We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it's our garden that is really nurturing us. - Jenny Uglow | The gardens are looking wonderful – growing nicely and neatly weeded. The occasional rain shower is perfect for keeping all well watered. But there is the other side to these lovely rains. Haying. The hay fields are also looking great and close to being ready for cutting and baling. This is when the farmers watch the forecast very closely so they can get haying done on dry days. There needs to be enough time for the cut hay to dry properly before it is baled. It takes a few days for the windrows of cut hay to dry and if it rains during that time, the hay will obviously take longer to dry, causing loss of nutrients and even lead to molding. It's a precarious operation to get hay cut, dried, and baled without it getting rained on. | We posted Martin's Ruminations on no more whiners to the Harvest Haven Facebook page. Wow! Did we get attacked by a bunch of whiners! Those malcontents just had to tell us over and over how "unprofessional" we were, how we should run our business, how they were NEVER going to shop with us (which was no loss because they never did and never would), and what horrible people we were (99% of whom we've never met). These entitled brats could not understand that we didn't need their business nor want them in our store. They are so confident that they are the best thing that happened to humanity, that they could not fathom anyone not recognizing their immense value to society and bending over backwards for them. Should we be hijacked by whiners? We don't think so. Here's Martin's response to this riotous mob of whiners. | BEC Organic Soda – The Authentic Organic Soda with Maple Syrup
Of course, coming from Quebec, it should have maple syrup as a main ingredient. All BEC's flavors include pure and organic maple syrup in its recipe for a refreshing and unique taste never experienced before. Organic ingredients, pure maple syrup, and unique flavors are what makes BEC a true alternative to generic sodas on the market. BEC Organic Soda comes in three flavors Cola – the classic soda but with maple syrup Lime – the essence of summer freshness Cranberry – invigorating and slightly tart | Harvest Haven Pastured Chicken – You'll be happy to know our whole chicken is back in stock! Plump, tender, and tasty. Harvest Haven Linzer Potatoes - These smooth, thin skinned potatoes are so yummy. Perfect for roasting or boiling, served hot or cold, in salads or with the main course. A favorite for sure! Harvest Haven Carrots – Carrots, the "cupboard" is bare if you don't have any there (the crisper, that is). Raw with dip, sliced into soup, steamed or roasted as sides, grated for salad, juiced, or baked in a cake, endless options. Mans Mini Organic Cucumbers – These minis are the best! Serve in a salad, as a stick with dip, or just straight up whole as a snack with a dash of salt. L'Ancetre Organic Greek Feta Cheese – A Greek Feta made with 100% sheep's milk and packed in a vacuum sealed package without brine, giving it a bold flavour that isn't too salty. Directly imported from Greece, this Feta PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) complies with the highest standards of manufacturing as per the Greek tradition. GMO free and organic, its flavour will transport you to the Mediterranean coast. It's a tasty addition to salads, pasta, and even hamburgers! Frozen Wild Saskatoon Berries – These wild saskatoons are hand-picked at the peak of ripeness. The sweet, nutty almond flavored berries are high in fibre, protein, and antioxidants. Sprinkle on your hot or cold cereal, bake in muffins, or make a special dessert. Truly a taste of the prairies. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Chicken in Milk 1 (3 to 4 pound) whole Harvest Haven chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small cinnamon stick
10 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, skins left on
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 handful of fresh sage, leaves picked — around 15 to 20 leaves
2 lemons Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Season the chicken aggressively with the salt and pepper. Place a pot that will fit the chicken snugly over medium-high heat on the stove, and add to it the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add the chicken to the pot and fry it, turning every few minutes, until it has browned all over. Turn the heat down to low, remove the chicken from the pot and place it onto a plate, then drain off all but a few tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Add the cinnamon stick and garlic to the pot, and allow them to sizzle in the oil for a minute or 2, then return the chicken to the pot along with the milk and sage leaves. Use a vegetable peeler to cut wide strips of skin off the two lemons, and add them to the pot as well. Slide the pot into the oven, and bake for approximately 1½ hours, basting the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the sauce has reduced into a thick, curdled sauce. (If the sauce is reducing too quickly, put a cover halfway onto the pot.) To serve, use a spoon to divide the chicken onto plates. Spoon sauce over each serving. Goes well with sautéed greens, pasta, rice, potatoes or bread. | Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes and Carrots 2 lb Harvest Haven Linzer potatoes
4 large Harvest Haven carrots peeled, sliced diagonally, 1cm thick
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
fresh parsley for garnishing as desired Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the potatoes into chunks and place in a large bowl with sliced carrots. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, garlic, parsley, salt, thyme and pepper. Spoon butter over potatoes and carrots in bowl, reserving some for serving later if desired. Stir vegetables to coat, then spread in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes until desired tenderness is reached. The exact cook time will depend on how thick your carrots are sliced, so you may want to check at 30 minutes and then adjust if necessary. Brush with reserved garlic butter before serving if desired. | Watermelon Salad with Feta 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. cubed seedless watermelon
1 c. medium cucumber, chopped
1 c. crumbled feta
1/2 c. Harvest Haven red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. coarsely chopped mint
Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional) In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. In a large serving bowl, combine watermelon, cucumber, feta, red onion, and mint. Pour over dressing, tossing to combine. Garnish with more mint and flaky sea salt. | Saskatoon Berry Butter Tarts Saskatoon Berry Pie Filling: 4 cups Saskatoon berries
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch Butter Tart Filling:
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp cream
1 cup flame raisins Pie Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup water Making the Saskatoon Berry Filling: In a saucepan, mix together the berries and water and simmer for 10 minutes over low-medium heat. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Then add the sugar/cornstarch mix to the berries and combine. Simmer until the mixture slightly thickens.
Set aside to cool. Making the Butter Tart Filling: First beat together the eggs. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Then add the sugar, vanilla, cream, raisins, and beaten eggs to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil for 3 minutes. Set aside. Making the Pie Crust: Sift flour and salt into a bowl. With a pie cutter, cut in coconut oil and butter until the particles are pea sized. Sprinkle in water, 1 tsp or so at a time, mixing lightly with a fork. Don't over mix or the crust will be tough. Press into a ball. It is okay if it is crumbly. In fact, crumbly makes for a tender, flaky crust! Putting the Tarts together: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Split the pie dough into 2 balls, then using a rolling pin, roll out each ball, doing one at a time (it's just easier to handle the dough this way). Using a 3-inch circle (like a drinking glass, or cookie cutter), cut out your tart shells. Place the tart shells into a muffin tin. Add a heaping tablespoon of the butter tart mixture into the shell, then add a tablespoon of the Saskatoon pie filling on top of the butter tart filling. Do NOT mix. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, or until the crust is slightly browned. Recipe Notes The extra Saskatoon pie filling can be frozen. You will only use a small portion of the Saskatoon pie filling in this Butter Tart recipe, so use the rest to make more Saskatoon tarts or a pie! | Stripes, Born to be Wild- Goes to the City | "Hi James. How's it going?" With a wide grin and excitement in his voice, James replied, "Have you heard what happened to Stripes?" Stripes, one of James's favorite farm cats, loves motorized transportation. He sits on the ATV just waiting for someone to take it for a jaunt somewhere. He loves to ride around the farm! And James is the one who uses the ATV most often, so I knew there was a story here. James continued, "I had to take the trailer to the city to get new tires in preparation for taking chickens to be processed. "It was about 4:00 o'clock when I called the tire shop to see when they closed. They said 4:30 or 5:00, so I knew I had to hustle. "The trailer was hooked up to the truck already, so I jumped in and took off. Out the gate and down the road, I stopped at the intersection, turned onto the highway, and started to speed up. Fifty, sixty klicks. Looking in the rear-view mirror to check if the trailer was okay, what did I see?! "There was Stripes hanging on with all his might! Fur flying, nails gripping the trailer bed, terror on his face." James's eyes grew wide and he chuckled slightly as he described Stripes in absolute terror trying to hang on as the wind was about to rip him off the trailer. "I quickly pulled over and walked back to get him. He was so scared I had to just gently pry him loose from the trailer being careful that he didn't scratch me in his anxiety. Holding him gently, I took him to the cab of the truck and put him on the floor. "The poor guy was so scared he hid under the seat for most of the trip. Eventually, he came out and sat on the seat looking around," James continued, laughing. I wondered if Stripes would be so quick to take another ride. Looking out the window, I saw him curled up on the seat of the ATV waiting for his next chauffeur. Crazy cat! | |
