Life on the Farm
When deer congregate under the apple tree and crows drop apples in the driveway for a peck fest, it’s time to make apple jelly. The deer and crows tell us the apples are just starting to ripen. Apples that aren’t...
What to do when you wake up in the morning to below freezing temperatures and the power out? For me, first thing I want is a cup of hot coffee to jump-start my brain. But with the power out, my...
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,...
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...
When the cucumbers begin to ripen in my garden, I can’t wait to a make cucumber salad. We often have it for lunch with slices of freshly baked bread, although I might also serve it as a side dish for...
The recipe format I use follows a sensible system I learned several decades ago that makes much more sense to me. Instructions are given in a column on the left, with ingredients listed, in their order of use, in a column on the right.
