the chicken breast and add to the soup. Add any other left-overs you found in your fridge. Bring the mix to a simmer, and cook until all ingredients are heated through. If you didn't have left overs like the bulgur or couscous, you can add it, uncooked and cook it in the soup. Bulgur, or barley, or quinoa, or millet are GREAT and healthy whole grain additions to this soup.

Once everything is done, and the soup has had a chance to simmer all put together for awhile, taste it, and season as you like. This is the time when I might add some extra lemon zest or juice, maybe some fresh thyme or cilantro. It really depends on what you added and how it was originally seasoned, so you really do want to allow the soup some time to simmer, so all the existing flavors come together, then you can adjust appropriately. I would recommend leaving the salt and pepper to individual tastes.

There you go - a food dollar stretching exercise. But if you are feeling lazy, or just rushed, remember that we have home made soups at the Market, and we are starting to make MTO sandwiches. Stop by and let us know what you think!

Please, share what you do to stretch your food dollar!

Versatile Comfort Food

It's been one of those weeks, and last night, we decided we were going to make comfort food for supper. For us, food can be a fun family activity, which in itself is comforting. One of my favorite comfort foods (aside from chocolate, of course ;) are home made rolls.

The recipe is my Aunt Dorothy Bennett's for buns, and the dough is just so wonderful and versatile. My Grandma Ericksen uses this dough to make sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, nissua and dinner rolls, and my kids love them as pepperoni rolls.

3 2/3 cup milk, scalded (reserve part of the milk cold to cool the mixture so it won't be too hot for your yeast)
1/4 cup butter or shortening (I always use butter, so don't know what shortening does to the dough - I melt the butter while I'm scalding the milk)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp dry yeast or one cake of yeast

I scald the milk and melt the butter, then add in the reserved milk. If the mix is still to warm, add an ice cube (what can I say, I'm impatient:). Add the yeast and allow to bloom. Add the sugar, salt and egg and mix well.

Now for the flour. The recipe never says how much flour to add, just to add until you achieve a soft, elastic dough. It takes probably 5-8 cups (this is a big batch of rolls). Use the dough hook on your mixer, and keep adding until its 'right.'

My Gram tests the 'rightness' by poking her finger into the dough - if too much sticks, you need to add more flour (a little sticking is ok, this dough does tend to be a little sticky). I know the dough is done in my mixer when it starts to climb over the top of the dough hook, and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl too much. When you are done, the dough should be light and very elastic.

Remove the dough from the mixer, cover with a towel, and place somewhere warm to double in size. Punch down. You'll want to grease your hands (butter or shortening work well for this - if the dough starts to stick to your hands, rub on a little more grease). Now form your rolls (1"-1.5" balls make a nice size roll, larger if you want buns); or you can roll out, add sweet roll fixings, and roll and cut; or you can roll out, fill with apricot filling and bake for nissua (with powdered sugar frosting). Like I said, it's a very versatile dough. For pepperoni rolls, I cube cheese (mozz is the kids' favorite), and slice the pepperoni - one of each wrapped in the center of each roll.

Place your formed goody on a pan, cover and set in a warm spot to rise for a bit (again, I'm impatient, so this rising usually doesn't last too long). When risen, bake at 400F until done -- time depends greatly on the form. Rolls take 10-15 minutes in the oven at 400F. If they are getting dark too quickly, turn the temperature down slightly. When you take them hot from the oven, brush the tops with butter. Honestly, they don't need anything after that!

Home made rolls - definitely my comfort food! What's yours?

Family Fun Snack

I know it's been a few weeks ... sorry for the lengthy break. I don't think anyone can deny that fall is upon us. The Market lot is full of the colors of fall, which are starting to bloom on all of the trees. I know, it's rainy, and there is definitely a chill in the air, but look on the bright side - it give you an excuse to light the home fires, crank up the stove and do some baking!

My kids are already bugging me about picking out their pumpkins. I can't wait myself. Sometimes I think we enjoy gutting the pumpkins more than carving them. And the kids absolutely LOVE the roasted pumpkin seeds. They are very easy to do, they just take time. First, seperate the seeds from the stringy stuff in the pumpkins - this is something we all work on as we are cleaning out the pumpkins for carving. I keep a bowl for the pumpkin seeds next to the bucket for the fleshy stuff.

Next, rinse the seeds in the sink to remove any adhereing goo (you can never get it all off - don't be too picky about it). I like my seeds salty, so I put them back in the bowl and soak them in heavily salted water, at least overnight.

The next day, lay out a bath towel. Drain the water from the seeds and dry them some on the towel - I usually spread them on half the towel, fold it over, and rub for a few minutes. Again, no need to be too picky, any remaining moisture will evaporate in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350F. I like my air cusion baking sheets for the roasting, because nothing burns on them. Coat the sheets with a little bit of olive oil, then spread the seeds out in a thin layer, and drizzle a little bit of olive oil over top. I also like to sprindle a little bit of additional salt over the seeds, as it helps to draw out the moisture.

Place in the oven, and set the timer for 10-15 minutes. When the timer goes off, use a spatuala to turn/stir the seeds. Repeat this process until the seeds are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then store in an air-tight bag or container.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of fiber. If you can't have the salt, then skip the soaking step and roast after rinsing them. You can season with your favorite salt substitute, or try something different, like chayenne pepper or rubbed sage.

What's your favorite fall snack? Please, share!!

The Leaves are Starting to Turn

Fall is fast approaching, and it puts me in mind of apples, and pumpkins, and all things fall. The changing seasons are my favorite . . . spring, when everything is coming to life and colors are starting to sprout from the ground . . . and fall when everything is going to sleep and colors are falling to the ground.

This is a wonderful time of year. A time to celebrate the harvest, and enjoy the crisp autumn air. A time to gather around bon fires with family and laugh together while roasting marshmallows. It is a time when I find myself waxing philosophical, mourning the loss of the long, lazy days of summer, but looking forward to the cozy evenings of winter in front of a fire, snuggled under a blanket and reading with the kids.

The children, of course, are looking forward to All Hallow's Eve. Right now, they are poring through costume magazines and trying to decide what they want to be. Next comes the traditional jack-o-lantern carving at our house, scooping out the pumpking guts and creating a frightening friend to light up the porch. Oh, and we always, always, always roast our pumpkin seeds. Finally, the big night comes, when they will join the other ghosts, goblins and ghouls to gather treats from the neighbors.

And at the Market the sweet, autumn smell of apples, fresh from the tree, is in the air, tempting the tastebuds and tantalizing the pallete with thoughts of warm apple crisp or apple pie, or apple custard fresh from the oven. This year, Russ has even gotten in large bins of the favorite varieties. Cortlands, Macintosh, Galas, and more, with a new variety coming in just about every week.

Speaking of apples, I can't wait until Octiber 17th when we will be holding our 4th Annual Apple Bake-off at the Market. This year, we are raising money for Camp Quality Ohio, where kids with cancer get to be kids, again. For those wonderful bakers and cooks out there, we invite you to put your best apple dish in the ring and see if yours will reign supreme this year. We will have three judges score all the dishes entered in the contest, and the three highest scoring dishes will receive prizes.

And if you don't bake, you should still plan to come out. We'll have entertainment in the Market, and once judging is complete (around 1pm) the leftover apple dishes will be available for you to try. All we ask is that you consider a donation to Camp Quality Ohio. In addition, we will be donating 5% of all sales on October 17th to Camp Quality Ohio. I hope you'll come out and join us for this wonderful event!

Now, if I could just figure out how to bottle the aroma of the Market that day . . .

THE Omelette

I'm not sure how many of you watch Russ on Conneaut AM Live with Pat Williams, but if you do, this week you saw the monster omelette he brought on to the show. I thought I would give you a glimpse of the kind of meal stretching that we do at our house.

The basis of that omelette started the night before with dinner. We wanted to have tacos, but due to a lack of hamburger or buffalo burger in the house opted for chicken tacos (don't know why we don't do this more often, I like them better then hamburger tacos anyway;).

The chicken taco 'recipe' is really easy. Here's what I do:

1. Pound the chicken breast out until they are ~1/3-1/2 inch thick all over (this helps them to cook more quickly and evenly, without drying out).

2. Sprinkle your favorite taco seasonings on the breasts (a mix of chili pepper, cilantro, salt, pepper, red pepper flake if you like it hot, is a simple combo that works great, or you can use one of those pre-fab packets).

3. Toss the seasoned chicken into a pre-heated, non-stick pan (add a little olive oil to get a nice sear) over medium-high heat and cook on each side until cooked through (about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how thawed they are). Note that in the winter when I'm making this dish, I would heat the over to 375F and roast the prepared chicken breasts - but that's just to get some extra heat into our chilly house ;).

4. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes, then take a couple forks and shred it into bite size pieces.

5. Return the chicken to the pan it was cooked in, add some additional taco seasoning, a couple tablespoons of corn meal (or more to taste) and enough water to make some sauce (for 4 breats, I probably added about a cup of water). Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to cook until the cornmeal is cooked and the sauce is thickened.

6. While the chicken filling is cooking, we lay out and prep all the other fixings - I usually get the kids to help with this. For our tacos, we like shredded cheese (your choice, I'm partial to the Buffalo Pepper Jack for tacos, but it is kind of warm), diced tomatoes, candy onions (sometimes I sautee them - yum), fresh salsa (I'll show you another trick when you have leftovers of this tasty stuff from the Market), black olives, shredded lettuce, jalepenos, taco sauce . . . in short, whatever you like on your tacos.

Now for my brood of seven it takes 4 chicken breast halves - two whole chicken breasts - in order to even hope to have any leftovers; and if you want the omelette in the morning, you'll need leftovers!

In the morning, pull out your favorite taco fixings left over from the night before. For the omelette Russ took on AM Live yesterday we heated up some leftover chicken filling and onions, but I've added a couple spoonfuls of salsa before, and that's a nice addition. All you have to do is heat the ingredients up, which won't take long.

Heat your non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add a little butter (I can't help it, I like the little shot of richness the butter adds to the eggs). Crack and scramble 4-6 eggs, adding salt, pepper and cilantro to taste). Once the skillet is heated, pour in the eggs, sprinkle a tablespoon of water around the edges of the pan, and cover the skillet. Let this cook until the egg is just about set on top (it will still be a little runny).

Once the egg is almost done, sprinkle shredded cheese over the egg, then spread the heated taco fixings over than, and cover the skillet. Allow this to cook until the egg is done and the cheese is melted, probably another few minutes is all it takes.

Serve with sour cream and salsa, with a little fresh cilantro as a garnish - yum!!

And as a bonus, for lunch that day, there was just enough chicken and cheese left over to make some chicken quesadillas! Triple yum out of four little chicken breasts. Now that's what I call stretching your food!

Oh, and I promised another tip with the fresh Market salsa - tired of cooking spaghettios for the kids as a snack? Try this healthy and easy alternative:

1. Cook some pasta (spaghetti, linguine, whatever you like) according to package directions, cooking only until al dante (still a little bite to the pasta). Strain the pasta.

2. In the pan you cooked the pasta in, dump some salsa (how much depends on how much pasta you made and how sausy you like it - I'm a dump kind of cook, so I'm not always real good about amounts, sorry;).

3. Add some parmesean cheese to the salsa and heat it over medium heat. Once it's heated through, add the drained pasta and toss to coat. Add salt/pepper to taste.

4. Serve with extra parmesean.

Simple, fresh, and better for you then that sodium-laden, mushy, over-cooked canned stuff.

Yep, it's all about stretching the food in our house. With seven mouths to feed, it's important. But equally important is teaching the kids that it doesn't have to come out of a can to be easy and good!

How do you stretch your food and/or food dollar? Please, share!!

Summer Is Winding Down

It is almost Labor Day. The kids are back to school. The days are getting shorter. I hate to say it, but summer is coming to an end. I hope every one is gorging themselves on the bounty of their gardens . . . tomatoes, corn, summer squash, cucumbers . . . these will soon give way to winter squash, pumpkins, and cabbage.

Why am I pointing this out? Well, if you like to can tomatoes or freeze corn - now is the time to do it. The tomato crop has been hit hard by the blight, but they are coming in strong now, and the time is ripe (like the pun?) to do you canning. By the way, if you don't have your own garden, you can buy tomatoes for $14/20lb box at the Market - while they last.

Don't know how to can tomatoes? Well I found a great web site that includes pictures and step by step instructions for canning tomatoes here. If, like me, you don't want to can the 'whole' tomato, by can cook your tomatoes down and run them through a food mill. Now, when I'm feeling lazy, I can the resulting juice (follow the instructions on the page for the canning part, I just toss a scant teaspoon of salt on the surface of the juice after filling the jar).

If I'm hankering for some fresh spaghetti sauce, I will go the extra mile and cook it down. Now this takes patience, and your yeild is going to go way down (tomatoes have a lot of water in them), but the result is like nothing you can buy in a grocery store. Juice the tomatoes (BTW: I never use just tomatoes; my 'tomato juice' is more like a V8, with any and all veggies that are ready at the time, including summer squash, onion, peppers, fresh basil, etc.) and put the resulting juice in an oven proof pan (I have a big roaster I've used for this, and also some big pots that work nicely). You can cook it down over LOW heat either on the stove top, or in the oven (~250F), but you have to make sure you stir it periodically. Allow it to simmer away until the sauce reaches the desired consistency (I like mine thick) - up to a couple days (yes I said days). One tip, DO NOT season the sauce until it is cooked down. Then can the sauce just as you do the juice or the whole tomatoes.

The time and labor are well worth the product. I never purchase tomato juice in the store - to me it always tastes like the can. I grew up on home canned tomato juice and sauce, and I'm hoping to pass the tradition on to my own children!

That brings me to corn, which I know I've discussed freezing before. If you want to freeze corn, there's probably only a week or so of full season left, so don't dally. If you want a full bag or two for canning (5 dozen ears in a bag), just give the Market a call and let them know so they can add it to the next order (440-599-2020). Remember, there is nothing like Ohio sweet corn that you'll be able to buy in the grocery store over the winter. This is another labor of love that is well worth the effort. Besides, corn is easy - shuck it, blanch it for 10 minutes, shock it in cold water, cut it off the cob, and put it in a freezer bag and freeze. What could be easier!

Trust me, come January you will be so glad you took the time and trouble to put up tomatoes and corn now!

Chicken Parmagiana

We had this for supper tonight, and it was so tasty I had to share. It's a pretty easy recipe. Here's what you'll need:

4 Chicken breast halves
3C Italian bread crumbs
1T Thyme
3 Eggs
2T Milk
1C Flour
Olive oil
jar of Spaghetti sauce (I used the Borelli mushroom sauce)
Parmagiana, grated
Mozarella, sliced

I use the chicken breast from the Market (of course) and pound it out flat in the package before I open it - you want the breasts to be ~1/2 inch thick.

First, put you fry pan on the stove to get it hot while youNow this is messy, get out three big bowls. Eggs and milk wisked together in one, in another put the flour, in the third stir together the bread crumbs and thyme and add salt and pepper to taste. First, dredge each chicken breast in flour, then dip it in the egg wash, then coat it in the bread crumbs. Now is a good time to pre-heat your oven to 400F.

Now it's time to cook the chicken. Don't overload your fry pan - in my favorite pan, I could only fit one breast at a time. Add one or two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, and fry the chicken until it is golden brown (about 5 minutes on each side, maximum). Drain the chicken on a paper towel.

Select a baking dish large enough to put all of the chicken in a single layer (or maybe two), coat the dish lightly with olive oil. Add half the tomato sauce to the bottom of the dish and spread it out. Arrange the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle parmagiana generously over the chicken, then cover it with a layer of mozzarella.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 400F - until the moz is bubbly and lightly browned. I heated the other half of the sauce on the stove top, so those of us who like sauce could add it to our side of pasta (the Kluski noodles make a nice liquine-type side, or if you prefer thinner pasta, the angel hair is a good choice). If you are a sauce lover, you can add the other half of the sauce over the chicken before putting on the cheese, but my family prefers less sauce on the chicken.

Now the recipes I looked at said that this would make 4 servings, but I did the four chicken breasts, and a pound of pasta, and it fed out family, so I'd say this was probably enough for 6 people to have pretty decent sized portions.

Chicken parm that beats a lot of restaurants, I would wager, and it really is quite easy. The kids love to help beat the chicken up, and mix the chicken coating, and sprinkle cheese. It's a very family-friendly recipe, and delicious to boot. Give it a try!!

Practical Ideas for Pest Control - Without Chemicals

The other day a customer requested that I stop by and help them identify the perennials they had planted in a raised bed. These raised beds were gorgeous, with Russian sage, meadow sage, lilies, grass pinks, sedum, etc. and though they had lost a few things (the gentleman admitted that he may have pulled some things by mistake), the gardens, by the time we got done pulling the worst of the weeds, were very nice. The one thing I noticed was the smell - not a lovely, damp dirt and flower perfume smell that is heavenly when you're gardening; but this awful cat urine odor that turned my stomach.

I suggested the cat-scat stuff that you can buy at a Lowes or Home Depot, but if you're like me, you prefer not to use chemicals. In my gardens, I always have to consider the animals and children that tend to play in them. Hence, todays topic. A friend sent me an email with the top ten uses for used coffee grounds, and one caught my eye:

"Kitty repellent. To keep kitty from using the garden as her personal powder room, sprinkle grounds mixed with orange peels around your plants."

Well, who would have thunk it - coffee grounds and orange peels - two of my favorite smells - will repel kitties. Chalk one up for beneficial reuse of waste! And it won't screw up my olefactory experience when I garden, either - double-bonus!

Also, I thought I'd post the sucking bug repellent we recommend to our customers for use on veggies, etc. It works quite well, though it does require re-application after a rain. I've actually updated the recipe based on experience with the spray over time:

Soak 3 ounces of finely minced garlic cloves and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for at least 24 hours. Slowly add 1 pint of water that has 1/4 ounce liquid soap or commercial insecticide soap mixed into it (I do this in a quart jar that I can screw shut with a lid). Thoroughly mix by shaking (this is the best way I've found to emulsify the oil) and then strain the concentrate into a glass jar for storage. To make up spray for application, add the concentrate at a rate of 1 to 2 Tablespoons of mixture to a pint of water. If this is effective, try a more dilute solution in order to use as little as possible.

For other natural bug spray recipes, check out the internet. There are tons of resources for the natural gardening - and a lot of them are cheaper than running to the store to buy the latest pesticide. Here's a couple links to get you started.

Canadian Country Woman: Natural Bug Sprays

About.com Natural Mosquito Repellents

Suite 101.com Organic Pest Control

Do you have some tips for organic gardening or a link you'd like to share? Please do!

Buffalo and Blue Burgers

I posted a photo of these little darlings on my Face Book page and was astounded by the response, so I thought I'd share the recipes I used in making them. They really are very easy, and once you bite into one, you'll think you're at one of those gourmet burger places - only better!!

First, you have to start with your burger. Now, if you're watching calories and fat, you can use buffalo, but be aware that when you are cooking buffalo burgers you must cook over a lower heat than you usually do with hamburger, and they don't take long to cook, so watch them.

I like to mix some spices into my meat before forming the burgers. I love the crushed garlic from the Market, because it mixes in so thoroughly. I also added salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper to the meat. That's all I used, but you can mix the spices of your choice into the meat, just don't overmix - it can make the meat kind of tough.

At best you can expect to get about 3 burgers per pound, but it depends on how large you like your burgers. I have experimented with a couple ways of forming them. One method is to take your burger for one portion, split it in half, and form two very thin patties. Place about a tablespoon of Cashel Irish Blue Cheese in the center of one patty and cover it with the other patty. Carefully pick the patties with cheese up and seal the edges, and form the final burger. Note that when you are using buffalo, the patties are very tender and tend to fall apart, so be careful, and patient. The extra fat in hamburger tend to make the meat easier to handle from that standpoint, so it is a tradeoff. But trust me, the buffalo is worth the extra effort!!

Another way to form them is to take your burger portion and form it into a ball. Poke a hole into the center of the ball and shove in the cheese, closing over the hole. Then flatten and form your burger as you normally would. This method makes it more difficult to really load the burger with cheese (maybe that's a good thing - lol), but you're also less like to lose it, as it is sealed in the center of the burger a little better.

Sautee the burgers over medium heat until cooked through. Some of the cheese may ooze out into the pan, but that ok. If you are feeling really indulgent, toast up your bun in the pan that you fried the burgers in - some of the cheese will crisp to the bun, making it extra yummy. If you have a working grill (we don't at the moment, darn) do the cooking on the grill!

As for the condiments, I think I've given you my guacamole recipe before, but here it is again for good measure:

2 avacadoes - ripe (they should give some, but offer resistence, when you press on the sides, we try to keep a few out of the cooler so they ripen. If it will be a few days before you make your guac, buy them out of the cooler, hard, and let them sit at room temperature and a day or so until ready. Guac really should be eaten as soon as it's made, thought I'm not above eating it the next day, though it isn't usually a real pretty green anymore, as the flesh of the avacado oxidized to a brownish green - still tastes great)
juice of one lemon (if you really enjoy the lemon flavor, add the zest, too)
Salt and pepper to taste

That's it, mash it all together and enjoy. Now avacados do have fat in them, but it's the good kind of fat, and they are also a great source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so don't turn your nose up because of the fat content. This is a much better for you spread than something like mayo. Give it a try!! By the way, if you want, you can add things to your guac - last night, I added about a tablespoon of finely chopped jalepeno, just because we like the heat, and since there was cilantro in the tomatillo salsa, I also added some to the guac (we love fresh cilantro;). My mom likes to add some of the Market prepared salsa to her guac. Experiment, and find what you like!

The Tomatillo salsa (actually, I'd call it more of a relish) recipe I used was from the Food Network is really good. I went a little heavy on the onion, and used the local candy onions from the Market. I also did NOT use a food processor, but just diced the ingredients and tossed them in a pot, but I tend to like my salsa chunky, so suit yourself.

Tomatillos, or husk tomatoes as they're also known, if you've never had them, are a little different to work with than their cousins, tomatoes. You'll want to husk them, and wash them (they have a waxy substance inside the husk, and it's sticky). The insides are much firmer, with little to no loose watery stuff like in a regular tomato.

You can add whatever other embellishments you like - a nice big slice of fresh, homegrown tomato and a slab of candy onion are two of my favorites - but forego the usual ketchup and mustard or mayo, and give these burgers a try. You won't be disappointed!!

Do you have any unusual condiments that you like on your burgers? Please, share!!

Summer Fare

Yes, 'fare' not 'fair' - I had to share our dinners the last couple nights. I love summer!

Last night's menu included a few left over scallops along with some montster shrimp, sauteed in butter and Old Bay seasoning. Candy onions, sauteed in butter and chicken base. Brie with orange-juice-soaked craisins and dried cherries, heated in the microwave (it was just too hot to turn on the oven). Sweet corn was the denouement - but I'm afraid I really didn't have room after everything else.

I think I've shared all of the above recipes in previous posts. Let me tell you, it was yummy, though as I told Russ, dinner was a little rich but boy was it good!

Tonight, we had Cashel Irish Bleu Cheese Stuffed hamburgers, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pancetta to dress the burgers (I had mine with a little Thousand Island dressing). We also had salad and corn on the cob (yes, we eat sweet corn just about every night while it's in season). Another gourmet meal - better than anything you can get at a restaurant, I'd wager!

Who can afford a dinner including pancetta and Cashel Irish Bleu Cheese, or an appetizer of brie with drunken fruit? Well, think about it this way. We're all cutting back, eating in to save money - but it doesn't mean you have to give up the good stuff. Once a week, instead of ordering out pizza, for the same amount of money you can splurge and spend an evening cooking a wonderful gourmet meal with your family. Become a frugal gourmet!

Summer Is Finally Here - Or Is It?

I hear this everywhere I go on a nice day: Summer is finally here! On the cooler, raineir days, the refrain changes to: Is summer ever going to come? Yep, folks, it has been a cool, rainy year; and that is causing some problems with crops. You may have noticed, corn was slow to come in this year.

Sweet corn like hot, humid days, and those have been few and far between this summer. Other crops have been similarly affected. Rain makes tender berries like raspberries tough, because when picked wet, they tend to mold even faster than usual. Blueberries seem to be doing pretty well (and boy are they yummy!), but there is no doubt that the screwey weather has affected the harvest season.

And fungi, yuck! You home gardeners out there that are battling the dreaded late blight on your tomato and potato plants know what I'm talking about. Conditions have been ideal for fungus-related diseases. Luckily, most commercial growers (yes, even organic growers often use fungicide - there are certified organic fungicides available, just as there are other pest deterrants) dust for these types of things to avoid crop problems.

So, it's been a weird growing season. But still, our growers are outdoing themselves. We have been making ourselves sick on sweet corn (I even have a package or two in the freezer ;). And the salads have been out of this world! So, I thought I'd share one of our family favorite summer salads.

Veggies & Feta with Balsamic Vinagrette

Adjust amounts to creat the size salad you need. This should feed ~6 people as a side. All amounts are approximate.

2 large tomatoes, wedged
2 avacadoes, cubed
1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, and 1 green pepper, seeded & cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 Candy onions, trimmed and wedged, with the leaves seperated
1 C crumbled Feta cheese (try the bulk from the Market - I will reserve just a tablespoon or two of the brine and add that to the dressing in leiu of some of the salt)
2-3 T olive oil (try the flavored olive oils from the Market - my fav is the garlic)
4-5 T balsamic vinegar
1-2 T lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste (you must TASTE, particularly for salt, you won't need much, especially if you use the feta brine in your dressing)

Now, I'm a one bowl kind of cook, so I prep all the veggies, and add the dressing ingredients right to the bowl, then toss all together to combine. It is a refreshing salad, and so easy to put together.

Hope you enjoy, and may summer come soon ;)

Finally . . . Ohio Sweet Corn

Ok, so maybe I jumped the gun just a little. The weather was kind of cold and wet, and we didn't get the local sweet corn in this past weekend. But . . . it'll be at the Market on Wednesday!!! I CANNOT WAIT!

There is just nothing like Ohio sweet corn. We've even had folks from the west coast, in town visiting relatives, stop in and ask if they could ship some home. They just don't grow sweet corn out there like we do here - at least that's what we hear. And I tend to believe it. My mouth is watering just thinking of my first bite of that crunchy, delicious sweetness ;)

So, in honor of the beginning of the sweet corn season here in Ohio, let's hear what your favorite ways to prepare and eat sweet corn are. Russ will just shuck it and eat it raw - which with fresh sweet corn is actually quite good (try it, really!). Personally, I like it boiled in hot water until it's crunchy tender (10 minutes, tops in already boiling water).

If I only have a couple ears left (definitely not enough for a package of frozen corn for my clan :) I'll cut it off the cob and add it to the endless container of salsa I keep in my fridge. I just love a good corn salsa. And if I'm feeling like I need a quick summer meal, add a can of drained/rinsed black beans. Healthy and yummy!

Anybody else like to share their favorite ideas for Ohio sweet corn? Please, share by leaving a comment!

Where is the Summer Going?

Well, the start of summer kind of passed me by. Spring was a-poppin' at the Market, and it's been a good year for gardening with the mild weather and intermittent rain (ok, maybe a little too much rain for my taste, but you haven't had to water, have you?). Now the local produce has started coming in, and we are eating GOOD!

Strawberries are over now, folks. Sorry if you missed 'em. They were wonderful as always, but I didn't get nearly as many put up as I would have liked, and only one batch of jam made - pitiful. The kids are going to be complaining this winter, so I'll probably end up taking some of the frozen strawberries and making jam later on.

Sweet corn - honest to God, Ohio sweet corn should be in this coming weekend - YEAH! Now I have to be better about getting the sweet corn done. We're out in the freezer, and that just has to change. Here's a tip, when you are making sweet corn for supper, cook twice as many ears as you think you'll eat. After supper, cut the corn off the cob, put it in a freezer bag and throw it into the freezer. If you eat corn as often as we do, this is a great way to restore you stock before corn season is over. Though I have to admit, we have a good time, and make it a family affair, when we do a big batch of sweet corn on Mom & Dad's back deck, where the mess doesn't matter. Nothing like being productive as a family!!

Other local produce that's in includes tomatoes, zucchini, candy onions . . . I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and more will be coming in as summer progresses. Stop by and check out the selection, and see what Darlene's been up to rearranging the store. Hopefully, you'll like what you see!

Finally, I'm going to share a really yummy recipe with you that is great for those hot summer days when you don't really want to turn on the oven or stove. If you're an avacado fan, you'll love it! If you're not, at least give it a try - like I tell my kids, you can't say you don't like a dish, it you don't at least taste it!

Chilled Avacado Soup

2 Avacados
1-2 T lemon juice (or more, to taste - Russ really likes more!)
2 cups (scant) chilled chicken stock (or 1 T chicken boulloin and 2 scant cups water)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Toss the above ingredients into a food processor and combine until creamy. If you like a thicker soup, you can add less chicken stock. If you want a vegetarian soup, try it with a vegetable stock. If you want it decadent, you can add light cream (which also makes a cool garnish swirled into the surface of a bown of the soup - if you like that Martha Stewart-style touch.). Chives and parsley also make a nice garnish, and can be added into the soup for an extra touch of flavor if you so desire.

Happy eating!!

Caleb's Carnival - THANK YOU!

Caleb’s Carnival was a huge success, and there are so many people who made it possible. We wanted thank all of the volunteers who donated their time before and during the event to keep things running smoothly. We also wanted to thank the following organizations for their generosity:
Anthony's
Applebees
Army Navy Store
Auto Zone
Biscotti's Family Winery
Buffalo Wild Wings
Cable Suite 541/Pat Williams Show - Coverage
Carnivals 4 a Cause
Charisma Brands ( Marie Osmand Doll Collection)
Chop's
City Center Garden Market
Clear Channel Radio - Coverage
Cleveland Cavaliers
Community Auto Center
Conneaut Fire Station #1
Conneaut High School Music Booster Club
Crows Nest
Dairy Queen
Danielle Nicolet-From the Starter Wife Television Show
Darden North, MD
El Puente Mexican Grill
Family Dollar
First American Cash Advance
Fun Time-Mentor
John & Sue Chapin
Lake Erie Auto
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Marcy's Funeral Home
Marty Landon -DJ
Max Wasa
McDonalds
Optomist Club
Orlando Brothers
Patricia K. Batta
Port Conneaut Federal Credit Union
Praxiar
Pro-Sales Solutions

Roberta Gellis
Sanford Sandwichs
Save A Lot
Schwebels Bread
Shefields Tents
Smokin' T's
Splash Lagoon
State Farm
Tanning 54
Time Warner Cable
Water World
The Hair Shack
Starlite Video
Film Fest Video
Quiznos
Port Conneaut Florists
Conneaut Theatre
Conneaut FOP
And finally, a huge THANKS to everyone who attended. With your help, we were able to raise over $2,400 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – and have a great time doing it!
Can’t wait for next year!

Russ & Kenna Coltman

Ben, Zana, Ethan, Quin, and of course, Caleb!

CALEB'S CARNIVAL - May 23, 11am-5pm, by CCGM

Well, it’s spring at the Market, and besides veggies, flowers, and hanging baskets, it is time for our annual fund raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Caleb’s Carnival.

First, I thought it might be good to provide an abbreviated history of Caleb’s Carnival. It is named for a remarkable little boy from Conneaut, Ohio who has a disease called Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia or CML for short. He was diagnosed two years ago, in July 2007. He spent 5 days in the Pediatric ICU, followed by 10 days in the Immunodeficiency Ward, and during that entire time, he was unflagging in his cheerfulness, even given the poking, prodding and general discomfort of what he was going through.

Now, two years later, Caleb is in remission. All he has to do is take three little pills a day, and the leukemia that had distended his spleen to the point that it took up nearly his entire abdomen, is held at bay. It is a miracle; and would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the researchers at Novartis, and the funding from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

So when Aunt Babe decided to become a very active participant in the LLS Light the Night Walk, we joined her whole-heartedly in forming Caleb’s Walkers. Brainstorming ways to raise money for this worthwhile and now very personal cause, Caleb’s Carnival was born. We held the first annual Carnival on Caleb’s birthday in 2008, and the event was a wonderful success. We think this year will be even better.

Heather Lindberg and Carnival’s for a Cause have put together a wonderful lineup of family fun for the day, including tug of war, egg toss and a sack race, as well as other games for the kids, with some great door prizes generously donated by local businesses and friends (I’ll get a list posted soon, thanking everyone – I’m constantly blown away by everyone’s generosity).

In addition, there will be food provided by Sav-a-Lot and the Conneaut High School Music Boosters, as well as barbecue from Smokin’ T’s. Brad’s Bouncy House in Erie will be providing a space for kids to work out some of their energy. There will be musical entertainment provided by the Erie Traveler’s and friends. And we are very excited to have two of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Cheerleaders coming to sign autographs and join in some of the fun activities.

We hope you’ll be able to join us on May 23, 2009 between 11am and 5pm in Chapin’s lot, next to the City Center Garden Market. The Market will be donating 5% of the sales from that day to the LLS in honor of Caleb, and is accepting cash donations ahead of the Carnival as well. Or, you can donate online at our donations page.

But we really hope you’ll be there to wish Caleb a happy birthday and join in the festivities!

Baked Brie with Drunken Fruit

Ingredients:
Sheet of Puff Pastry (I know, I usually don't recommend buying prepared foods, but for this I'll make an exception - if you have a recipe for puff pastry from scratch you'd be willing to share - please do!)

Round of Brie (CCGM carries Joan of Arc, which is excellent in this recipe)

1/4-1/2 cup Dried fruit (we really like craisins and/or dried tart cherries as a counter to the creamy cheese, but you can use any dried fruit you like)

1/4 cup Almonds (slivered or chopped)

Drambuie

2-3 T Brown Sugar

Instructions:
Soak the dried fruit in the Drambuie (enough to cover the fruit - you can substitute part of all of the Drambuie with orange juice if you want) - if you don't have time to wait for the fruit to plump, throw it in the microwave (30 seconds, tops), as this helps the plumping process along.

Put the Brie in the center of the puff pastry sheet. Sprinkle fruit, brown sugar, and almonds over the cheese and drizzle on some of the Drambuie for good measure (you don't want it too juicy). Wrap it up like a little present, and bake in the oven according to the puff pastry directions (usually 20-30 minutes at 350F).

Allow to cool for a few minutes - if you can stand it. Cut into servings (Russ and I can eat half of one of these each, but we're kind of piggish;). ENJOY!

Crustless Spinach Pie

Just had to share this recipe. It is easy and delicious. Try different green, cheese, and spice combos to add variety! Great for some of the cold-weather crops we talked about last time!!

Crustless Spinach Pie

Preheat oven to 350F

1/4 C butter (Amish, yum)
3 eggs (fresh brown eggs)
1 C flour
1 C milk
1 t garlic powder (or chopped fresh garlic)
1 t baking powder
12 oz shredded cheese (try some Adam's Reserve Sharp)
4 C chopped fresh spinach

Melt butter in 9x13 pan.
Beat eggs well, add flour, milk, garlic (powder or fresh chopped), baking powder. Add to the 9x13 pan. Stir in cheese and spinach. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 6.

Some possible add-ons include: pan-fried pancetta, sauteed onions, asparagus, mustard greens, just to name a few. Spice options include ginger (you've never lived if you haven't tried fresh chopped ginger in scrambled eggs - I imagine it would be equally delicious in this recipe), fresh dill, basil, perhaps with some lightly pan fried grape tomatoes (just enough to evaporate some of the liquid).

The possibilities are endless. Try it out and share your favorites!

Th

Cold Weather Gardening

SPRING!! Am I ever ready. It’s been a cold winter, with lots of snow, but spring is just around the corner. It may be a bit early to start planting (at least outside), but it is the perfect time to start planning.

If you like to start your own tomatoes, peppers etc. in the house, it’s definitely time to get the grow lamp out, and start checking the packets for sprouting times. You want to get the seeds into the peat pots in time for them to be ready to plant after the last frost – usually around the middle to end of May here in the northeast corner of Ohio (believe it or not the middle of May is only 8 weeks away, folks!).

Personally, I’m not big on starting my own plants. I’ve tried it in the past and always end up with spindly, pale looking plants (likely because I’ve never invested in a heated greenhouse or a grow light). I truly admire those that can and do. Me, I’ll stick with getting my plants for the garden at the Market – CCGM’s growers are far more talented than I at nurturing hardy, healthy plants for the home gardener!

However, cold weather crops are a wonder to me. I love those early spring mixes and peas. I’m thrilled when the asparagus first nudge out their little green heads, and the rhubarb begins to show its colors. These are the first sign of the wonderful food to come during the local growing season!

As soon as the ground can be worked, it’s time to start planting. Peas, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce (I’m big on the spring mixes, but we also have our favorite greens), arugula, onions, spinach, potatoes, . . . there are so many veggies that don’t mind the chill in the air of a northeastern Ohio spring. And it is so cheering to go out and watch your early plantings sprout and grow – even when there’s still some snow on the ground!

Here is a link to an OSU Extension blurb on growing cold weather crops:

http://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/bygl-newsletters/hort-shorts/44-april-17-2008/108-planting-cool-season-vegetables

If you have never done so before, I hope you will find the joy of getting an early start to the vegetable growing season in Ohio. Seeds are in at the Market, and if you need any advice on getting started, feel free to ask – that’s what we’re there for! It’s also time to get in your bare-root orders – trees, blueberries, strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb – we only get in a limited supply, so now is the time to reserves yours!

What veggies do you plant early? Do you enjoy the cold weather gardening? And for those of you with the green thumbs, any hints or tips on starting your own tomatoes, peppers and other warm weather crops inside?

Please share – and don’t forget to THINK SPRING!

Hot Tamale Pockets

Our 6-year-old, Ethan, loves to put these tasty little pockets together, and they’re a huge hit with the entire family!

Shopping List: Ground Beef, garlic (crushed garlic*) Monterey Jack Cheese (we use cheddar, or whatever your family favorites are), Taco Seasoning, Corn Meal, 2-3 ears of corn, CCGM Fresh Salsa, Sour Cream, Cilantro, Tortilla Chips (optional).

Directions: Preheat oven to 450F. Brown ground beef in a skillet (if not non-stick, use a little bit of oil so meat doesn’t stick). Finely chop two cloves of garlic (alternatively use crushed garlic*). Add garlic, 1 t salt, ¼ C water, 2 T corn meal, and 4 T of Taco Seasoning to the meat and mix. Allow to cook until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat.

While meat is browning, prepare corn bread mix (kids can help with the mixing): Blanch the corn (or you can cook it for a couple minutes, in the husks, in the microwave). Cut corn from the cob. In a bowl, combine corn, 1 ½ cups cornmeal, 2 T flour, 2 T sugar, 1 t salt, and 3 t of baking powder. Add 2 eggs and 2/3 cup milk. Mix quickly just until moistened. Add 1 T vegetable oil and stir in.

Cut sheets of foil into ~12”x12” squares and spray lightly with oil or non-stick cooking spray (kids like this part!). Now you’re ready to begin assembly. In center of each sheet of foil, put ~ ½ C of meat and flatten slightly. Top with ~ ¼ C of corn bread mix. Double fold sides and ends of foil to seal the pocket, leaving head space for heat circulation. Place completed pockets on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

We serve ours in the packet (open carefully!). Serve with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro sprigs. If you want some crunch, serve tortilla chips on the side.

1 lb of beef makes ~6 packets. You may have cornbread mix left over, which you can put in an oven-proof dish and bake with the packets for a yummy side of corn bread. If you’re feeling a bit lazy, like I do on a weeknight after a busy day at work, you can, alternatively, make this as a casserole, rather than individual packets.

ENJOY!

Fast Food Without the Golden Arches

Between work, kid activities, and some precious me time, sometimes meal planning just doesn’t happen. What happens then? You turn to those convenient pre-packaged meals – many of which are loaded with salt and preservatives, and taste more like the package they came in then the ‘food’ they’re meant to be.

Well, here at CCGM we think about food a lot, and we thought maybe we could give folks a break on meal planning, by putting together some meal ideas for you to consider, along with an ingredient shopping list, and complete preparation instructions.

Need a quick, easy meal to throw together after work and flag football? Here’s one your kids can help with. The *’d items are pre-prepared foods that you can substitute.

Easy Marinara Pasta with Cheesy Garlic Bread

Shopping List:
Garlic (fresh or crushed*)
Whole Grain Loaf of bread
Fresh basil
Amish Butter
Fresh or Dried Pasta
2 tomatoes, 1 pepper, 1 onion (Fresh Salsa*)
Fresh Mozzarella (pearls, balls or even Middlefield mozz work, choose your fav)
Stella Parmesan Cheese
Coarse salt (Kosher or Sea), pepper, oregano

Pre-heat oven to 350F and place a large pot of water on to boil. Place ½ cup of Amish butter in a microwave-safe bowl and soften it in the microwave (if it melts, no biggie, you want it very soft). Add a tablespoon (or less to taste) of diced (or crushed*) garlic and crushed pepper – let the kids mix away while you cut the whole grain loaf in half length-wise and place it on a large cookie sheet. Get out the pastry brush and let the kids paint the two halves of the bread with the butter mixture. If using fresh mozz, drain it, reserving the oil. Pearls can be sprinkled over bread as is (watch out, they roll!), balls would be best sliced, and block could be grated (good job for the kids). Sprinkle sparingly with coarse salt (kosher or sea salt work best). Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and just beginning to brown.

Set the kids to grating the parmesan cheese. Dice the tomatoes, peppers and onions (alternatively, buy two containers of CCGM’s Fresh Salsa*) and cut the basil into ribbons. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of reserved oil from the mozzarella (use olive oil, if you don’t have reserved oil), to the skillet. Add the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until peppers are soft and onions are translucent. Add the basil (reserve some for garnish) and reduce heat to low.

If cooking fresh pasta, cook small amounts (one package) at a time. Once water is boiling, remove pasta from package, fluff it and add it to the water. It only takes one or two minutes to cook, so don’t walk away. Remove pasta to a colander and rinse with hot water. If cooking dry pasta, place in pot once water is boiling and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes, until done (depending on how ‘toothy’ you like your pasta). TIP: Let the kids pick out the flavor of pasta – there are lots to choose from.

Place pasta on plate, ladle sauce over it, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with basil. Serve with cheesy garlic bread.

ENJOY!

Introducing . . .

PRACTICAL: "adapted or designed for actual use; useful."
(from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/practical ).

LOCOVORE: “Someone who exclusively (or at least primarily) eats foods from their local foodshed or a determined radius from their home (commonly either 100 or 250 miles, depending on location). By eating locally, most locavores hope to create a greater connection between themselves and their food sources, resist industrialized and processed foods, and support their local economy.”
(from http://localfoods.about.com/od/localfoodsglossary/g/locavore.htm ).

I’ve been thinking about the goal of our little Market in Conneaut, Ohio. When my husband and I opened it three years ago, we had grand ideas, but as with any dream, it was grounded by reality. There are limits to what can be obtained locally, but as much as possible, we get the foods offered in the Market from the north coast. What we can’t get locally, we try to obtain from local importers – like our loose-leaf tea supplier, and our locally-roasted coffee supplier.

So I decided on “The Practical Locovore” as the title for our blog. While we try to practice the locovore lifestyle, we do so in a practical way, with a few vices thrown in for good measure. With this blog, we will offer our strategies, advice and random thoughts on becoming a practical locovore. We hope you’ll find it as rewarding as we have!