Recipe - Sweet Potato Cornbread

This is a recipe I have not made since 2012, because I have not had any of my own sweet potatoes since then.  I am thinking that this year I will have to grow some sweet potatoes, for sure.  I believe that I made it the first time for Thanksgiving in 2012.  I am not a huge cornbread fan, always seems to be a little too dry for me, but this was not your average cornbread.  It is the most moist cornbread I have ever had.  I think the sweet potatoes were what made it so very moist. 

Sweet Potato Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed sweet potato
2 tablespoons butter
    + enough milk to make 1 cup
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together cornmeal, salt and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, stir together sweet potato, milk, butter (melted and cooled), and eggs.  Mix dry ingredients together with wet.  Pour into a 9"X9" casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes.

Recipe - Stuffed Garlic Chicken Breasts (in a cast iron skillet)

Here is a recipe that I just cooked up today, for the first time, and let me tell you it was very very good.  I used a cast iron skillet, but I am sure if you do not have one you could just cook it in a regular pan on the stove, and then transfer the chicken into a casserole, but I would highly recommend using a cast iron skillet.  

Stuffed Garlic Chicken Breasts (in a cast iron skillet)
Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup salted butter
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the cream cheese, 3/4 the garlic and onion, and the red pepper flakes. 
Cut each chicken breast almost in half, to create a pocket for stuffing.  Stuff each chicken breast with cream cheese mixture, and secure breast closed with toothpicks.  Season each side of chicken with salt and pepper. 
Heat oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet.  Sear chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer to oven and bake covered for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, and cook until almost translucent.  Add vinegar and barbecue sauce, and heat through. 
Remove skillet from oven and pour the sauce over the chicken.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the chicken.
Return the chicken to the oven and bake covered for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until done.


To be served with the chicken I made some rice, but not just plain ordinary white rice.  Instead of adding water to the rice I added a can of my homemade vegetable stock and a can of homemade turkey stock.  I will have to explain in a future post how I make my homemade canned stock.  I use them in everything. 

Recipe - Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

This recipe is the perfect Thanksgiving recipe because it is so easy, all you have to do is throw it all together in a slow cooker and mix it every now and then.  It can pretty much stay in the crock pot on low until you are ready to serve.  So easy, and so much better than plain sweet corn.

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
1 quart and 1 pint of canned corn (or an equivalent amount of frozen corn or store bought canned corn)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on high for the first hour, then lower temperature to low for 2 to 4 more hours.

Recipe- Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is one of the pumpkin pies that I make for Thanksgiving this year, and I know pumpkin time is pretty much over now, but it was so good that I just have to share the recipe.  I was not sure how I would like the idea of a pumpkin cheesecake, it just did not sound to great to me, but boy was I wrong.  It is very good, and so easy to make.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) deep dish prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time.  Remove 1/2 of the batter and spread into the bottom of crust, and set aside.  To the remaining batter in the bowl add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, an stir gently until well blended, and spread over the batter in the crust.  Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is set.  Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.  Enjoy!


Graham Cracker Crust
(use for Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake)
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended.  Press mixture into a 9 inch (for above recipe deep dish) pie plate.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.  Cool.  If recipe calls of unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.  (For above recipe I did not chill.) 

Recipe - Toasted Garlic Bread

Someone has brought it to my attention that I need to post some of my recipes from Thanksgiving.  I use to post recipes, but have not done so for a long time, so now that I have been inspired, here we go.  I have decided to try and post a recipe every week (at least for the next couple months, since I do not have any shows or markets to attend), so here is my first recipe of the week:  Toasted Garlic Bread

I made this the first time for Thanksgiving this year.  It is sooo easy and sooooo good!  After Thanksgiving I made this again to use up some french bread I had sitting around.  I cooked up about a half a loaf of french bread and me and my parents ate the hole thing  right away.

Toasted Garlic Bread
 about 1/2 a loaf of my French Bread (sliced)
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella cheese for to of bread

In a small bowl mix butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  Spread the mixture on the bread slices.  Low broil for about 5 minutes, or until bread just starts to brown.  Watch carefully to make sure they do not burn.  Remove from oven and top with cheese, return to broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is desired brownness.  Enjoy! 

Pancakes with Veggies

This morning I decided to make pancakes for breakfast.  I made my buttermilk oatmeal pancakes.  When I had about a quarter of the batter left I came up with the idea to add some of my veggies to the mix.  I chopped up real fine, a sweet pepper, tomato, some kale, and a small summer squash.  I then added it all to the pancake batter and cooked just like I did the rest of the pancakes.  It gave the pancakes a nice hearty vegetable taste.

So next time you are making up your favorite pancakes try adding some veggies for something a little different.

Eggs and Veggies for Breakfast

I have been so busy lately preparing for the Pumpkin Festival I have not had a chance to make up a really good breakfast.  So since the Pumpkin Festival is over now I figured I had to make up a really good breakfast.

Chopped up scallions, shallots, summer squash, peppers, tomatoes, kale, and swiss chard.

All of which I added to the eggs.

Scrambled Eggs with Veggies, and Toasted Onion Bread

You can use any combination and quantity of veggies that you wish here is what I used.

Ingredients:

Scallions

Shallot

Sweet Peppers 

Tomatoes

Kale and Swiss Chard

Summer Squash

Garlic Clove

A little Basil

1 Pound Ground Pork

Eggs with a little Milk

Mozzarella Cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Over medium heat add the butter, scallions, shallot, and ground pork.  Cook until meat begins to cook through.  Then add the peppers and summer squash.  When they begin to soften add kale, swiss chard, garlic, basil, tomatoes, eggs and milk.  Just before you remove from heat add the cheese, mix to melt cheese and remove from heat.

I like to toast up some bread, and eat the scrambled eggs with the toast kind of like a sandwich.

Homegrown Tea

Today's market at Brunswick was cold and windy.  When I got home I felt all stuffy and chilly from being outside for half the day in the cold.  So I figured, perfect day to make some tea, and after I did I felt so much better.

Ingredients:

Chamomile flowers dried

Spearmint

Basil

Garlic

Honey

Water (of coarse)

I take a tea ball and fill it with chamomile, spearmint and basil.  I mostly use chamomile and spearmint.  I add the tea ball to the water in the pan, and bring it to a boil.  Once it begins to boil I add the garlic (about one clove, cut into slivers), and remove the pan from heat and cover.  Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.  Fill the mug, add the honey, and enjoy.

I have never been a tea person, but once I started to grow my own herbs and made my own tea out of everything I grew myself, to me it seemed so much better than the store bought stuff.

Pasta with Mustard Greens

Pasta with Mustard Greens

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz. bags) kale rigatoni

8- 10 mustard green leaves (chopped)

2 scallions (chopped)

4- 5 garlic scapes (chopped)

1 lb. ground pork sausage

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, and set aside.  Brown ground pork sausage with 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan until no longer pink.  Add scallions, garlic scapes, milk and remaining (2 tablespoons) butter; cook for approx 5- 10 minutes longer.  Then add cooked pasta, parmesan cheese, and mustard greens, cook for few more minutes, until the the mustard greens just begin to wilt.  Serve warm, and if desired you can top with parmesan cheese on top. 

Note: You could also use heavy cream in this recipe instead of the milk.  I just used the milk because when I made this I did not have any heavy cream.  If you are going to use the heavy cream I would add 1 cup in place of 1/2 cup milk.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have not done a post in a very long time, so since the other day I make a really good chicken noodle soup out of all our canned foods I figured I would do a post about my homemade chicken noodle soup.

All I had to do was throw everything together and heat it up.  First went in the two jars of turkey broth, which was made from the left over bones from our Thanksgiving turkey.  I also added vegetable broth, which was made from celery, potatoes, garlic and turkey broth, and about a pint of water.  Then I added the corn, and cut up about half the can of garlic scapes and added them too.  I then added the liquid from the canned chicken, cut up the chicken into bite size pieces and threw it in.  Last I added the beans since they are canned and already soft and I did not want to them to boil for too long.  I cooked up the pasta separately and added it to the bowl before eating.

That was it, and it was soooo good!

Left to Right

Pickled Garlic Scapes, Corn, Canned Chicken Breasts, Mixed Beans, Vegetable Stock, and Two Cans of Turkey Stock and in the front Garlic Rigatoni Pasta

 

Recipe- Goat Cheese Pasta with Micro Greens

Goat Cheese Pasta with Micro Greens

 

 Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package kale rigatoni

1 (8 oz.) package rosemary garlic rigatoni

1 lb. smoked kielbasa (sliced)

1/4 cup goat milk cheese

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1 container brown mustard micro greens (approx. 1 cup)

1 container sunflower micro greens (approx. 1 cup)

4 medium cloves garlic (minced)

8 medium turnips (sliced) and about 1 cup turnip greens (chopped)

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain and add goat milk cheese and parmesan cheese, set aside.  To a large frying pan add butter, kielbasa and turnip roots.  Cook over medium heat until turnips are slightly browned and softened, and kielbasa is slightly browned.  Then add garlic and turnip greens, cook until greens start to wilt, then add micro greens and cook until just wilted (will not take very long).  Remove from heat, add pasta, combine and serve.

Note:  If you do not have any turnip greens or micro greens you and change things up by adding any type of greens that you like, maybe some arugula or kale.  You can also use any type of rigatoni pasta you like, but I would suggest a thicker type of pasta for this recipe, which is why I used the rigatoni.

Basil Butter

I have had a lot of basil this year and have been trying to find ways to use it all up.  One of the things I have been making out of my basil is basil butter.  I have a ton of it frozen already and so far I think I like the basil butter better than pesto.  Pesto of course has a much stronger basil taste, while basil butter adds a milder more pleasant basil flavor.  I love it on toast, or you can also add it to whatever dish you may be cooking in place of regular butter.  If you make a lot of it up like I have been you can just freeze it.

Mixed basil leaves ready to be made into basil butter.

This is a mixture of sweet, lemon, lime, blue spice, cinnamon, and genovese red freddy basil.

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How to make Basil Butter:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves (you can use a mix of whatever types of basils you want, when I make mine I just mix everything together)

1/2 pound of butter, softened

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a food processor, chop basil.  Add butter, lemon juice, pepper, garlic and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Drop tablespoons onto a baking sheet, and freeze, or you can also wrap in wax paper, form into sticks, lay out on baking sheet, and freeze.  After frozen you can place frozen butter into freezer bags.  Can be used on toast, to flavor chicken, fish, vegetables, or basically any way you would use regular butter or pesto.

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 Basil butter ready to be frozen on baking sheet.

Some basil butter ready to be frozen in sticks.

Fall Spiced Rigatoni with Pumpkin Sauce

I have a new pasta available called Fall Spiced Rigatoni Pasta.  Today I turned some pumpkin puree into a nice sauce for my Fall Spiced Rigatoni.  Here is the recipe:

Fall Spiced Rigatoni with Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients:
1 (8oz.) package Fall Spiced Rigatoni Pasta (cooked according to package directions)
1 lb. pork sausage
2 tbls. butter (divided)
1 small pie pumpkin
1 1/2 pint container heavy whipping cream
About 8-10 large kale leaves (torn into pieces)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cut pumpkin in half, scrape out insides and seeds.  Place in a casserole with about 1/2 inch of water on the bottom.  Place a little bit of butter in to each pumpkin half, altogether equaling about 1 tablespoon.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until inside is soft.  Once pumpkin is cooled remove puree and set aside.  In a large deep saucepan over medium heat brown sausage in 1 tablespoon butter.  Once sausage is browned add heavy whipping cream and pumpkin puree.  Over medium heat cook for about 5 minutes, then add kale and cooked rigatoni pasta, cook for approximately 5 minutes longer, remove from heat, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.


There is no sugar in this recipe (I try to stay away from sugar myself), but if you would like it to be sweet, I do not see why you couldn't add some brown sugar to this dish.  Also another thing I plan to try is to add some chopped nuts to the recipe.

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For more pasta recipes do not forget to visit our Pasta Page.

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Homemade Turkey Stock

A few days after Thanksgiving I made some homemade turkey stock.  If you have a pressure canner, it is really pretty simple, and does not really take as long to make as I thought it would.  I followed the instructions on the National Center for Home Food Preservation site.  You can check it out Here. 

Basically what I did was place the turkey carcass with most of the meat removed in a large pot covered it with water and added about 4 stems of my celery (cut up) and about 4 or 5 medium size carrots (cup up) to the pot.  I boiled it for about 1 hour, until the meat could easily be removed from the bones.  Then I removed the meat and added back into the pot with the broth.  Then filled the jars with broth along with the meat and veggies, and filled within 1" from the top.  Then pressure canned it for 25 minutes.  In the end I ended up with 12 pint jars of turkey broth.

 Homemade Turkey Broth

So the other day I used the first jar of turkey broth and made some rice.  Here is what I used:

1 pint jar of turkey broth (about 1 1/2 cups broth, I used the meat and veggies from in the broth also)

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbls. butter

2 cups white rice

4 or 5 medium size turnips (skinned and cut into cubes)

I mixed everything together in the pot and cooked it according to the package directions.  When it was done I added a little more butter and some salt, and I think it came out pretty good.

Cooking at the Farm

I do not live where I grow so when I get hungry I either have to bring food with me or pick food to eat.  So the other day, I brought foil, butter, some of my greens and garlic seasoning, some sausage, a knife and a fork and in the end this is what I ended up with.

 

I picked a scallion, a turnip, garlic, some celery, a three summer squashes, some sweet peppers, a green tomato, some broccoli, snow peas and shelling peas, and some swiss chard (that is not in the picture).

I put some butter in the foil first cut up all the veggies, mixed in some of my garlic and greens seasoning,  put some more butter on top and sealed it up real well.  Put it on the grill for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender, and done!

I also did this again just recently and added some beans and cucumbers to the mix, I did not have them producing in the first time.  You can basically do this with a mix of any vegetables that you like, no mater what it still tastes awesome.  It is great for cookouts, instead of just having hamburgers and hotdogs you can have a bunch of veggies too! 

Recipes from Thanksgiving

First off I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I do not know why but this year unfortunately I did not take any pictures of everything at Thanksgiving. I think because I was trying to keep things a little bit simpler this year. Normally I would be really excited about Thanksgiving, since it is the time of year when I get to cook up a large variety of everything that we grew. This year I was not quite a excited since not everything that I cooked up had been grown by us, because this year was such a bust with all the rain and all.

Any I just thought I would share a couple of new recipes that I tried with you guys. One is a recipe for butternut squash and the other is for beets. Usually I would cook up my butternut squash for Thanksgiving with brown sugar and butter in the oven, but since I am trying to stay away from sugar (due to the fact that sugar always gives me a headache) my old way of cooking winter squash was just not going to work. So I found this recipe that did not contain any sugar and I think it turned out pretty good.

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Butternut Squash Casserole
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1 package crushed Ritz crackers
2 tbls. butter

Place squash in a saucepan and cover with water bring to a boil. Cook until soft, remove and drain; mash. In another bowl combine eggs, cheese, onion, and milk; add to the mashed squash and mix. Transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
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This next recipe I found on allrecipes.com. When I made it I didn't exactly measure things out just sort of threw it together. I do not think that I used quite as much olive oil and vinegar that the recipe called for, and I also added more garlic than the recipe said. I do think that the beets taste their best the first day that they are made, but that is just my opinion.

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Garlicky Beets
6 medium beets
3 tbls. olive oil
2 tbls. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic

Boil the beets until tender at least 45 minutes. Remove the skins as soon as the beets have cooled enough to handle after they have been strained. Slice the beets and toss with all ingredients.
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