Useful Links

Lettuce & Broccoli bed in the spring.

Here are a handful of links I was looking at today after visiting the Open Air Market.





Preserving Herbs after the Harvest
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/herbharvest.html





Five Squash Blossom Recipes
http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0805b.htm





Fried Green Tomatoes
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001506fried_green_tomatoes.php





Interesting information about Cucumbers plus a couple serving ideas
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42#descr





Super Carrot Raisin Salad
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=164#ingredients





Pickled Peppers - hot &/or sweet
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic3440.htm





Arthur's Limericks
http://limericks.5gl.net/families/a.htm

Dr. Weil and Cabbage

In his article, 11 Things You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Dr. Weil stresses the importance of getting the health benefits of organic produce whenever possible. Then he observes that some people have budget contraints and gives a list of produce that contains the least amount of pesticides. Read more . . .

I have found cabbage to be one of the cheapest fresh vegetables around. It is also very versatile for light fare and winter comfort food. You can use in salads, soups, stir fry, as a side vegetable and so on. Here is a recipe for New England Boiled Dinner that will warm you up on those cold winter days. Cabbage goes uptown in this Simmered Cabbage recipe. And here is a Polish Borscht Soup recipe with cabbage that belongs in the First, You Eat category. I am not a fan of stuffed cabbage, but there are plenty of versions of it around and many people also consider it comfort.

Here's how the nutrients stack up:
Cabbage has a good amount of vitamin C which can help ward off those winter colds. One cup of shredded boiled cabbage contains nearly an entire day's supply of vitamin K. That same cup contains 13% of your daily fiber intake. Mineral-wise it contains large amounts of potassium.

So sit down and enjoy your non-organic cabbage guilt-free.

Onions and Cheese and Soup

It is officially soup time here at Mule Shoe Farm. This year, we kicked off soup season with one of our favorites: French Onion Soup. For such a simple soup, it sticks to your ribs and just completely warms you up on this cold days.

The ingredients are deceptively simple: onions, beef stock, butter, old bread and cheese.

Slice 1 or 2 large onions into rings and saute over low heat in a stick of butter.

Then add your beef stock. I use a 3 gallon stockpot and add enough water to make it about two-thirds full of soup.

You can make stock using bouillon and water which is somewhat salty or you can spend an extra dollar and buy a jar of reduced beef stock. The reduced stock makes a huge difference in the more delicious direction.

Bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for however long you want or don't simmer at all. Turn your oven to Broil and let it heat up. This is when you can simmer the soup.

Ladle soup into oven safe bowls. place a large slice of brown bread and a slice of cheese. Any cheese from cheddar to provolone to Swiss will do. But you want the stuff that will melt. Not the commodity cheese for this meal.

Place the bowls on a large cookie sheet and carefully slide them into the oven. Check on the bowls every so often to see the status of the melted cheese. If you just want it melted then it's only a minute or so. I like mine with a little brownness on the cheese. Some days that takes 5-7 minutes.

GET THE POTHOLDERS. I have to remind myself. The cookie sheet will be HOT!!!!

Carefully slide the cookie sheet out of the oven and place it on the counter to cool.

Allow the bowls to cool to a temperature you can handle and then serve the soup. It should be very warm but not scalding hot.

This is a soup that you will end up eating with a fork and spoon. And you will be astonished at how filling it really is. Make sure you have plenty of cold water available to drink with this soup.

And now we will have a Martha Stewart moment...