Hampshire Farms

This past week I made a trip to Kingston, Michigan with a friend so we could buy some bread, beans and eggs from Hampshire Farms. I cam home with bread, beans, eggs, popcorn, lentils and oatmeal. Oh well, best laid plans...

Hampshire Farms is a certified organic farm that uses a mill from 1917 to grind the flour they use in their breads. This time I bought 3 seed and wild rye breads. Janet also bought cherry walnut. I can testify that this is the best bread ever. That mill sure does a good job.

I usually buy my eggs from a friend at the library who raises chickens, but I decided to go ahead and buy a carton while I was there, simply because I fell in love with these lovely chicks. They are a heritage variety called Barred Plymouth Rocks. Fortunately these chickens have a couple of wonderful dogs named Jack and Mac to give them protection. And I can attest to the fact that these dogs are wonderful. They seemed to like me so all is right with the world.

The bread is baked in this wood-fired beehive oven that has a capacity to make 40 loaves at a time. I cannot recommend this bread highly enough. If you are able to get to Kingston, they bake their breads on Friday so if you get their between 3:00-6:00 in the afternoon you can buy some then. Or else visit them at Eastern Market or the Royal Oak Farmer's Market on Saturdays. Maybe you'll see me there!

Ornamental gourds and their use in the house

The ornamental gourd plants that I grew this year produced enough gourds to share with family and friends. One of those friends happens to be my 4 year old cat. She was the one who decided I needed to share with her as I did not give her one willingly. 



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She is a rather intelligent cat and likes to play football (or baseball or whatever sport you call batting the stolen vegetable around). She is quite good at it although I sometimes have to fetch it for her when she bats it under the table and then can't quite manage to get at it.

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I, of course am a rather good fetcher. I always thought that I gardened for produce and a good tomato to eat. Apparently I am also gardening to keep my cat in cat toys. She would steal the tomatoes too if I let her. She has in the past. Now they are stored safely atop the refrigerator (at least I think they are safe up there).

Today I made some cornbread with corn meal bought from Hampshire Farms. I am hoping to get there some day soon to buy some black beans and bread. Cornbread and a happy cat. What more could a person ask for?

Time to cook

One of the best things about gardening is being able to cook with your own produce. And if you don't grow your own food, don't worry. The Saginaw Farmer's Market is open until the end of October and Eastern Market and the Royal Oak Farmer's Market stay open year round. So this week I am going to share a couple of recipes using what I have grown in the garden this summer.

Oatmeal Rhubarb Crisp

1 cup sifted flour

3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups diced rhubarb

1 cup sugar

 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon until crumbly. Press half the mixture into a 9 inch baking pan. Cover the crumb mixture with diced rhubarb.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla. Cook until thick. Pour this sauce over the rhubarb. Top with the remaining crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm, either plain or topped with whipped cream. I dice and freeze my rhubarb and use it all winter long. At least until it is gone.

White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Basil



2 16 ounce cans white beans drained, or cook up some dried beans you get from the Farmer's Market

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup of your favorite marina pasta sauce, or use that tomato sauce you froze from your tomatoes

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Puree all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Simmer in a large saucepan stirring frequently to blend flavors.

I love this soup and now that Michigan is seeing some fall temperatures it is time to make up a pot using the garlic, rosemary and basil I grew this year and the tomato sauce I froze last month.

Enjoy!

Still in Bloom

When it comes to gardening, never say die. The warm weather we have been having this fall sure has kept the plants going. The garden mums are putting on a fantastic show right now. And I still had hibiscus in bloom a week ago.

Fall is the time of year that many sedums give you a display of color from pinks and purples to deep maroon. Sedums are reliable plants that I leave up for winter interest, assuming the aren't covered in snow.





Believe it or not, I haven't cut back all the basil yet. Basil is one of the first plants to die when there is a frost. So far we haven't had one. And since the purple flowers of this basil plant are quite pretty I decided to leave it until the frost gets it.

If you are fond of crocuses in the spring, then you should plant some colchicums for the fall. The flowers do not last a long time, but they are quite beautiful and definitely great for fall interest.

Winter may be coming, but the fall is a spectacular time for color. So enjoy it while you can.

All in a day's work (or more)

This is the time of year I am busy in the kitchen putting produce by. Last year I took a canning class offered through the Saginaw County Extension Office. With all of the tomatoes, peppers and onions I harvested this year I was able to can 10 pints of salsa, at least 12 pints of tomato sauce and still have plenty left over to share with Hidden Harvest.



Since I was away for a couple of weeks in the biggest state of the union (Alaska) I was a little bit late in harvesting my potatoes. No matter. They patiently waited for me to spend many hours digging, cleaning and drying them. Hopefully they will last me well into March, even though I do share them with my parents.



There is still plenty of time to visit your local farmer's market if you want to freeze some corn and green beans. I stopped at the Oakland County Farmer's Market on my way home from my sister's this morning and picked up some corn and green beans which are now in the freezer. I blanch the green beans before freezing but the corn gets removed from the cob and then frozen as is.

And so the life of a gardener goes. Soon the snow will be blowing and I will be ready for a long winter's rest. Life is good!