FARMGIRL! WHERE YA BEEN?

Blueberry pie


Here and there and it seems like everywhere!
For the last month I have had physical therapy 2-3 times a week, trying to see if they could ease some of the pain I have had in both knees and left heel.
Not so much.
Saw the orthopedic surgeon again today:
Diagnosis: severe osteo-arthritis in both knees...no more cartiledge, it is down to bone-on-bone.
OUCH!
So... we are scheduling knee replacement surgery for the 1st of the year.

That was my choice....I just can't fathom being off my feet for weeks just before the holidays.
Here in West Michigan, our winters are notoriously wicked, so I typically hibernate January thru March anyway. Surgery in January shouldn't interrupt "life" too much.

I've also had the pleasure of taking care of my grandson once a week for the past month.
Been lovin' THAT!

I have done what I could in the gardens...harvesting, freezing and canning.
Lots of tomatoes in the freezer and jam in the cupboards.
Peaches and peppers coming up this week.

I've been like a crazy woman in the kitchen...trying new recipes and new cuisines!
Indian cooking is a new favorite....LOVE those spicy foods!
Working on the PERFECT pie crust...I think I'm close!

Whew!
I'm tired just tellin' about it!
I DO believe I am ready for autumn.
How 'bout you?

FRENCH FARMGIRL & BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Small white onions, browning

I can't say that my love for cooking came from Julia Child, but I know her influence certainly didn't hurt!
And...after seeing "Julie & Julia" twice since it opened,
(LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!)
I knew I had to try my hand at her infamous "Beef Bourguignon".
And today was THE day.
Cooler than average temps, which meant I wouldn't regret having the oven on for hours!
And I had all the ingredients handy.
(And yes, I am French, on my fathers side!)
Maybe it helps?

I am not going to bother posting the recipe, but instead will give you the link that I followed....

http://www.examiner.com/x-12215-ABC-Examiner~y2009m8d9-Julia-Childs-Beef-Bourguignon-recipe

After simmering in the oven for 4 hours

I also made garlic mashed red potatoes and cheddar/buttermilk biscuits to round out the beef.
And some fresh from the garden tomatoes!

I think it was delicious!
Definitely company worthy.
And most definitely something I will try again.

And, lest you think this has to be a pricey dish, let me assure you,... it's not.
The dish calls for 3 cups of a young red wine.
I think Vella's Merlot fits the bill perfectly!

While dining this evening, I put on an old record.
Fittingly titled, don't you think?

Look what's on the back of the album!!!!
FRENCH RECIPES!
And there it is, Boeuf Bourguignon!
It was meant to be.

Indian dahl and summer... aaah, at last!

A really yummy, spicy dahl with batsmati rice.
Recipe coming if I get any requests.

My nephew Adam, doofus golden Beau, and son Sam.
Beau does NOT like the pool.
The pond...yes.
The pool...no.

Our grandson Austin.
We have not seen him at all this summer, until last week when we asked if he could come over.
Then another visit today.
Get 'em while you can!

Austin rubbing noses with Sophia Loren.

Hope you all are enjoying the last days of summer.
We have had our 1st really hot weather for the past 10 days, but cooler temps coming this weekend.
We are trying to take advantage of every moment, with lots of pool time and lots of laundry hanging on the lines!

SUMMER ON A PLATE!

INSALATA CAPRESE SALAD

Well, for heavens sake!
If this isn't the easiest salad to put together at the very last minute, I don't know what is!
Farmboy had cooked some chicken thighs on the grill, and I had stir-fried some red potatoes in a spicy seasoning, throwing in one whole bunch of fresh, chopped kale at the very end.
But...something was missing.
Something fresh.
Straight from the garden.
Some fresh picked, still warm from the sun, tomatoes.
Thick slices of fresh mozzarella.
Fresh basil plucked from the herbe garden.
Arrange on a platter.
Season with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt.
Drizzle your best extra virgin olive oil over all.
Let's just say I ate very little meat and potatoes and a whole lot of caprese salad!
One must take advantage of the season, yes?

I could have made two platters!
The kids were scarfing it down.
I tell you, nothin' beats tomatoes straight from the vine.
Nothin'.

MY BIRTHDAY WISHES....

Today I turn 56.
My birthday wishes probably won't sound like your typical "close your eyes, make a wish, blow out the candles" kind of wishes.
Mine are more introspective perhaps?

I wish I were kinder.
Gentler.
More soft spoken.
I wish I were more giving.
Less critical.
More hospitable.
More mercy oriented.
More patient.
More vocal concerning my faith.
Less afraid of what others will think of me.

I wish I had come to the saving knowledge of my Lord, Jesus Christ when I was a child, instead of at the age of 25.
So many wasted years.
So little time left.

Most of all, I wish above all things, that all of you who read this silly little blog of mine,
would find true repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ, and that we would truly become brothers and sisters in His name.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
(And may all my birthday wishes come true!)

Love,
Cindy

QUICHE WITH KALE!

Quiche with kale

I tried a new recipe, substituting kale for spinach in a wonderful quiche. I swapped out the spinach and added one bunch of kale, stripped from it's stems, chopped fairly small, and stir fried with a small chopped onion in olive oil, till kale was tender...maybe 8 minutes. Put the kale/onion mix on the bottom of a pre-baked pie crust, topped the kale with 1 cup (or a bit more) of grated,swiss gruyere cheese, then covered all of that with a mixture of 4 beaten eggs with 1 1/2 cups of half and half.(you could substitute regular milk, or evaporated milk). (Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg into the egg mixture...nutmeg and greens go together like soup and sandwiches!)

Bake at 425f for 15 minutes, turn oven down to 350f and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until center of quiche no longer jiggles.

This was so delicious with a huge salad of the last bit of greens from my share of the Community Supported Argiculture farm.. There is so much fat and cheese in the quiche, that I kept the dressing for the salad super simple...just a basic oil/vinegar dressing from Julia Child, that is a staple here in my fridge.

That's all for now!

This is FarmgirlCyn saying...

BON APPETIT!

GARDENS GONE WILD!

Vines from hell

True confessions....
The gardens have been on their own pret' near all summer.
With both knees gone bad on me, I have rarely been out there except for the occasional snips of some herbs or to look for a ripe tomato.

They DO look OK from afar, tho!

This garden is a mishmash of stuff!
Potato plants scattered here and there, waiting for our next meal.

One of my favorites...Russian Sage.
This stuff is beautiful, and lasts nearly all summer.
If I had my druthers, I'd have it everywhere!

I can always count on my perennial Sweet Peas.

Butterfly Bush...takes it's sweet time blooming, but the butterflies love it!

One of the many sunflowers that "grace" the garden.
None of which was actually planted by me!
The birds do their best to see that I have some growing from the black oil sunflower seeds I feed them with.
They are always such a joy to see come up, willy nilly!

I'm thinking on tearing out what's left of the lettuce beds, and putting in a fall crop.
With the cool weather we've had here in Michigan, I should have no problem with bolting.
Now, if I could just get one of the kids to get out there and work with me!!!

(ALMOST) FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

THIS, my friends, will bring tears to your eyes.
It is THAT good.
Moist, rich, not too dense, kind of like a mousse, only better.
And so very simple to make!

I was reading a new book from the library, "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg, and it is the very last recipe in her book.
A cake so delicious that she chose to make 20 of them for her wedding cakes!
An easy, one bowl kind of cake, with only 5 ingredients.
I didn't even have to get out my mixer....all done with a fork!

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate(she recommends Scharffen Berger, but also Ghiradelli 60% chips)

(here's where I "made it my own"...I had several dark chocolate candy bars...I mean really dark chocolate...and they have been there a LONG while...I won't even tell you how long!!!...so I took them out of my sock drawer where I hide them from the rest of the family, broke them up, weighed them, and used nearly all of them up!)

1 3/4 stick butter
1 cup, plus 2 TBL sugar
5 large eggs
1 TBL all purpose flour (I used cake flour as that is what I had)
Lightly sweetened whipping cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 375F and butter an 8" (I used 9" as that is what I have...you know me...makin' do or doin' without!)
Line the bottom of the pan with a round piece of parchment paper (I used wax paper), and butter the paper too.
Put chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 30 seconds. Take it out, stir it up, and put it back in microwave until mixture is just melted and smooth. Watch carefully. It is very easy to burn the chocolate!
Stir in the sugar, and mix till incorporated.
Set aside for 5 min. to cool a bit. Then add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
Add the flour and stir well.

Pour batter in pan and bake for 25 min. I checked mine at 20 min. as I had a larger pan. You want the center of the cake to just barely be set. Mine needed only another 5 min. and it was done.
Take out and set on cooling rack for 15 min.
Now...place a sheet of foil over the cake pan, and place a large, flat plate on top of the foil, upside down. (NOT the serving plate) Hold the cake pan and plate firmly together, and carefully flip them. The pan should now be on top of the plate, with the foil between them. Remove the pan, revealing the cake, which is now upside down. Peel the wax paper off. Now...place your SERVING plate gently atop the cake and flip carefully so that the cake is now right side up. Remove the foil.
(Really, it sounds more difficult than it really is!)
Cool completely before serving.
This can be kept at room temp for 3 days, or refrigerated up to 5 days. To freeze it, wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil, and it will keep up to a month.. Before serving, defrost at room temp for 24 hours, still fully wrapped.

EASY PEASY!

IT'S HARVEST TIME!

Out to the gardens yesterday I noticed the potato plants were shriveling up.
Normally shriveled plants are a BAD sign!
But...obviously not with potatoes.
Shriveled plants means there are potatoes down there!
I got my gardening journal and went back to when I planted them, then counted forward, and YES!
It's time to harvest some taters!
The cool thing about harvesting potatoes is, you can dig them up anytime! I don't have to go out and do it all at once!
If I want potatoes for supper, I can go out an hour before and dig some fresh.
Of course, they all must be dug up before the first frost...I think.
But what a luxury...NOT to have to get out there and dig up 60+ plants!
Which should transcend to a lot of potatoes.

So I dug up enough for 2 servings of hash browns, and we had our 1st fruits for breakfast!

If you have a garden, what are YOU harvesting this week?