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Friday, October 15, 2010

Garden Transformation

Photographic progression of the first year of the South garden at Powder Spring Farm, our new homestead.
We don't live there yet, so we were only able to tend the garden a couple of times a week, along with the help of our friend Q. Weeds flourished, and the dry weather warranted more watering than the garden received. We were happily surprised by what we were able to harvest, however.
We made lots of pesto & chimichurri, had some chard and zucchini, and are now enjoying a bounty of Lacinato kale, carrots, beets, Q's volunteer potatoes, and delicata squash. We have had some ripe tomatoes, and are hoping that the final harvest of green ones will ripen a bit as well.
We were lucky to have a friend bring his tractor down to move old goat poop for compost and dig out grass that was encroaching the beds. Next year will be even better.


May Weeding

Right around summer solstice...
Mid July

August
Early September
Late September
October, getting ready for next year

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Gluten Free Leek Tart





Gluten Free Leek Tart

Ingredients

crust~
1 cup whole "white" Buckwheat Flour (I use Morgan's Mills, East Union, Maine)
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh parmesan or Pecorino Romano (This time I used Zerto "Parmigiano Reggiano" from Italy
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter. Preferably organic or homemade
3 TB heavy cream (I use Butterworks Farm, Westfield, VT)

filling~
3 large eggs. My chickens aren't laying yet so I used a local, free range egg.
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pepper to taste
3-5 leeks
1/2 lb spinach
Several cherry tomatoes, sliced in half. We were lucky enough to have some tomatoes saved from the first frost here in Vermont!
Parmesan for the top

Blend together flour, cheese and butter, Texture will become granulated. Add cream a little at a time. Pat mixture on bottom and along edges of a 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Melt 3 TB butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add leeks and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until leeks are almost tender.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Reduce heat on the leeks and add  fresh spinach, chopped. You may also use kale, squash or chard. Each would need to cook a bit longer than the spinach, so add earlier.

Beat 3 eggs, cream and pepper to taste (can also add other herbs for flavor)

Add simmered leeks and spinach to the egg mixture and pour into crust. Arrange sliced tomatoes on the top, and cover with freshly grated parmesan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes to set before serving.
Enjoy!

October

Golden, you are,
October.
Golden sovereigns on your trees.
Golden guineas on your floor,
golden coins of leaves
that fall
for us to scuffle through
and rustle
and rattle
and hustle
and scrabble
and dabble
and paddle
as they fall
into an October carpet
which hides
our shoes.

from "Around the Year" by Elsa Beskow

Monday, September 27, 2010

No Noodles Needed

A delicious dinner of Maitake Mushrooms and "Green "Meatballs." Maitake, Grifola frondosa, is one of my favorite edible healing mushrooms.
Green Meatballs- organic, grass fed local beef, kale, parsley, garlic, parmesan, onions, shredded carrots.
 Maitake.

Simmering meatballs in tomato sauce, paste and fresh tomatoes from the garden. Lots of Basil, Sage, Rosemary, Oregano...





Maitake simmering in cream, ready to serve.



 Green- enhanced meatballs served over Maitake in cream. Everyone in the family was happily satisfied.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

A Trip from Town to Powder Spring, in Peak Leaf Peeping Season




Motherwort cottage, Protected by an old Black Cat
Heading South
Milarepa Stupa

Whitcher Mtn
Groton

Powder Spring Farm view from above
Turkey Feather
Very late blooming Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)




The view North

Spindle Tree- Euonymous 
Late Summer Garden
Calendula Bee




Looking South from the North Garden
Mint
Between the brook and the road, filled with mint and willow
Powder Spring Brook
A very late blooming Hypericum
Looking South, across the brook towards the house and barn




Highland Cattle on the Powder Spring Rd