"A snowdrift is a beautiful thing- if it doesn't lie across the path you have to shovel or block the road that leads to your destination." - Hal Borland | Snowed Under Since the last Harvest Haven Happenings, we got winter. Thankfully, the guys scrambled and were able to get the machinery parked in the new shop. The cattle and sheep were brought from the pasture into the corrals where they're protected from the snow and cold. We had just bought a new attachment for the tractor to be able to clear snow. And it got lots of use. After some of this snow melts, the strawberries and garlic will be covered with straw to protect the plants over the winter. Martin was hoping that James would be able to use his excavator to dig a couple of ponds for wildlife, but we'll have to see if this is real winter or just a wintery blast before a few warmer days. This is Southern Alberta, and you can never be sure what's next. | Seeing Red with Red Tape Talking about being "snowed under," Martin is continually inundated with calls, forms, paperwork, and visits from some department of the government or another. It's enough to drive any sensible farmer mad. | After a summer out on pasture, the hens have been returned to their cozy berm barn for the winter. They get to scratch in the dirt floor and dig around in the fresh green hay spread in their pen. Organic grains and Grander Living Water round out their diet. All those young hens that Martin was raising are starting to lay, which means we have mostly medium-sized eggs. As the hens grow and eat more in the cooler weather, their eggs get larger. When the eggs are graded, they are sorted by weight. Medium eggs weigh between 49g and 56g per egg, large ones are between 56g and 63g, and extra-large eggs weigh between 63g and 70g per egg. The color of the shell is determined by the breed of hen, of which we have a large variety. When you open a carton of Harvest Haven eggs, you are greeted by various shades of brown and some stark white. The contents of the eggs are all the same. The feed the hens get determines the color of the yolk, though not the shell. Happy hens in a clean environment lay eggs that are good and good for you. | Many of you have expressed appreciation for the recipes we publish here. We're glad you enjoy them as much as we do. These recipes are usually quite simple to make and use common ingredients you have in your kitchen or can get from our store. The best part is that they taste great! Each recipe that we share with you is posted on our website under Recipes. Bookmark it. | Harvest Haven Pastured Boneless Chicken Breast - These are our "go to" favorites when we want something quick and tasty for a family dinner or serving guests. Moist, flavorful, and filling…they never disappoint. Arla Organic Cream Cheese, 200 g - So creamy, smooth, and tasty! Perfect for spreading, dipping, sauces, and desserts. Organic Wild Rice, 400 g - A delicacy that is as easy as brown rice to prepare but adds an exotic flair to your meal with its black grains and nutty flavor. Also known as Canada rice, it is indigenous to North America. Harvest Haven Turkey Bone Broth, 1 L - Use this flavorful broth to make great gravy and super soups. This flavoursome broth is a staple in our kitchen. It has so many uses…delicious gravy, stock for soups, liquid for cooking rice, and just as a savory drink. Harvest Haven Frozen Strawberries - Picked in the summer at the peak of perfection, they are bursting with goodness and flavor. Blend into your favorite smoothie, make into a bright red sauce, bake in a tasty dessert, or thaw slightly for a refreshing snack. Organic Cane Sugar, 800 g - Organic cane sugar is unrefined sugar minus the cancer-causing and environmentally damaging pesticides present in conventionally grown sugarcane. Compared to white sugar, organic cane sugar has the full-bodied taste of sugarcane and is much less processed, retaining a lot of the nutrients present in cane juice. It is the best substitute for conventional white sugar in any recipe. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Million Dollar Chicken Bake 2 lbs boneless, skinless Harvest Haven chicken breasts, thinly cut or pounded
1 container Arla organic cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crispy Harvest Haven beef bacon crumbled (about 8 slices)
1/2 cup green onions chopped (about 4 onions)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded Garnish
Crumbled beef bacon
Green onions Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium-sized bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, bacon crumbles, green onion and half of the cheddar cheese together until combined. Place the chicken breast in a baking dish and spread the cheese mixture over the chicken. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Garnish with additional bacon and green onions and serve hot! | Wild Rice Salad For The Wild Rice Salad
3 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
1 cup green grapes, cut in half
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped – both green and white parts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecans For The Dressing
1 tablespoon orange zest from one orange
1/2 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed (from one to two oranges)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper Place cooked and cooled wild rice, grapes, orange slices, scallions, cranberries and pecans in a large salad bowl. In a small mixing bowl, mix orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the wild rice salad. Give it a toss. Allow it to sit 30 minutes in the fridge for all the flavors to blend before serving. Alternatively, you can make this salad in advance. | Strawberry Crumb Bars 1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter
1 Harvest Haven egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups frozen Harvest Haven strawberries, thawed
1/3 cup cane sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place parchment paper on the bottom of the 8x8 pan so that it hangs over the side of the pan. (This is to make it easier to remove the Strawberry Crumb Bars after cooking.) In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture. (VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure the butter is very cold.) Work with the dough until the pieces are very small. The dough will be crumbly. You can also pulse in a food processor until you get pea-sized crumbs. In a separate measuring cup or small bowl, beat an egg with a fork. Add the egg and vanilla to the flour mixture, and combine until you have a crumbly mixture. Pat half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. In another bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the strawberries. Spoon the strawberry mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the strawberry filling layer. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. | Do or Die - The Album In November 2019, Victor (owner of Harvest Haven) had his first singing engagement before a live audience. It was a hoot! He loved it; we loved it. Since then, Victor has done a couple of live performances online. People from all over the world were able to watch and participate via comments. That was an interesting experience, and it was nice to include others online. It's been a busy year of recording the songs, which Victor has received over 45 years of his walk with God. Some of those songs have been compiled into his first album, Do or Die. We thoroughly appreciate John Capek's expertise as a producer. He has a unique ability to have a recognizable musical signature written into the music that shares who he is without swallowing the artist he's producing for. Martin said so. So there! On the website for the album, you'll find a brief history of Victor's music, as well as a list of the amazing musicians playing on these songs. We have been blessed. | |
