A little crisp on the top layer, dense and perfectly spiced with chunks of warm apple throughout… This baked apple oatmeal recipe is so easy, uses a single bowl and can feel like a hearty breakfast or delicious dessert depending on how you dress it up!

I love the ‘idea’ of baked oatmeal but so many recipes can fall apart and feel like a good attempt gone wrong. This recipe teeters between baked oatmeal and oat cake/muffins, but I’m 100% comfortable with rocking the oat boat like this- because these are absolutely delicious!

Oat Power

I love making oat flour out of my oats and think this is my second favorite gluten free flour of all time. So, this recipe uses the humble oat in three ways. We use whole rolled oats (not the instant kind please), oat bran and then more of the rolled oats, pulverized to a flour to bring all the health benefits of oats but help it hold this dish together like a flour. Because it only uses oats, it is also naturally gluten free!

I don’t want to call this a health food, because there is maple syrup (or brown sugar) and butter (or coconut oil) in it- but the oat’s naturally high amounts of soluble fiber (specifically called beta glucan) lowers blood glucose and cholesterol levels. The oat bran also provides high levels of antioxidants. Oat groats and steel cut oats both naturally contain oat bran. But oat bran is also sold on its own, usually in the bulk bins from your local coop.

And I’ll give a shout out here to farmers growing grains sustainably and organically. It takes a lot more land to grow marketable amounts of these grains compared to vegetable farming operations. I see you and appreciate you!

Back to the Apples

It’s the perfect pairing of the nutty oats with a spiced fall apple flavor. I am not an apple snob, so I say use whatever apples you have on hand, but I do prefer a slightly tart apple in these.

Granny Smith is the classic, but I prefer Honeycrisp, Cortland, Macintosh or  if you can find them Northern Spy. Whatever apple you use, these will be simply satisfying.

If you’re looking for an Organic Apple Orchard I’ve got you covered there too!

I’ve also baked these in a 9X12” (lots of crispy edges and tops), a 9” round (almost overflows), and muffins (this makes a slightly awkward 18 muffins) – all are delicious. I will suggest you steer clear of paper muffin liners because this is such a wet batter going in that half the muffin will stick to the liner when you’re trying to eat them.

Baked Apple Oatmeal Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 c. rolled oats – 1 cup pulverized into flour
• ½ c. oat bran (or another ½ cup rolled oats)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground (or 1/2 tsp fresh) ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves +/or cardamom *optional
• 2 large eggs
• 2 c. milk (2% or whole)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. maple syrup (or brown sugar)
• 2 small apples cored, peeled, and chopped (about 2 c.)
• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter (or coconut oil) melted, plus more, softened, for pan
• 1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts) *optional

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease pan of choice with coconut oil

Start by mixing the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Measure 2 cups of milk into a 2 cup measurer- then you can crack and beat two eggs (gently) and add the vanilla, pour and then measure the maple syrup all in the same measurer before pouring into the dry ingredients. Melt the butter (I use same now empty measuring cup) and add to batter.

Mix and let that mixture soak up the liquids while you peel, core and chop enough apples to make around 2 cups. Chop and add nuts if using. Mix with the other ingredients.

Grease your pan or muffin tins with coconut oil. and fill to just under the rim. These do not expand much.

Bake in 350F oven for allotted time:

• 9X12 – 20-25 minutes
• 9” Round- 25-30 minutes
• Muffin tins- 20 minutes

Enjoy it Your Way

And then we can dress it up. My one son LOVES whipped cream- and straight cream with a little vanilla extract whipped in is a delightful topper. I also push whole fats with my boys and paired with the oats this is a healthy way for them to eat them.

I prefer whole fat Greek yogurt spiced with vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, maybe cardamom too… the yogurt feels like a breakfast, but the whipped cream brings this fully into the dessert realm in our home.

For more apple goodness check out my post An Apple A Day that has loads of delicious ways to cook with and preserve the fall apple bounty!

If you’ve moved on to Pumpkin, try my favorite Spiced Pumpkin Cake recipe too!

Let me know how you prefer to enjoy these healthful, delicious apple + oat treats.

Dig in,

Michelle

The post Baked Apple Oatmeal Cake (GF) appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

If you love growing beautiful medicine that also attracts the pollinators, then let me introduce you to Aronia Berry, aka Chokeberry. Actually, you may have already met Aronia Berry while walking in the woods or edges of prairies in the Midwest of America.

Officially named Aronia melanocarpa, this cold hardy North American native woody shrub is worth adding to your landscape for its adaptability, form, fall color, and, of course, its fruits!

Aronia Berry: Knowing + Growing

The aronia berry tends to stay around 8 feet tall (depending on variety) and is much less picky about soil as it has deeper roots than the elderberry. They are hardy to -40F or USDA Zone 3. They also don’t have any pest issues and are disease resistant.

I’ve been successfully growing the common Viking variety for five years now in Zone 4. We’re growing and harvesting berries from my front yard from 2 mature bushes. We get about 4 pounds of fruit total. This amount is more than enough to keep us in Aronia Berry immunity syrup heaven, and extras for smoothies too.  We would likely get more of a harvest if I amend the sandy soil. Maybe someday, ha! They produce beautiful clusters of the deepest dark purple (pretty much black) berries—which is where the anthocyanin comes in…

Powerful Plant Chemistry

Anthocyanin gives the dark superfruits their super powers. The purple-black berries of both Aronia and Elderberries pretty much blow away other commonly revered superfoods with their antioxidant levels.

Antioxidant levels in food are measured by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). ORAC measures the overall antioxidant power of a food or supplement. USDA research shows Aronia Berries have one of the highest antioxidant content of any fruits, according to the Aronia Berry Services of Northeast Iowa.

There’s quite the list of berries that grow in our Zone 4 Midwest region: Aronia Berry, Elderberry, Wild Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Cherry. Each of these contains elevated levels of antioxidants. Our local food system is providing for us, keeping us from needing to fly food halfway across the world to boost our immunity and up our antioxidants. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Comparing Berries

Both Aronia and Elderberry grow to between 6 and 10 feet tall. They will produce better in full sun, but they don’t mind a little afternoon shade. Elderberries prefer it wetter than Aronia. Aronia are self-fertile while Elderberry require another variety for pollination.  Both will start producing more fruit about 2–3 years after planting.

Raw elderberries (the berries, leaves, bark, and roots) contain both lectin and cyanide, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so ALWAYS cook elderberries before consuming! Aronia berries may be eaten raw, or frozen and added to smoothies.

I love a good blueberry, but they do require a specific pH, so test your soil before planting, as changing soil pH is a very difficult task! Chokecherry  (Prunus Virginiana) grows more like a tree up to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide and produces smaller berries (like pin cherries) but are adored by birds and humans alike.

How to Use Your Aronia Berries

Aronia berries are the driest berries I’ve ever worked with, so they do lend themselves to dehydrating and adding to trail mix.

I really enjoy using frozen aronia berries in place of blueberries in my morning smoothies. I think the dairy (or oat/almond milk) really balances out the tart berries nicely. Adding greens and other fruits helps too.

I’ve also baked with them, making scones and muffins. Although I compensated for the astringent berries with a sweeter than normal dough, they still weren’t my family’s favorite.

But for our family, we mostly use these in the immunity boosting aronia syrup recipe below. I especially love being able to add our home-grown ginger into this recipe.

And YES- You can absolutely use a combination of elderberries and aronia berries in this recipe.

Aronia Berry Syrup Recipe

• 3 Cups aronia berries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ Cup filtered water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 tsp cloves
• 1-2 inches of ginger, sliced or grated
• 1 cup + Honey (Raw + local if possible)

Simmer with lid on in a non-reactive pan for 15–20 minutes, adding water as needed to keep from scorching.

Cool, remove cinnamon stick, and strain. I place the cooked pulp into a (very stained) jelly bag and squeeze out every last drop of juice by hand. You may want to wear rubber/latex gloves to avoid staining your hands a very dark purple (the stain wears off in a day or two). 

Pour into a clean glass jar.

Mix in honey to taste (I find we use less honey in aronia berry syrup than elderberry syrup).

Stores in refrigerator for 1 month. I prefer to make a small batch every month or so rather than a bigger batch that might spoil.

Dark Blue Deep Dive

If you’re interested in adding more of these antioxidant-rich plants to your landscape and diet, check out Honeyberry USA for a wide selection of high anthocyanin fruiting shrubs. Or consider connecting with the Blue Fruit Farm for a delivery of Minnesota-grown berries, syrups, jams, and jellies in the Twin Cities. They also sell elderberry canes for those interested in growing out their own stock.

If you’re looking for the finished product at your local farmer’s market, check out the fine ladies with Sailor Mercy.

Have I tempted you to grow more of your own medicine?

Let me know what you think!

Dig In,

Michelle

The post The Amazing Aronia Berry appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I love the two different versions of this recipe equally, it just depends on what flavors I’m craving more, and if I happen to have some potatoes around as to which I make.

You can use a variety of zucchini in this recipe, and even summer squash too, just be aware of the different moisture content in each variety. Patty Pan are one of the ‘meatiest’ and dense/driest types, while Fordhook + Golden varieties tend to be wetter. If you shred the zucchini and can see extra water in the bowl, squeeze some out so you don’t have too thin of fritters.

More information on Growing Zucchini + More Ways to enjoy them on another post, A Zillion Ways to Zucchini.

Either way the Zucchini Cornmeal Fritter, or the Zucchini Potato Fritter is delicious quick lunch, though shredding raw potato and cooking them takes a little longer. I do love a good potato pancake though, and the potato version are like a lighter, veggi-fied version of a potato pancake (I’ve also made them in the Swiss Rosti style-YUM!)

We almost always enjoy them with a fresh Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber + Yogurt Dip) so I’ve included that recipe here as well- 3 recipes in one blog post- jeesh

Try both and let me know which version you prefer!

Zucchini Cornmeal Fritters

• 2-2.5 Cups of shredded Zucchini (see note above))
• 1 shallot
• 1/3 Cup shredded Mozzarella
• 1/3 Cup corn meal
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Oil to sauté

Mix all ingredients together and let rest for 10 minutes so the cornmeal absorbs moisture. *This is when I make a quick tzatziki sauce. Turn heat to medium/medium-high. Heat enough oil (I prefer olive or avocado) to cover bottom of pan. Pour 1/3 cup circles of batter into pan, flip once halfway cooked usually around 3-4 minutes. Let drain on paper towels. Refrigerate leftovers, which stay good for 2 days.

Zucchini + Potato Fritters

• Ingredients:
• 2+ pounds fresh zucchini, shredded (excess moisture squeezed out if needed)
• 1 pound potato, shredded (can use sweet potato too-sooo good!)
• 1 medium onion diced or shredded
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T mixed spices like garlic, onion, paprika, black pepper,
• Up to 2 Tbsp hot sauce (or none)
• 3/4 cup flour of your choice (I use ground oats)
• Oil to Sauté

DIRECTIONS: Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 5-10 minutes to let oat flour absorb moisture. Form loose patties with wet hands. Heat enough oil (I prefer olive or avocado) to cover bottom of pan. Pour 1/3 cup circles of batter into pan, flip once halfway cooked usually around 6-8  minutes. Let drain on paper towels. Refrigerate leftovers, which stay good for 2 days.

Cucumber Lover’s Tzatziki Sauce

This is our family’s favorite sauce to accompany our fritters so I had to share here too… PS-I do not peel my cucumbers for this- but do scoop out any large seeds.

• 1 large English cucumber, Shredded (any cucumber will do, just scoop out any large seeds)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 4+ garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2+ TBSP chopped dill
• 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
• Pinch of white pepper (black is a fine substitute)
• Olive oil – for drizzling on top

If you can let the sauce sit for 30 minutes the flavors will have a chance to mingle!

In the winter we’ll take out a pack of frozen shredded zucchini and whip these up with the warming spices of curry!

The fritters are also surprisingly delicious cold the next day.

…And if you need a sweet treat option for your Zucchini, try my Decadent GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe!

I hope you make at least one of these two versions of Zucchini Fritters- and let me know what you think!

Dig In!
Michelle

The post Zucchini Fritters Two Ways (but both Gluten Free) appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

To make the most of this fleeting, yet oh so sweet taste of summer – we’ve got tips and tricks on growing, picking and preserving all the local strawberries you possibly can. Quick and delicious freezer jam anyone?

I promise, you will thank yourself as you make a strawberry smoothie or strawberry muffins come winter.

Strawberries are one of our little homestead’s most anticipated foods by every member of our family. So, we spend some time prepping and loving on the gardens so they produce to their fullest. Here’s how we work at growing great strawberries.

Grow Great Berries

Strawberries are as close to instant gratification as you can get with a perennial fruit. I recommend planting bare root plants, as you have more control on suitable varieties. They’re also less expensive than potted plants, and the plants seem to do better in the long run. The catch is you want to plant them in late May, before the heat of summer comes on too strong. You’ll soak the roots for an hour or two before planting. During the first growing season, plan to pinch off the first few buds that form, but let the next rounds of flowers mature to pick fruit later in the season.

Location

Choose a sunny spot (8+ hours) with good drainage, as strawberries do not like wet feet. They enjoy slightly acidic soil. Plant 12–24” apart. And as their name ‘STRAWberry’ suggests, they like to be mulched with STRAW. There are different varieties that will do well in Zones 3–8, making it a widely adaptable perennial fruit.

Note that once established, strawberry plants spread by runners and will need to be managed to keep from getting overgrown. Cutting and replanting or gifting the ‘daughter’ plants is a great way to spread the strawberry love!

Main Varieties of Strawberries

June Bearing: harvested in June and July here in Minnesota. The biggest producer in the shortest timeframe. Best if you want a shorter harvest period, for preserving. **I grow mostly Honeoye, a June bearing.**

Ever Bearing: produce two main crops; summer and fall. Good for eating fresh.

Day Neutral: These produce a smaller crop, but for most of the growing season.

Why Local Matters

Did you know strawberries don’t ripen after being picked?! So those strawberries that you buy from a grocery store that have travelled across the country will never taste as good as ones you pick when fully ripe. Locally grown berries tend to be sweeter, smaller, more nutritious, and denser than the varieties of berries grown to sit in grocery stores.

In our growing Zone 4/5, strawberries make an appearance for about 2–4 weeks every year, from mid-June to early July. The window for picking is short, so make time for it as soon as you hear the buzz. If you can’t grow enough, be sure to get to a farm and pick your own (PYO in berry lingo). Our fabulous MN Grown has a directory of PYO farms! Even though we grow a lot of strawberries we usually go and pick some as well, bags of frozen strawberries feel like food insurance!

Both flavor and nutrition start to degrade soon after picking. The vitamin C content and the antioxidant amounts fade quickly. Strawberries are best within 24 hours of being picked, although some people have luck extending the life of their fresh berries by soaking them in one-part apple cider vinegar to one-part water for a few minutes before drying very thoroughly and refrigerating.

I know this is a post all about strawberries, but let’s give a shout out to the PYO Blueberry Farms that will be up in mid-July!

Preserve ASAP

Strawberries are a delicious source of vitamin C, one of the many antioxidants that make strawberries such a healthy food. Did you know that just one cup provides more than the recommended daily allowance? Strawberries are also an excellent source of fiber (3 grams/cup), folate, and potassium, to name a few.

To get the most flavor and nutrition out of the fresh and local berries, make sure you eat as many as humanly possible (ha) right away and preserve the rest within 24–48 hours of harvesting them.

I tend to remove hulls and flash freeze as we harvest, because the quicker they go from living to frozen the better! Just hull and quickly rinse (or skip if they’re your own and you feel OK with that) and place in a single layer on a pan and freeze overnight. Place into a freezer bag and squeeze out air the next day.

Freezing the berries is an excellent way to protect their flavor and nutrition. Plus, savoring those summer flavors deep in winter is downright magical!

I love making freezer jam, as I think it tastes way better than the cooked versions. Use MY RECIPE for that fresh strawberry favor all winter long.

Remember you can use strawberry jam to make my Strawberry Vinaigrette too!

Fresh strawberries are especially tasty on fresh local greens for a summer salad, or drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar, or served over vanilla ice cream.  

But really, there’s no wrong way to eat strawberries!

Have I convinced you to try growing your own strawberries yet?

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Growing Strawberries appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

We love growing cucumbers! But there are many differences, so let’s do a cucumber comparison.

They’re a favorite of the vegetable garden and one of the homegrown treats my kids most impatiently look forward to munching fresh off the vine—as well as sliced (with ranch)—then fermented and pickled all winter long.

Needless to say, we grow a lot of cucumbers!

*This post includes affiliate links*

There are different cucumber varieties including slicing, English (burpless), pickling, and then you can get into the specialty varieties that have been saved for their unique characters for centuries. These specialty varieties have a special place in my heart.

Planting Basics

In general, cucumbers prefer 5–8 hours of sunlight a day, and can benefit from a little afternoon shade. They do best with good drainage in slightly acidic yet fertile soil.

This is one of those plants that gardeners debate over whether to start indoors or direct sow. If you do start indoors, wait until just 2–4 weeks before the last frost dates, as these plants grow quickly. If direct seeding into the garden, wait until the soil is around 70°F for best germination. I love my Soil Thermometer. Adding floating row cover can help raise the soil temps at that time of year.

In general, cucumbers produce best in a mild temperature range, with soil at least 70°F and 75–85°F air temperatures. They kind of shut down flowering below 50°F and over 95°F. I’ve also had great results heavily mulching or planting another ground cover/companion crop at the base to keep roots in the happy temperature zone. Deep watering is key.

Space out individual cucumber plants 8–12 inches apart. They love to climb, so plan to grow where a trellis makes sense.

Common Problems Growing Cucumbers

If you’re seeing more leaves than fruits, I will suggest you stay away from a typical all-purpose fertilizer here and focus on using a fertilizer with a higher phosphorus number. Phosphorus is the middle number in the N-P-K ratio.

Cucumbers do require pollinators, so if you’re short on bees, you may be short on fruit. You can hand pollinate in a few different ways. Female flowers will have a slight bulge at the base while male flowers have no bulge.

1. Take a male flower and touch central flower stalk (the anther) to a female flower center (the stigma).
2. Take a little paint brush and go from male flower pollen to female flower center to hand pollinate.

Pest info below from the University of Minnesota Extension website

• Pests:
  Striped cucumber beetles damage plants by eating leaves as well as flowers, stems, and fruit. They may also contribute to bacterial wilt.
• Spotted cucumber beetles migrate to Minnesota every year, and once here they feed on all above-ground parts of the plant.
• During periods of hot, dry weather, spider mites can feed on leaves, giving them a bleached or bronzed appearance.

Photo below includes:
Top Middle: 3 little pickle bush cucumbers, Upper Right: 1 Poona Kheera
Middle: 3 large Telegraph Improved, Bottom: 1 Armenian
1 tiny mini-muncher below and 1 above 3 Dragon’s Eggs

A Cucumber Comparison of Varieties I’ve Grown

Armenian (Cucumis melo)

50–75 Days, Heirloom + Open Pollinated, 12–24” fruits

Burpless, crunchy flesh, lots of seeds (but soft and edible + easy to scoop out if desired), on the sweeter side. Skins range from pale green to striped, with Painted Serpent a variety with pronounced stripes. Still produces well in hot weather.
–Seed Savers Exchange

Chicago Pickling Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

50-60 Days, Heirloom + Open Pollinated, 2” gherkins, 4” slicers.

Classic pickling cucumber since 1888! Dark green skin with spines. Long season of production, especially if fruits are taken when still small. Resistant to scab and cucumber mosaic virus.
Experimental Farm Network (offering a “Dual Purpose Grex” this year)

Dragon’s Egg (Cucumis sativus)

50–70 Days, Heirloom + Open Pollinated, 3–4” ovals, from Croatia.

These really do look like eggs! Thin skins, VERY prolific (especially if well-mulched) early producers, mild flavor. Seeds do get tough if left on the vine too long. My kids eat them like apples in the garden. Best eaten within a few days. Not the best for pickling—but makes great cucumber lemonade!

Lemon Cucumbers
(Cucumis sativus)

60–70 days, Heirloom, + Open Pollinated, 2.5”–3.5” round yellow skin.

A specialty variety with strikingly bright yellow skin, with many spines. Crisp white flesh, lots of seeds. Never bitter burpless variety. Not my favorite as the spines are hard to remove and the seeds get tough before the fruits get fully yellow.
–Territorial Seed Company

Marketmore 76
(Cucumis sativus)

65 Days, Open Pollinated, 8–9” fruits

Classic slicing cucumber with dark green bumpy skin and good flavor. These can get long fast; expect to peel skin if over 10” long. Once it starts producing it goes strong. Resistant to powdery mildew.
–High Mowing Organic Seeds

Pickle Bush

50–55 Days, 4” paler green fruits on a 2’ long vine

This is my favorite space-saving variety for growing in containers. Early yielding, lots of fruits (they grow in pairs—so cute!) at once, so you could pickle a few jars from just two plants. I’ve only grown the Burpee seeds for this.
–Burpee

Poona Kheera (Cucumis sativus)

50 Days, Heirloom, + Open Pollinated, 4–6” blunt ended fruits

The Indian cucumber that looks like a potato—these go from yellow-green to full-on russet colored as they mature! These weird-looking fruits are a new family favorite, super crisp (almost apple-ish) white flesh, almost salty not sweet—but also never bitter.
–High Mowing Organic Seeds

Mini Muncher F1

55–60 days, Hybrid, 3–4” long fruits

These are similar to the fancy little cucumbers you find in the store. Basically seedless when picked under 4” with a barely there skin. Sets fruit in cooler temps, and keeps on producing late into the season. These resisted powdery mildew the longest of my cucumbers last season too!
–Territorial Seed Company

Telegraph Improved

60 Days, Heirloom, 10–18” fruits, English slicer

Burpless, and mild overall, thin and shiny skinned with soft seeds. These plants will grow up to 8 feet, so get a sturdy trellis! These will also set fruit without pollination as they were developed back in the 1800s for greenhouse growers but have been a home gardener favorite ever since.
–Botanical Interests

Cucamelon (Melothria Scabra)

70 days, Heirloom and Open Pollinated, 1” fruits

Grown as much for the novelty as anything else, the mini-watermelon-looking fruits have a crisp, sour-lemon flavor and are the cutest things coming out of the garden in August. One plant can easily take over a trellis, as they climb over 8 feet even in our shorter Minnesota growing season. Start these indoors as they are slow to germinate and get growing. We mostly eat them fresh, and area  fun addition to fruit salads.
–Botanical Interests

And since I always love trying something new, I’m trialing Suyo Long this summer. Follow along for my results…

Eating (and Drinking) All Those Cucumbers!

We do eat a lot of cucumbers sitting in the garden or—if they make it inside—simply sliced, in salads, or fermented as pickles…

And since I discovered Cucumber Lemonade we never let any cucumbers go to waste! Just peel, scoop seeds if tough, and puree, then strain out pulp if desired, add fresh-squeezed lemon juice, some honey, and sip away!

We also just found Freezer Pickles thanks to Crystal’s book, Freeze Fresh. This is such an easy way to use up those one or two extra cucumbers—so now I’m never worried about growing too many cucumbers!

Has this cucumber comparison inspired you to try growing cucumbers this season?

Dig In!
-Michelle

The post Cucumber Comparison appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

This corn chowder recipe is such a perfect blend of sweet corn nostalgia and winter comfort that I can get a craving for this soup just about any season… but it feels especially fitting during that ‘hungry gap’ when many of the frozen veggies are gone and we’re down to sprouting potatoes and mason jars from the pantry.

This recipe can skew simple or a little more involved depending on how you’re feeling, but on way or another, make this while it is still soup season!

My latest version included the last of a batch of ‘corn and vegetable stock’ from the summer. This simple seeming stock is rather magical in my opinion. You make it from the leftover cobs after canning the sweet corn this past summer. This just pulls all the deliciousness out of every cob of corn.

After you cut off the corn kernels off the cob, just toss cobs, and onion peelings, celery leaves, carrots (or just their peelings), garlic and a bay leaf into a pot and simmer for at least 4 hours, strain off the stock and either freeze (leaving a good inch of headroom in the jar) or pressure can with the cans of corn.

Like all my recipes, especially soups, there is a lot of leeway to use up veggies and ingredients that you have on hand. If you have zucchini but not celery, go for it- or parsnips instead of carrots- OK! Make this corn chowder recipe yours, you are in control in hte kitchen!

Corn Chowder Recipe

Ingredients

½ lb Bacon cooked, drained, crumbled
1 yellow onion, diced
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 medium carrots, shredded or diced
2 stalks of celery finely diced (using frozen is fine)
1 tsp Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
*Optional Pepper (see note below)
4-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
(or the amazing corn cob and veggie stock)
½ lb potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces (Yukon Gold or whatever least starchy potatoes you have)
1 quart of canned sweet corn (or roughly 8 fresh ears)
Note: If you have any creamed corn, you can sub in up to half of that for the corn kernels.
Salt and White Pepper to Taste

Directions

Cook bacon, reserving 3 tablespoons of fat (at least) in the pan. Set bacon aside and crumble once cooled.

Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in bacon fat until onion is translucent.
Add in thyme and bay leaf.

*You can also add in some heat with a ‘hot’ pepper such as; jalapeno, poblano, black Hungarian, or even a milder Alma Paprika. I often use frozen peppers in soups and love their flavors. This can add a nice depth of flavor. Leave whole and add in with spices, sautéing just enough to release the oils before adding the stock. Be sure to scoop pepper out of soup before serving.

Add in potatoes and stock, simmer roughly 20 minutes.

Take off heat.

Using your stick blender, puree about half of the contents of the pot. Stir in and take off heat. (If you like a chunkier soup, skip this step).

Add whole milk, half and half or a little cream and taste test.

Confession: I have started liking to finish this soup off with both butter and lemon juice… Hear me out:

The butter at the end is a chef secret, thanks to Chef Matt of Browns + Blues, and the lemon juice adds a layer of brightness and might be needed to help balance out the soup depending on just how “sweet” your sweet corn is.

And then of course, add those bacon crumbles, some nice cheddar, and if you happen to have any green onion or chives- they freshen up the whole bowl as well. Nothing beats a crusty loaf of sourdough to accompany this soup.

This is such a perfect example of simple foods becoming elevated when together.

I really hope you give it a try.

…And of course let me know what you think!

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Corn Chowder Recipe appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I’m finally slowing down enough to take the time to get in that frame of mind where I can rewind and somewhat clearly peer back at 2022, the year in review.

Thankful for 2022

I distinctly remember being so very grateful for the late spring as I was frantically writing/editing/revising so many pages (so many times) along with Stephanie Thurow for our upcoming book, Small-Scale Homesteading.

I felt lucky that the maple sap held off until we got back from our March vacations. We brought home and raised a new brood of chicks into a healthy, happy (and spoiled) backyard flock. I took my local Master Gardener coursework and completed 50+ hours of volunteer hours. I helped grow vegetables and flowers at my son’s elementary school.

We took time up north in Minnesota to walk through and wonder at creation. I taught classes on companion planting, composting, growing garlic, garden planning and preserving the harvest, wrote for magazines new and old. I got to manage our 6^th annual Winter Farmers Markets. My family all got Influenza A at the same time and we nursed each other back to health with homegrown remedies. And I grew as much food as ever- including so many new favorites.

We celebrated life as we lived it. What a year both in and out of the garden!

Weather Woes

And while I can truly say that I’ve never experienced weather like we had last season, I am grateful for all it taught me.

From our early season chill that got everything started late, to May’s thunderstorms, June’s record heat and learning what a Derecho was, hail in September and the Dirty rain that followed…only to have the drought conditions put at ease by way too early and way too much SNOW. Then the artic storms of Christmas. Whew.

And yet, our plants persisted! They grew to the best of their abilities, and hopefully we got to grow with them as we helped them along with low tunnels and shade cloths, deep mulching and frequent watering…

Onward

I’ve become even more enamored with our planet. Not taking for granted the simple act that life exists because of photosynthesis. I’m working towards being part of the solution in taking care of this planet in my small ways. Living as simply as I can, eating local, being smart about my energy consumption- and making those choices with humility, because I know it is a luxury to have a choice.

I believe that each of us doing whatever small things that work for us will be the way we turn the tide and in turn are able to gift a healthy planet to future generations. One of my small parts is growing food for our family and sharing how we do that with you all.

Garden in Review

All in all our (roughly) 550 square feet of garden space produced (roughly) 554 pounds of produce (not counting the egg and maple syrup we harvested). Just a few pounds more than last year. Not bad considering that farmers anticipate about 0.5 pounds of produce per square foot.

I’d call that intensive gardening. And it is all made possible by working with nature via taking care of the soil, companion planting, extending our growing seasons, and paying really close attention to what is happening in the gardens. 

From welcoming wildlife big and small, to practicing No Till Gardening, from using what we’ve got with leaf mulch and composting what comes out of our chicken coop- this garden cycle never gets old.

There’s always a way to dive deeper into relationship with Mother Nature, more to learn about tending plants or beneficial insects, another recipe to try that means another new seed to start. I am so grateful I get to do these things – I’m blown away by those of you that follow along. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this journey with me.

I hope I can inspire you in some ways, because I know so many of you have inspired me!

Favorite Blogs from 2022

• Beet Love
• Harvesting, Preserving + Using Herbs
• Growing Great Garlic (bonus link to webinar)
• DIY Cocktail Infusing

And I added so many tasty recipes to the blog as well, From Summer Spaghetti to Broccoli Soup on my newly updated Recipe Page

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at book signings (PS- you can still pre-order the book to get our bonus content HERE), or during the Home and Garden Show days and maybe even at some more in-person classes and events… more on that soon, for now; cheers to 2023!

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Homestead Year In Review 2022 appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I love playing in the kitchen—being able to coax out intense or subtle flavors from high quality ingredients lets you taste the herbs and spices in new ways! Infusing spirits feels like magic to me…

And magic is always a good gift to give!

And I just added easy to print tags with directions below

Remember to save a jar or two so you can gift yourself as well.

I’ve gotten rave reviews from friends who’ve sipped the results of these infusions so far. They are simple to put together and fun to give—and better than the store-bought versions in so many ways (especially because you can pronounce all the ingredients!). Plus, they can shine bright in their presentation, or be as homey as you like!

For more holiday gift ideas visit my Gift Guide to give from the heart

Gather Ingredients for Your Cocktail Infusion Kit

Similar to mixing and matching herbs for teas from dried-up leaves, infusing imparts flavors (or healing properties like in calendula oil for making salve) without the heat. Letting herbs and spices impart their flavor at room temperature takes longer—but also brings with it subtler scents and layers of flavor.

I have just started seeing these kits in a few specialty shops and farmers markets and they are not cheap! But luckily, making them at home is quite inexpensive.

If making for yourself, you can use fresh ingredients (fresh orange or apple slices and cherries), but these make really fun gifts when fully dehydrated ingredients are added to the jars. Gifting dehydrated ingredients lets the person who receives the gift choose when they want to make the infusion themselves. You can gift with a bottle of spirits or without.

Dehydrating

Just a note on how easy it is to dehydrate citrus and apple slices…

Slice thin, and use any number of ways to dehydrate. The length of time it takes to dehydrate correlates to how thick the slices are.

• An oven at 225F for a few hours
• A dehydrator for 5–10 hours
• On top of a wood stove for 6–8 hours

I will also say, these kits make great teas too. I’ve added the cocktail infusion kit contents to a teapot of hot water and simmered for a few minutes, similar to chai tea. The Citrus + Spice is my kids’ favorite winter tea!

You can mix and match ingredients up to a certain point… staying in the same flavor families will help!

I’ve got a great article on Harvesting and Preserving Herbs as well.

Cocktail Infusion Kit Recipes

Sweet Citrus + Spice
2–4 Orange slices
3–4 Cherries
1 Cinnamon stick
3–5 Whole cloves
1 Star anise
2 Sugar cubes

Mulling Time
2–3 Apple slices
1 Cinnamon stick
2 slices ginger
2–3 whole cloves
1–2 Sugar cubes

Whole Lotta Hygge
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Cardamom pod
2–3 slices ginger
1/4 vanilla bean

*Recipes amounts are per 12 oz. Glass Jar*

If you have extra ingredients, many of these same items transfer to other winter favorites. My Chai Tea Recipe is simple and delicious, or my Stovetop Potpourri Recipe that I shared with Hobby Farms Magazine.

Infusing

To let the flavors release and meld takes a little time. And while you’re waiting, you can always sip and see if you like the flavor. You’ve got complete control here, so if you want more or less of something in the final flavor, add or remove ingredients at any point.

Presentation

Once you’ve added dry ingredients to jars, you can give as is, or dress up the jars with fabric on the lids, cute gift tags, and ribbons.

Make sure to include instructions on how to make the infusion. HERE is my downloadable PDF of ready to print Christmas tags with directions (as seen to the right).

But, I love it when you can hand write things too, especially when kids help with the writing

Make it your own, but I usually end up with something like:
HOLIDAY CHEERS!
Add whisky/bourbon to cover ingredients. Replace lid. Let infuse at room temperature for 3–6 days.
Strain + Enjoy!

Strain + Sip

I prefer adding hot water (not quite boiling because we don’t want to burn off the alcohol) and the infused whisky to a mug and sipping by the fire for full enjoyment.

Pair this with a good (but not the finest) whisky, bourbon, or spirit of your choice and whoa, you’ve got yourself a delicious, homemade concoction unlike anything you can buy in the store.

And while I haven’t tried adding smoke to these yet, that may be my new way to play with my drinks next winter. Always good to have something to look forward to!

If you’ve got some whisky that was just so-so, this could really spice it up, and is actually what lead me to try different infusing recipes…

Holiday Cheer + Cheers to you and yours!

-Michelle

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Start with the Best Broccoli

Broccoli is one of our family’s favorite garden veggies to grow. So much so that my boys will even go patrol for cabbage worms, the little green guys that can ravage this plant if left to their own munching.

I also love that when we eat broccoli, we’re eating the immature flower buds! I used to tell my boys they were eating broccoli bouquets, and I like to think that helped them grow in their love for this powerhouse veggie.

I’ve had good luck growing Bellstar, Emerald Crown, and Green Magic varieties of broccoli in our zone 4 gardens (all from Johnny’s Seeds).

Harvesting Tip** Soak your broccoli florets in salty water (1 Tbsp in a bowl of water) for a few minutes so any creepy crawlies float to the top!

Because it is a family favorite veggie, we grow a lot of broccoli and usually have some frozen to use during the winter months. And while we love many veggies from green beans to corn simply heated and eaten as side dishes straight from the freezer, I find broccoli needs a little extra love once frozen.

Soup is the perfect spin!

In addition to the blanched and frozen broccoli from the garden, I’m also saving broccoli stems all season to use in this broccoli soup. To make the best use of them, peel the ‘skin’ from the tender part of the stems closer to the buds. Toss the woody part (further down the stem) into the compost. These add great bulk and flavor to soups. And by peeling, you’ll get rid of the most gas-inducing part of the broccoli!

My secret ingredient in so many pureed soups is a little cream cheese. It adds such a depth of flavor and pairs well with broccoli.

You can keep it really simple, and even skip the pureeing, if you like it chunky. If leaving this kind of soup chunky, make sure to not overcook the vegetables. You can also add up to half cauliflower if preferred. See, super-flexible soups really are the best!

I’ve added the white beans and/or potatoes as a way to thicken this soup without adding gluten, and I like the flavor better too. Leave out the cream/cheese if you want to keep it dairy free or vegan.

Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1-2 yellow/white carrots (optional)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1-2 cups shredded zucchini (optional but great thickener)
• 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
• 4-5 cups broccoli stems and florets (frozen is fine)
• 6 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
• ½ cup white beans (optional)
• 1 cup milk, or ½ cup of half and half, or ¼ cup of cream cheese
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Olive oil to sauté

Our family’s favorite garnishes for this healthy broccoli soup recipe are roasted chickpeas, pea shoots, green onion—and of course always served with toasted bread.

Directions:

• Chop veggies into desired sizes, considering if you’ll be pureeing.
• Sauté onions for a few minutes, then add garlic, thyme, and celery.
• A few minutes later add the shredded zucchini, potatoes, and stock. If you have lots of good broccoli stems, add those in now as well. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Then add in broccoli florets and cook for another 5-10. Or if pureeing, add florets at same time, cooking for 10-15 minutes total.
• You can puree some stock with the white beans to thicken, or add milk, half and half, or cream cheese while pureeing as well.

Have fun garnishing! We love to sprinkle microgreens on top of our soups. And make sure that bread is extra toasty!

Last Words on This Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe

For more Very Veggie Soup Recipes, check out my RECIPE page. I’m also perfecting a “Broccoli Leaf Soup” recipe—check out this deeply flavorful and nutrient packed recipe!

This healthy broccoli soup recipe makes excellent leftovers and keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Dig In,

Michelle

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I never met a zucchini I didn’t like. I’ll grill them, relish them, pickle them and freeze them all season long. But at least once (or twice) a summer I’ll bake up a storm with them too. And over the years I’ve tried and loved many versions of zucchini breads and desserts- but I think I’ve settled on this as my favorite. Adding some fresh whipped cream and sour cherry sauce doesn’t hurt either…

I really do love zucchini, check out my previous articles Zucchini Relish + “A Zillion Ways to Zucchini”

Eat What You Grow

Cucurbit What?
All squash and zucchini are in the Cucurbit family (along with cucumbers, melons, gourds etc.) All zucchini are squash, but not all squash are zucchini…

Regardless, I’ve tested this recipe with all yellow summer squash, all green zucchini and even all very large patty pan. I might actually prefer the patty pan! Whatever kind you use, be sure to scoop out any large seeds and that ‘spongy’ area that forms when zucchini get away from us…

Dress it up or down
I have made this recipe in large and small loaf pans, as a double decker round birthday cake, and as muffins. So there are a few different timings- but really this recipe does well being baked in all these ways. For a fancy cake, I love raspberry, cherry or un-sweetened strawberries on top of whipped cream- maybe with a decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting layer in between, I mean you’ll already have the unsweetened cocoa on hand, just saying

Kinds of chocolate – I prefer dark chocolate but my kids prefer the milk chocolate version. I love the way the melted dark chocolate deepens the color, and the flavor of this dessert. I have yet to try a semi-sweet version- but if you do, let me know! I’ve also tried to make this with more cocoa  powder and no melted chocolate, and it just isn’t the same…

There is magic in the mixer!
I got the idea for blending part of the zucchini from another sauce recipe that uses zucchini- and it really works for this- also adding an extra silkiness. Plus, you’ll have to use a blender to thoroughly mix in the melted chocolate chips- but don’t worry, since you have to melt the coconut oil anyway, it is just one streamlined step.

GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ C all purpose gluten free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Flour)
• ¼ C natural cocoa powder (lots of options on Amazon and at your local co-op)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 C grated zucchini/squash, some water squeezed out
• 1/3 C coconut oil
• 1 C chocolate chips – divided in half (your choice, semi-sweet or dark)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

DIRECTIONS

Shred Zucchini. Grease and powder your pans.

Mix dry ingredients together, making sure all the cocoa powder is well incorporated. Mix in 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini so the dry ingredients coat the shreds.

Melt the coconut oil and ½ cup of chocolate chips and add to a blender base (like a ninja or nutria bullet). Add the eggs, vanilla, and the last ½ cup of zucchini and blend together well.

*You can skip the melt and blend step and add directly to the dry ingredients but it comes out smoother when blended.

Add wet ingredients and the rest chocolate chips (unless you want to save a few for the top) to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Spread into pan of choice (listed below).
Bake on center rack until that toothpick comes out clean: 
25 minutes- cupcakes
30 minutes for 5 small 3″x5″ loaf pans
35 minutes for 1 deep or 2 thin 9” rounds
50 minutes for 2 large 5″x9″loaf pans.

Leave pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

These don’t last long around our home, but I’d say to transfer this to the refrigerator after a day or two, since it is so dense and moist.

Dig In,

Michelle

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