You can get tasty chicken or beef stock pretty much anywhere. About 15 years ago when I foolishly tried to buy good veggie stock I was surprised to find that all of them kind of sucked. Is that slander? I tried five different kinds and they ranged from tinny to watery. So I decided to… Continue reading Essense of the Garden (aka: veggie stock)
Arrgh! Fruitflies!!!
This is just a short post with a tip you might need right about now. How to get rid of the swarms of fruit flies in your kitchen? Simple! First of all, try moving all your exposed water and produce into a bag or a fridge. It doesn't hurt to move your compost bucket further… Continue reading Arrgh! Fruitflies!!!
Backyard Tent Time
We are still having the most wonderful warm weekends in the Willamette Valley. The kids are bored with the pool, the water table, the chickens, the garden, and anything else that we've been doing all summer. Maybe the same is true for you? If you are looking for a different way to lounge away the… Continue reading Backyard Tent Time
Summer Veggie Quiche
I actually can't believe I have had my little city-country food blog for almost a year and have never blogged about QUICHE! We eat quiche around here all the time. It is much easier than it seems and is a great way to use surplus veggies and eggs. All quiches are fundamentally the same: pastry… Continue reading Summer Veggie Quiche
Ahh…. sweet corn
“Sex is good. But not as good as fresh, sweet corn” –Garrison Keillor My grandparents owned and lived on a corn farm. There were lots of other things grown there at different times, but while I was around, there were three main crops. Corn, grass hay, and tulips. The boys did all the haying while we… Continue reading Ahh…. sweet corn
Freezing Kale
Is kale still all the craze? I was a little late to that party... too many hours in food service arranging the near-plastic green stuff around salad bars and catering trays. And even though I had conceded to eat it, my kale consumption was largely restricted to kale chips and a heartier version of Chard… Continue reading Freezing Kale
Padron Peppers – some hot, some not
Padrón peppers (Spanish: pimientos de Padrón) are a variety of peppers (Capsicum annuum) from the municipality of Padrón in the province of La Coruña, northwestern Spain.[1] These are small peppers (about 5 cm long), with a color ranging from bright green to yellowish green. Their peculiarity lies on the fact that, while their taste is usually mild,… Continue reading Padron Peppers – some hot, some not
Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
Everyone who grows zucchini will eventually have one or two zucchini that are WAY too big to eat normally. It's not your fault, the leaves grew up over it, the light was bad, you were on vacation, blah blah blah. I had my first one of the season about two weeks in this year. Oops!… Continue reading Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
Crocodile Chips (aka.: Refrigerator Pickles)
I was never a huge pickle fan until I ran across this recipe years ago in New York. I was working at a restaurant called Bubby's Pie Company, and they threw these "quick pickles" together in the summertime to go with their brioche cheeseburgers. They are sweet, crunchy, spicy and tangy. It's great when you… Continue reading Crocodile Chips (aka.: Refrigerator Pickles)
Laundry can be fun!
Okay, maybe laundry can't ever be FUN, but it can be MORE fun if you let it be. A few creative additions to your laundry area can create a space that makes you want to be there. A couple simple organization tips and some really good cleaning products don't hurt anything either. This is my… Continue reading Laundry can be fun!
Art Farm Oregon 