Category Archives: The Farm Kitchen

The Tomato Report

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Tomatoes are slowing down.  The days are getting shorter, nights are getting cooler, and I am not picking tomatoes at a rate of 22lbs every other day.  The one good thing about having a hot summer is the tomatoes just love it.  I have heard very little this year about tomato blight.  When I talk tomatoes at the coffee shop, everyone has had a good year and very few problems. That is of course if they watered once a week or so.

The beefsteak tomatoes proved to be a winner this year.  They are huge and you do have to cut a lot out when canning, but there is so much there that it more than makes up for it.  I still preferred the Celebrity tomatoes for canning.  They are so easy to remove skins and quarter.  The Yellow Beefsteaks had such a strong stalk that I had a hard time getting them off the vine.  Then, when I finally was able to pry them loose, the tomato was half mutilated.

It’s a good indication that the tomato season is over when you would rather stick a needle in your eye than look at another tomato.  I am just about there.   Another good indication that tomatoes are just about done is when spiders are taking over your tomato plants.   I think I have 4 big boys in my garden right now.  I dont’ mind them being there, I just don’t want them in my face when I am trying to pick.

Actually, one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed was one time on the farm when I was younger, I threw a grasshopper into a web of one of these garden spiders.   This particular spider must have been hungry because she didn’t miss a beat and in an instant had that grasshopper wrapped up in a web and I think it ate some of it and saved the rest for dinner.  I kept going back to check on that spider and eventually she cut it from the web but the grasshopper bundle stayed there for a few days.  So cool.  I would highly recommend trying it at home, but I believe the spider has to be pretty hungry for it to act.

Back to the tomatoes, it’s a rare year that I  don’t have enough tomatoes to can, but I have had a year or two when all my tomatoes had to be used for canning and not much for sandwiches and salsa.  Then you have a year like this and everyone has a sore or two in their mouth and there is time set aside everyday for some sort of tomato prep.  I’m thankful for it all, and come February, will be very pleased that all those tomatoes were canned, froze, pureed and the list could go on.

The Farm Wife

Blueberries

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Blueberries are one of my favorite things to preserve, and eat for that matter.  Unlike corn and tomatoes, there are not 15 steps you have to go through to preserve them well.  All you have to do is wash, pat dry, and freeze.  Then as you need them you go out to the freezer with your scoop and scoop them out and use.  It’s that easy. 

We mostly use ours throughout the year to make blueberry muffins.  They are my absolute favorite thing to have on a Sunday morning with my coffee, while I watch the news and talk with the farmer about how the milk market is doing.  The milk market is much more interesting if you have hot coffee and a fresh blueberry muffin.My blueberries are now ready for the freezer and I pull them out just a cup or two at a time.  They also are really good to have as a frozen snack.  My daughter eats them frozen on her yogurt.  I still prefer them in the form of a muffin.

The Farm Wife

Drying Onions

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If you grow your own onions, you know they are easy to grow.  Around here, you put your sets in on Good Friday.  Then in July you can pick an onion out of your garden as you please.  As your onions grow, some will shoot up a hard stem and a bloom.  What is that?  Why do they do that?    This picture is an example of an onion that sent up a bloom.   My grandma has told me to not let them bloom so I will pinch it off.  The onions that do send up that hard shoot are sort of a pain in the butt.  They don’t produce a good sized onion and I don’t think there is much you can do about it.  I guess just hope they don’t all do it.  I had a few that were that way.  I have heard that you are supposed to eat those first.  They do not keep.

When your onion stems start to lay down (on their own, not because you just got a big storm)  they are done growing.  We have had a very dry season so I didn’t really see the problem with leaving them in the ground to cure for a while until I was ready to deal with them.  Yesterday, I pulled them, and now I am letting them dry for a few days or a week or so.  I will keep my eye on them.  I actually tried the braiding and hanging technique.  They are on my porch out of the sun.  I am just hoping that when people drive by they don’t think this is my idea of cool porch decor.

The Farm Wife

Freezing Corn

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Corn, to “put up” or freeze, is a time-consuming vegetable.  There are several stages to the process so each ear has to be handled for every step.  I have a young family of 4 so it’s not  terribly difficult for me and am able to get the process done in a single morning.  If you are freezing for more than 4, two of which don’t eat much, it can take a couple of days or at least one day sun up to sun down.

It’s best to pick the corn the same day you are processing it.  If you can’t, it’s not the end of the world, I just wouldn’t enter it into any corn competitions.  For me, this means being in the cornfield by 6am.  I would much (and I can’t emphasis this enough) rather do the work in the morning than afternoon or night.

After the picking, the next step is the husking.  Kids are pretty good help for this job, but you might have to remind them a time or two to take off all the silks.

Now it’s inside for cooking and cooling.  This is the step or steps where you have to be on your toes not leaving any batch too long in the cooking or too long in the cooling tub. Quick in, quick out.  Cooking times vary depending on who you talk to.  I say the less time the better.  I didn’t leave any batch in the cooking water for more than 5 min.  After cooking, very quickly move them into the cooling tub to stop the cooking process.  When your cooling tub water starts to get warm, empty it and fill it with cold water again.

Now that the quick work is done, the following steps are cutting and bagging.  This takes time and a little practice.  When I was young, grandpa was in charge of cutting.  Cutting takes the most experience.  There are fancy tools out there to help you with this, but just a plain old knife works also.  When you are cutting you have to find that spot with your knife where you are not cutting to deep into the area where the kernel meets the cob.  Also, you don’t want to cut too shallow where you are wasting corn or have to go back for second cuttings.  Like I said, it takes practice and I am not great at it, but I’m getting better.

Cutting and bagging the corn are the messiest steps and plan on having to wipe down most of your kitchen when you are done. Bag as you cut, and use a measuring cup to get your corn into the bags.   Quart size bags are good to use.  This year I used quart sized bags, but only filled them up about halfway.  I have found over the years, that it is easier to pull out 2 bags if you need extra than to have more in one bag than what you wanted and will ultimately get forgotten in the refrigerator and wasted.  When you have all your bags filled, or in my case half filled, get them into the freezer and use them as needed through out the year.

Freezing corn is worth the trouble.  There are a few vegetables that are worth the trouble of growing and putting up yourself and corn is one of them.  We did not grow our own sweet corn, but have neighbors who do and do a very good job.  Despite the growing conditions we had this year, this sweet corn was really very good because it was irrigated.  If you are buying sweet corn this year, and live in the midwest, beware!  Ask if it’s been irrigated and if it hasn’t don’t pay premium price for it.  Most growers are honest about the product they are selling and have their corn discounted this year.

The Farm Wife

Today’s Harvest

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The tomatoes are rollin’ in.  Everyday there are a few more to bring in and make something out of.  The more circular in shape tomatoes are Celebrities, the odd shaped red ones are an heirloom beefsteak, the yellow one is an heirloom yellow beefsteak.  That one, by the way, weighed 1 and 3/4 lbs.  The pepper is a Big Bertha.  I will be inside making salsa if anyone needs me.

The Farm Wife

First BLT is Almost Here!

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I have a tomato that is days away from being ready.  This is a record for me.  I have never had a tomato by the 4th of July.  It’s a Celebrity, and I check it everyday to note it’s progress.  It’s still green at this point but is starting to get a not so firm feel to it.  I used my last quart of canned tomatoes about 2 weeks ago for pizza sauce.  I don’t buy store tomatoes, so we have been out of luck on the tomato front since that pizza.  I have almost resorted to trading neighbors, eggs for a quart of tomatoes, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

After my spinach was done, I started lettuce in my raised bed which will also be ready in a few days.  The bacon is bought from Webers, our local meat packer, and is waiting in the freezer.  I also heard a rumor in the coffee shop today that there is some fresh sweet corn being sold not to far south so that means it won’t be long before we have sweet corn for sale in this area.  Of course, this isn’t just your run of the mill sweet corn.  This is the best in the country.  Nothing beats mid-western sweet corn.  So BLT’s and Corn on the Cob here we come!

The Farm Wife

Breakfast in an 1890’s Victorian Kitchen

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  • Rice waffles
  • German pancakes
  • Country Fried Ham with Red Eye Gravy
  • Fried Catfish
  • Strawberries and Cream
  • Biscuits
  • Egg Coffee
  • Hot Chocolate

How does that sound for breakfast?  To me it sounded awesome although maybe in the 1890’s they didn’t get the memo that here in Wisconsin we eat cheese with every meal.  Anyways, it was awesome and making it all in an 1890’s kitchen made it even better.

In Prairie du Chien, Wi. There is a mansion called the Villa Louis.  It was built in the 1840’s and through the early 1900’s it was a summer home to the wealthy Dousman family.  Now the Wisconsin state historical society opens the mansion up for tours and puts on special programs like the one my mom and I attended last weekend called Breakfast in a Victorian Kitchen.

We made everything sans electricity and new appliances.  That includes dishwashers.  I thought maybe they could just throw one in the back where no one could see it to put the dishes in when everyone is done eating.  No such luck.  We used wooden spoons, old crocks, egg beaters, cast iron skillets, the works.  Mom and I were in charge of the German Pancakes.  It was a great dish with about 4 ingredients, flour, milk, eggs, and butter.  It was more of what we would consider an egg bake than a pancake.

One of the highlights of the morning for me was learning about egg coffee.  Get this and get ready for your life to change.  You can make coffee without a filter or other straining device.  I know, I know, you say it can’t be done.  It can and I drank the proof.  These people were geniuses.

Coffee made with an egg:

One egg is sufficient to clear one cup of ground coffee.  If a smaller quantity be desired, half an egg may be used, as if fresh, the remainder will keep until the next day.  Or the whole egg may be beaten with the ground coffee, and such portion of it used as needed, keeping the remainder closely covered.  To make the coffee, add one half cup of cold water to the portion of egg to be used and one third of a cup of coffee.

The Boston Cook Book, Mrs. D.A.Lincoln, 1884

So basically what that means is you can beat an egg or eggs (depending on how many cups are being made) with the coffee grounds.  Essentially, you are mixing a blob of egg and coffee grounds.  Then, put that mixture into the cold water and heat it up.  When the egg mass is cooked you remove it and you have coffee left with no grounds.  Isn’t that amazing?  The person who thought of that deserves a medal.  Sure it’s more economical to use a coffee maker but what if you are a guest at someone’s house who doesn’t have a coffee maker?  Yes, those people do exist.  Before you grab the keys to go to McDonald’s think of egg coffee.  Although, if they don’t have a coffee maker they probably don’t have coffee.  Well, let this be a lesson to you- next time, travel with your own coffee.

The Farm Wife

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam

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I just ran out of last years jam about a week ago.  I had raspberry jam, tomato marmalade, and apple butter.  My kids are PB and J eaters at lunch time.  As soon as we ran out, my son asked me to call grandma to see if she had anymore jams or jellies.  When she didn’t, we started to go into panic mode, and by we, I mean he.  I tried to sell him peanut butter and honey, but that was a no go.  He told me I could just go to the store and get some tomorrow.  I assured him if we just wait a few more days the strawberries will be ready.  When I showed him this bunch of strawberries, “Good job, mom” was his response.  Thanks, I appreciate a sincere “Good job, mom”.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam

4 cups crushed strawberries.  6 or 7 cups of whole strawberries cut into halves and pulsed a few times in the food processor will do the trick.

4 cups sugar

Sterilize 4 half pint canning jars by boiling water and pouring into clean jars.  Let sit for a little bit (15 min.).  Also throw the rings and ring bands into scalding water and let those sit until ready to use.

Pour the  crushed strawberries into a 5 quart pot.  Stir in the sugar until well blended.  Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling, uncovered and stir frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until it starts to thicken.  The big bubbles are a good indication that the mixture is thickening.  Also, if you stick a spoon in the pot, take it out, blow on it a little to cool it down,  the jam will start to stick to the spoon.

Pour into the hot jars leaving 1/8  inch of head space at the top.  Wipe rim with a damp cloth.  Place lids on jars and screw on ring bands firmly.  Set jars on a towel out of a draft.  Now my favorite part, listen for the pings of the lids when they seal.  Test to make sure all lids are sealed.  Just push the top of the lid and it should not push down.

The base recipe for this jam is from a book I found at a farm auction in a big box of cookbooks and other recipes called Canning Freezing and Drying published by Lane publishing in 1981.  I think I paid $5.00 for the whole box of cookbooks.

The Farm Wife

The Morel Mushroom

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In Wisconsin, we take our Morel mushroom season very seriously.  We also call ourselves the best Morel mushroom state.  I don’t know if that’s true, but I’ve heard it more than once so it must be true.  I know that I didn’t understand the art of hunting Morels until I moved to this state.  By the way, if you are looking down more than you are looking up – you are not doing it right.  The hunt is more for the tree than the mushroom.

I have a great neighbor, Lynn, who held my hand (not literally) through the morel mushroom hunting learning process.  We started out by going out together and he would find them and me and the kids would ohh and ahh.  Then I graduated to finding trees that he tagged for me with red tape.  It was like an Easter egg hunt.  Now I’m on my own, but there has been more than one occasion when Lynn has pulled up beside me with his 4 wheeler and handed me a bag of mushrooms before.  I completely count that as a victory.  It doesn’t matter how you find them, as long as you have them in your hand you’re a winner.

A tree that I found about 10 mushrooms under. Bark is just starting to fall off. This is an Elm.

Like I said, the hunt is for the tree.  You are looking for a dead tree, but not too dead.  Too dead is all the bark falling off and bats living inside.  That tree is too far gone to grow Morels.  You are looking for a tree where the bark is just starting to fall off near the top.  Now you see why you are looking up more than looking down.  When you find the perfect tree, that’s when you start looking down.  Also, you can find the perfect tree and not find Morels.  Elms are probably the most popular trees for Morel hunters, but mushrooms have been found under oaks or even apple trees.  Lynn says any dead tree can grow a Morel.  It is true that Elms are more likely to have them.  The Elm trees that are most common around here are tall with a few large (5 or so) branches  at the top growing up.  As opposed to an Oak that has many large branches growing gracefully all over and some sloping down.  Oaks are my favorite trees!

Moving on to the best part, which is the eating part.  Morels are awesome sautéed in butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and consumed right away.  I wanted the kids to enjoy and understand the point of the mushroom hunt so we ate our mushrooms right after getting home.  Since Morels are very strong flavored, as far as mushrooms are concerned, they can pretty much stand alone.  A cracker and a sliver of swiss makes it all the better.  Good luck with your Morel mushroom hunting endeavors.

The Farm Wife