Pumpkin and Apple Picking 2012

I went pumpkin and apple picking at Lewins in Calverton this year.  They have pick your own pumpkins on Sound Avenue and pick your own apples on Fresh Pond Avenue.  You go out into the field or orchard and pick what you want.  It is muddy, messy and so much fun.  Be sure to bring a wagon or cart because your picks get heavy quickly.  I picked pumpkins, gourds, squash, a cheese pumpkin and 3 kinds of apples.  I took some photos:

Since we were already out east we also headed to the Garden of Eve for the Garlic Festival.  In addition to garlic there were pumpkins,  mums and chickens!  Here are some of my pictures

Finally, we stopped at Briermere for pies. They also has veggies, fruit and flowers.  Here are some of my pictures from there.

 

15,000 Pageviews

Today I hit 15,000 Pageviews on this blog.  When I started this blog 2 years ago this month, I was looking for a way to share my recipes, talk about the importance of organic food and promote local eating here on Long Island. I have had fun and look forward to what is to come.  Thanks for following me, "liking" me, becoming a fan and supporting me.  Keep coming back and tell your friends.  Let's try to get 20,000 Pageviews by December 31.  I will keep writing if you keep visiting.

CSA Winter Share 2012-2013

For the past few years I have been a member of a Winter CSA.  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  The concept is that people buy a share from a farmer.  The farmer then provides you with a box of produce.  Typically these are done in the spring and summer where you would get a box filled with tomatoes, herbs, corn etc.  The goal of this system is that the farmer has a set market for the products they are growing.  They have a reason to grow.  The reason for you is fresh produce each month.  You and the farmer are in it together.  Since I have a garden, such a CSA didn't work for me so, I joined a Meat CSA and Cheese CSA.  Every other week I picked up a bag with 3 types of cheese and once a month I picked up a bag of meats.

In the Winter it is a but different.  I pick up a box once per month and receive cold hardy greens, veggies, eggs, and root vegetables.  The CSA begins in December and goes through May.  The CSA is a progression of the season starting with the end of season hearty greens (Kale, spinach) going through stored root veggies (carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbage) and ending with fresh spring greens (asparagus, pea shoots). The eggs come every month - from one to three dozen.  It is just awesome.

The best part of the CSA is that you get the box and don't know exactly what is coming until you get the email telling you the week of your pick up.  It is fun to look through the box and come up with ideas of what to make.

I joined the Garden of Eve Winter Share (sign up).  It is an organic farm in Aquebogue with locations at farmer's markets in NYC.  If you are interested in joining, sign up is now.  If you live too far for this one, look for one in your area.  If your farmers don't have one, ask them about it.  At the Garden of Eve, there are 2 kinds of Winter Shares plus an additional egg share and a meat share.

If you join, check back on this blog for recipes.  I post recipes each  month on how to use the contents of the share. 

Here are some links to past Winter CSA shares.

 http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/05/last-winter-share-csa-pickup-2011.html
http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-2012-csa.html
http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-2010-csa-winter-share.html
http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/02/csa-winter-share-february-2011.html

Homemade Pasta Sauce in the Slow Cooker

I love to spend a Sunday making my homemade tomato sauce but sometimes I just don't have the time to watch the pot all day.  So I came up with this recipe to help me make a flavorful, hearty sauce during the week.  Put this on in the morning and you will come home to a house smelling like you cooked all day.  Dinner is ready!

Ingredients:

1 lb pork stew meat, local preferred, mine is from the Garden of Eve CSA
1 lb sausages, local preferred
96 oz or 3 quarts tomato puree, homemade and organic preferred
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press, organic preferred
1 tsp Italian seasoning
5 fresh basil leaves, optional

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the meat onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, turn the meat and bake another 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Meat all browned

Put a crock pot liner into the ceramic liner of the cooker.                                                                        

 

Put all of the ingredients into the cooker.                                                                                                  

 Put the cooker on high and put lid on but slightly askew.  You need the water to evaporate from the tomatoes, they are very watery, especially if homemade.  Cook 8-10 hours.

Cook your favorite pasta and serve with the sauce. You can also freeze this sauce for future use.

Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet

I found an old slow cooker cookbook that belonged to my mom.  There were some great recipes in there.  I made some modifications and used some local, organic and homemade ingredients to make it perfect.  It is full of flavor and may become one of your new comfort food favorites.  This recipe starts the night before and you finish it by turning on the cooker before you leave for work.  This is a great recipe to feed the family and fill them up. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups dried navy beans, organic preferred, get them in the bulk bins at the store
4 cups water
1 lb bulk Italian sausage, local pork preferred but chicken or turkey is OK
1 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lb chicken, cut up, organic or natural preferred, the butcher will cut it for you
1/2 cup diced carrot, organic preferred
1/2 cup diced celery, organic preferred
1/2 cup onion. diced, organic preferred
3-4 cloves garlic, minced, organic preferred
14 oz can diced tomatoes, organic preferred
16 oz (1 pt) tomato puree, homemade and organic preferred
1/4 cup red wine, local preferred
1/4 cup chicken stock, homemade and organic preferred
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, organic preferred
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves, organic preferred
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning, organic preferred
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper

Here's how:


The night before: Place the beans and water and place in a large bowl.  Soak overnight, at least 8 hours.  If you don't want to wait, place the beans and water into a large pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 1 1/2 hours, then strain.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Form the sausage into 20 small balls and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until brown. Remove from the pan.

Salt and pepper the chicken.

Place the chicken on the same pan that the sausage was on and place the pan back into the oven for 20 minutes, until browned.  Turn the chicken halfway through.

Place a liner into the ceramic insert of the slow cooker.  Place the sausage, chicken and all the other ingredients into the ceramic liner.  Place it into the fridge overnight.

If you boiled the beans instead of soaking, strain them now and set them aside in the fridge. Don't add it to the pot now.  They will get mushy.

In the morning:  Remove the ceramic liner from the fridge and place into the slow cooker on low.  Strain the beans and add them to the slow cooker.  If the beans were already cooked, add them now.

Stir it up a bit.

Cook on low for 8 hours- 10 hours.
 

Vegetarian Recipes

Here are all of the recipes that I have posted that are vegetarian.

Accompaniments:

Cranberry Sauce

Appetizers:

Baked Brie with Brown Sugar and Walnuts
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Puff Pastry Pizza
Shrimp Cocktail
Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Breakfast:

Asparagus, Chive and Goat Cheese Fritatta
Banana Cereal Muffins
Herbed Biscuits
Orange Cranberry Walnut Scones

Breads:

Cinnamon Rolls
Herbed Garlic
Honey Whole Wheat
Irish Soda
Sweet Potato Muffins
Sundried Tomato and Mozzarella
White
Whole Wheat
Zucchini with Craisins

Desserts:

Angel Food Cake
Apple Pie
Banana Bread
Banana Cream Pie
Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Banana Walnut Chip Ice Cream
Basic Pie Crust
Blackberry Ice Cream
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Christmas Cookie Menu
Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream
Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
French Apple Pie
Frozen Key Lime Pie
Lavender Honey Ice Cream
Maple Gingerbread Layer Cake
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Oreo Truffles
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Pear Crumble
Pound Cake
Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes
Raspberry Sorbet
Rhubarb Sorbet
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

Entrees:

Baked Ziti
Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce
Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
Tilapia

Jams:

Blueberry Rhubarb
Blood Orange Rhubarb
Concord Grape
Peach
Plum Lavender
Strawberry Peach
Strawberry Rhubarb

Sandwiches:

Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper

Sauces:

Simple Tomato

Sides:

Butternut Squash Risotto
Corn Pudding
Couscous Salad
Macaroni and Cheese
Pasta Pesto with Peas
Red Cabbage
Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Squash
Sweet Potato Casserole
Tabbouleh Salad

Snacks:

Granola Bars
Guacamole
Paleo Granola

Soups:

Carrot, Apple and Celery
Corn Chowder
Cream of Asparagus
Golden Vegetable with Green Lentils
Lemon, Dill, Beans and Greens
Lentil
Navy Bean with Vegetables
Pasta e Fagioli in the Slow Cooker
Pureed Red Lentil
Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato and Garlic
Spinach and Bean
Turkish Style Red Lentil
Vegetable Soup with Cabbage
Vegetable Soup with Lentils in the Slow Cooker
Winter Vegetable and Barley Soup

Vegetables:

Garlic Green Beans
Mashed Turnips/Rutabaga
Mushrooms and Onions

Halloween Themed Desserts

Here is a list of a few of my favorite desserts to make for a Halloween Party.

No Bake Spider Cheesecake
Midnight Madness Cupcakes
Bats Cupcakes
Pumpkin Styled Cupcakes
Eyeball Cupcakes
Spiderweb Cupcakes
Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes
Pumpkin Spiced and Ice Cookies