Life on the Farm
At the end of the gardening season, when frost threatens, I wander around looking for stragglers that might freeze. I invariably find a few young dill plants that missed their scheduled spring sprouting. That’s when I think of making Thousand...
The herb mache is as easy to grow as a weed — because it is a weed, or once was. Mache (Valerianella locusta) started out as a weed growing in European grain fields. It has become so popular as a...
You can make homemade tomato paste by cooking down the liquid from fresh tomatoes until you get the consistency of paste, then process the results in canning jars. But here’s a much easier way to make your own tomato paste....
This simple but delicious summer squash and tomato salad makes a nice light lunch. We typically make this salad with small zucchinis from the garden, plus either bell pepper or kohlrabi. Including the kohrabi or bell pepper is entirely optional,...
One of the many reasons to keep dairy goats is to make your own yogurt. It’s not only good for you and delicious, it’s also super easy. All you need is fresh milk and a starter culture. The starter culture...
An herb that grows in the garden and can be used as a sugar substitute sounds too good to be true, so of course I had to try it. Naturally sweet stevia has now taken its place on my list...
Creamed honey is often called whipped honey. If you wish to make your own, the first thing you need to know is this: Whipped honey is not whipped. You actually do not want to incorporate any air into so-called whipped...
Lebkuchen are spicy honey cookies traditionally served at Christmas time in Germany, and are an essential part of Christmas in our household. These cookies are not only delicious, but also pretty enough to give as gifts. Large and round, they...
Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugar and water, which means it contains more sugar than the water can naturally dissolve. Honey crystallizes when the water releases excess sugar. If you’ve ever had the fun of making rock candy, you...
A dishwasher safe non-stick griddle plate will accumulate a film of burnt-on food residue, no matter how careful you are. And the gunk seems to sneak up — the griddle looks clean, until one day it suddenly isn’t. That’s the...
