Posts Tagged ‘Farmer’s Market’

Recent Cooking Adventures

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

In the past few weeks I have done little cooking.  School has started back and I have just been plain exhausted!  However, we have managed to squeeze in a few amazing cooking experiences.

First, my dear friend Dacia came over and helped me make salsa.  By help me make salsa I really mean she did most of the work while I entertained Mikayla and taste tested the yummy salsa.  Here are some photos of the fun afternoon!

The crop needed to make salsa: tomatoes, onions, pepers (bell, jalapeno, banana), apple cider vinegar, sugar, garlic, and salt

The crop needed to make salsa: tomatoes, onions, pepers (bell, jalapeno, banana), apple cider vinegar, sugar, garlic, cilantro and salt. All the veggies are either from our garden or the local Farmer's Market.

Dacia food processing the ingredients for salsa! She is such a sweet friend to come "help" me make salsa!

Dacia food processing the ingredients for salsa! Just stick it all in the food processor and hit process! She is such a sweet friend to come "help" me make salsa!

Salsa boiling away!

Salsa boiling away!

Boiling water and lids for canning! We are getting close...

Boiling water and lids for canning! We are getting close...

Jars in the sink awaiting boiling water and then hot salsa! I didn't manage to take a final picture, but we ended up with 16 jars. That should last us at least a month!

Jars in the sink awaiting boiling water and then hot salsa! I didn't manage to take a final picture, but we ended up with 16 jars. That should last us at least a month!

Second, after some inspiration from Terry and Dacia, we bought a sushi mat and all the fixings and fixed ourselves some cruchy shrimp rolls.  Again, I entertained/fed Mikayla and Ben rolled out the sushi!

Sushi on its way! Seaweed paper + avocado slices + cream cheese + sushi rice + tempura shrimp = ...

Sushi on its way! Seaweed paper + avocado slices + cream cheese + sushi rice + tempura shrimp = ...

... One amazing crunchy shrimp roll!

... One amazing crunchy shrimp roll!

Last, we made some homemade pizza!  The cheese is what really makes the pizza.  We use cheese from Kenny’s Cheese here in Kentucky called Kentucky Rose.  It really makes the pizza amazing!

Pizza on its way. Crust is from the Amish Market, we cheated with the sauce and bought some from the store, Kenny's KY Rose Cheese, and toppings include onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, ham and bacon! We sprinkled a little Italian seasoning on the top! First bake on a pizza sheet and then when almost finished transfer to a pizza stone to crisp up the crust!

Pizza on its way. Crust is from the Amish Market, we cheated with the sauce and bought some from the store, Kenny's KY Rose Cheese, and toppings include onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, ham and bacon! We sprinkled a little Italian seasoning on the top! First bake on a pizza sheet and then when almost finished transfer to a pizza stone to crisp up the crust!

MMM MMM Good!

MMM MMM Good! We paired with with 1919 Malbec and it was fantastic!

All this talk of food is making me hungry so I am going to go fix some lunch.  What have you been cooking lately?

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Posted in Cooking |

Cookie Fail, Muffin Success

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Last week Mikayla was in a good mood and I was in a baking mood so while Ben was sleeping, we ventured to the kitchen to try our hands at a couple of new recipes.  There were plenty of blueberries to go around thanks to our Local Farmer’s Market and since bananas lifespan is shorter in the summer we had a bunch of those as well.  Fun fact about Beth – I only like green bananas.  Once they start getting brown I refuse to eat them – even if it is just a little brown.  So needless to say, bananas do not last long in our house.  The two recipes I chose to try included both of these ingredients:  Loaded Oatmeal Cookies and Blueberry Banana Muffins.    We started with the muffins.  Here is the recipe that I used.  Side note – All Recipes is one of my favorite places to find recipes.

Of course if you know me at all, I had to tweak the recipe a little!!  First off I did not have any whole wheat flour so I settled for All-Purpose Flour instead.  I tripled the cinnamon and only used two whole eggs (had to save some for the cookies).   I also added in a few extra blueberries (their flavor is so good this time of year).  I had some peaches that were getting ready to go bad so I cut up a few of those and threw them into the mix, along with a little heavy whipping cream to thin out the batter.  Here is the end result:

cookies1cookies2

They were delicious too!  The cookies on the other hand…let’s just say they did not turn out as good as the muffins (at first).  I can not seem to find the recipe I found on some random cooking blog, but I can tell you that the recipe did not have enough flour.  Here is the result of the cookies when I followed the recipe:

cookies5cookies6

They completely stuck to the pan.  However, after I added about a cup of extra flour the cookies turned out looking good, I forgot to take a picture though.  They were loaded with oatmeal, banana, chocolate and craisins.  I was unsure about the combination at first, but in the end I found them tasty!  All in all, my baking morning turned into a success!

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To Market, to market to buy a fat hen.

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Does anyone else out there like shopping at the Farmer’s Market?  I absolutely love it.  Fresh fruit and veggies, homemade breads and goodies, dog biscuits, crafts, cheese, coffee…the list could go on.   I try and attend the Farmer’s Market here in Bowling Green by the Medical Center on a weekly basis.  (However, with Mikayla my track record hasn’t been so hot!  We typically make it each week, but by the time we get there it is close to closing and the top picks are mostly gone.)  That being said I wanted to offer up some Farmer’s Market tips for anyone thinking about venturing out to one.

1.  Spread the wealth.  There are a ton of marketers at each market and each one worked hard for their product.  Don’t spend all your money at one vendor.

2.  Check it out before you begin shopping.  I typically stroll down the aisle of vendors once before I begin making purchases.  By doing this I am better equipped at spreading the wealth!

3.  Take cash.  Sure some vendors will accept checks, but cash makes the transitions quicker and more efficient.  Plus, you will know exactly what you are spending.

4.  Pre-order.  Some vendors will actually do pre-orders.  Here in BG there are actually two that do:  O’Daniel Farms and Au Naturel Farms.  Pre-ordering saves you time and ensures that you get exactly what you want.

5.  Shop the market first.  Since Farmer’s Markets only sell what is in season at the time it is best for you to shop at the market and then head to the grocery store for anything you didn’t get.

6.  Get there early! This is perhaps one of the best pieces of advice.  Farmer’s Markets do not have an unlimited supply of products, once they run out they are out.  If you don’t show up until thirty minutes before the market closes, you will probably not find much produce (trust me I know from experience).

7.  Talk to the farmers.  They are a wealth of information.  Plus once you get to know them they might cut you some deals!  Everyone loves a good deal.  If I am having trouble with my garden at home or just have a gardening question, I know I can talk to the farmers at the market and get the questions answered.

Can you tell I love shopping at the Farmer’s Market?  I hope Mikayla wakes up soon so we can head out there today!

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