One of many jars of strawberry sauce in our pantry

Every year, our family celebrates the Fourth of July with an outing to the pick-your-own strawberry fields in the next town over. In the weeks preceding, the girls and I usually pick the majority of our haul, but we like to go at least once as a family so Karl can share in the stained fingers and sweaty backs, and enjoy the treat of hot berries, fresh from the field.

This year, strawberry season came so early that by the time we got out there, the pickin’s were slim. What were left were hot, jammy berries, nearly cooked by the sun. (Reminding me of the recipe for “Sunshine Strawberry Preserves” that I’ve always found off-putting in my 1964 copy of the Joy of Cooking: Sprinkle sugar on strawberries, heat until boiling, then set in the sun for a few days until they turn to jam.) Between the four of us, we picked ten pounds that were so juicy they left a puddle in the back of the car.

At home, I set to work cleaning berries to make a year’s worth of preserves. I followed a recipe and added sugar and some lemon juice, bringing the mixture to a boil until a thick head of pink foam climbed the sides of the pot. I tested it for sheeting, but no gel. Straying from my recipe, I added a little packaged pectin, but still no gel. Finally, I gave up on getting it to gel and sealed the sauce in jars–the preserves were delicious and I was afraid I’d overcook them if I kept fiddling around.

I’ve consulted several cookbooks, two of whom warn that using over ripe berries will prevent jam from setting. Harold McGee’s explanation of pectin in On Food and Cooking left me with more questions than answers. This Saturday, Master Preserver Allison Duffy will be teaching a workshop on strawberry jam at the farm–I’m hoping she’ll unlock the mystery of pectin! There are still spots left, so contact us if you’re interested in signing up.

Family, Food, Workshops homesteading workshops, pectin, strawberries, strawberry sauce, workshop

Workshop participant Lynne Holland's gorgeous and great tasting chévre

For the second weekend in a row, our farm has been blessed by great weather and extra hands on deck–it’s amazing what we can accomplish with just one extra grown-up! My mom is visiting and Karl stayed home on Friday, and in three packed days we’ve trimmed the goats’ hooves, planted hundreds of seeds and seedlings, begun cutting wood for winter (!), and gotten a good start on a birch arbor for the grapes we planted last year. All this, and s’mores at the fire pit, too!

On Saturday, we took a break from the farm work to lead a workshop on basic cheesemaking. It was a full class with great energy, and we had fun squeezing around the stove to heat the curd, bottle feeding the baby goats, and capping things off with a tasting of domestically produced artisanal goat cheeses and a bottle of prosecco. Most exciting was tasting each others chévre creations–people were fearless in their flavor combinations and the results were fantastic! Lemon zest, honey, pomegranate molasses, smoked paprika, fresh rosemary, cracked pepper, smoked sea salt and lavender never tasted so good (though not all together, thank goodness!). We’ve finally set our schedule for this year’s summer workshops and we can’t wait for the next class!

-

Getting a feel for the curd

Cheese, Workshops Cheese, cheesemaking workshop, homesteading workshops, workshop

Allison Duffy demonstrates proper canning techniques

Last weekend, we celebrated our inner anglophiles with an amazing marmalade-making workshop led by University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Preserver Allison Duffy. On an unseasonably warm morning, five of us hovered around the stove, learning (or getting a refresher course on) the basics of choosing the right ingredients for preserving, working with pectin, and canning safely.

At the farm, we’re increasingly trying to preserve and “put up” our own produce. Not only does it taste great, but it lets us extend our region’s short growing season by eating from the garden and orchard throughout the year. We’re still new to canning, but Allison has agreed to come back to lead three more classes this year: Strawberry Jam on July 10, Canning Tomatoes on September 11, and Applesauce on October 9. Check our Homesteading Workshops schedule for more details.

We may never grow oranges in Maine, but we’ll definitely be making this marmalade again–it was bright, just bitter enough to have a bite, and tasted fantastic on scones!

Read more…

Food, Workshops canning, Food, food preservation, homesteading workshops, marmalade, workshop

Four courses of chévre

We had a small but enthusiastic class at the farm on Saturday for our Cooking with Chévre workshop. After making a batch of chévre (drained in heart-shaped molds, naturally), we used the fresh cheese in three dishes: Polenta Cakes with Chévre and Roasted Peppers; Homemade Pasta With Chévre, Walnuts, Black Grapes and Rosemary; and Lemon Chévre Tartlets. I’ve included the recipes below–accompanied by a green salad, they make quite a feast. And since they’re all garlic-free, after dinner smooching will be even more fun!

Polenta Cakes with Chévre and Roasted Peppers
Adapted from At Home With Magnolia, by Allysa Torey

Makes 4-6 servings (about 10 cakes)

Polenta:
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fine cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 tablespoons olive oil

Topping:
6 ounces fresh chévre
roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips

To make the polenta: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine milk and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the corn and salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture is very thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Spread the soft polenta evenly into a buttered baking sheet—it should be about 1/2 an inch thick, and will not cover the entire sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

When completely chilled, cut the polenta into 2 inch circles (or hearts), using a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place the polenta cakes on a second baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and, working in batches, cook polenta cakes until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels (be careful–they’ll stick if you leave them too long), move to a platter, and tent with foil to keep warm. Top each cake with a dollop of chévre and a strip of red pepper and serve immediately.

Cheese, Recipes, Workshops Cheese, chevre, goat cheese, Recipes, Valentine's Day, workshop

Bea and Charlotte climb one of the apple trees (last fall) that we’ll be pruning this coming Sunday (Jan. 24) for our first homesteading workshop of 2010.

We want to apologize for our absence … it’s been quite a while since we last posted something to the site. 2009 was a rough year for many, us included, and ended roughly as well–with Margaret laid up with pneumonia for almost 2 weeks over Christmas and New Years. It’s amazing how quickly the delicate balance of children, chores, work, and other obligations can be upset when one half of the team goes down. Needless to say, it’s taken us a bit to recover. Margaret’s been working on a post about her time spent resting and recovering, which we’ll be posting soon.

Before that, we want to announce our first Homesteading Workshop of 2010, which will be a Winter Tree Pruning Workshop this Sunday, January 24, from 1-4pm, which we’re doing in conjunction with the Lakes Region Permaculture group. Dave Homa, who has pruned trees professionally, will be showing us how to prune our apple trees while they are in their winter dormancy in order to improve their ongoing health and productivity. The event will include discussion of techniques, common mistakes and suggested tools. Handouts will be provided. The session is expected to run about 3 hours, including an hour outside pruning (so dress warm and in layers), and will be followed by the sharing of a potluck meal (please bring a dish to share). There is a $5 fee that covers the Permaculture group’s Meetup costs. Bring pruners or loppers if you have them. There is a limit of 15 people. (Date: Sunday, January 24, 1-4pm). Hope to see you there!

Announcements, Events, Workshops apple, pruning, trees, workshop

When we moved into our homestead, there were ten ancient apple trees scattered around the property: one near the barn, one near the garden, two at a gap in the stone wall that marks the entrance to the orchard, and six farther down, neatly arranged in parallel rows. Most of the apples are relatively pedestrian varieties like Red and Golden Delicious, but we do have a couple that are more interesting, like a Tolman Sweet, and some baking apples that we haven’t yet identified. Since moving in, we’ve pruned the trees, cleared the orchard, and added two hives of bees. The bees didn’t last the winter and heavy rains knocked off most of the blossoms this spring, but even so, each fall we bring up baskets of fruit for sauce and pie and the trees provide a ready snack on our way to hikes in the woods.

For Valentine’s Day this year, Karl and I bought each other one Reliance peach and one Montmorency cherry sapling, which we planted in the front yard. Ever since, I’ve been lobbying for some pears and a couple more apples. We’ve been held back by two things: the deer that come up from the woods and nibble the branches all winter, and our farm name, Ten Apple. Imagine my surprise and delight when we found, dangling like ornaments in a half-cleared thicket behind the paddock, the apples of an eleventh tree! Its trunk was gnarled, and many branches were dead, but there it was, peeking out from between the blackberries and sumac. The spell is broken! (Though I still don’t know how we’ll keep the deer at bay.) It’s another Red Delicious, but never fear, the Fedco tree catalog is open on my desk and I’ve started my wish list.

Agriculture, Events, Food, Workshops apples, trees, workshop