Tonight’s dinner was one of those, ‘well what do I have on hand’ kind of meals. I pulled out frozen blueberry corn muffins and sauted apples in butter on the stove that we picked up at Lohrs Orchard earlier today. But the main dish with a soup I made with the inspiration of Tortilla Soup in my mind. Saute 1 c. onion, chopped (1 medium), 1 green pepper, chopped and 2 cloves of garlic, pressed.Add 2 small chopped carrots, 2

When I think of okra the first thing that comes to mind is deep fried okra and while this is very tasty, it is not the healthiest dish in the kitchen. Besides the fact that I rarely have enough oil around to deep fry anything. If you are looking for okra check out EatingWell.com and search for okra. You will find a variety of easy, quick dishes for this late summer veggies. EatingWell.com Okra Recipes I personally am going to

Every year we buy a 1/4 of a cow. It is shared with others and we get just the cuts we want. I portion the meat to last the year eating about 1 beef meal a week. I’ve seen the cows that have come into our home. They are grass fed, well cared for and free of unnecessary antibiotics and hormones. The meat is much leaner than what you would find at the grocery store and much more flavorful. I

I know I said I was not going to post. But if I don’t write this soup down I will forget and it turned out really great. I was looking for a different way to use the kale that we had received so here it is: Sausage Kale Rice Soup 1/2 c. of dry Lunberg Farms CountryWild Rice, cooked ahead (2:1 water ratio)1 large onion (about one c.) chopped1 green pepper chopped3 cloves of garlic, pressed1 lb bulk pork sausage2

Here is a way to use many items in your CSA basket at once: Nettie’s Summer Pasta Salad 1. cook 1/2 lb of pasta – macaroni, shells or other small noodle. Drain2. Meanwhile saute in this order: 1 large chopped onion 1 chopped green pepper 1 chopped red pepper 2 cloves of garlic, pressed 1 c. chopped squash – zuchini, summer or a combination 1 c. chopped eggplant 2 chopped tomatoes (about 2 c.) 1 can or 1.5 c. black

This week my fridge drawer was bursting with cucumbers. For whatever reason they seem to be multiplying in the fridge when the door is closed and the lights are down. So, this week has been a cucumber eating week. We have had Tziki Sauce with fried cucumbers and eggplants; cucumber slices and cucumber salad. Other favorites include cucumber slices in a big pitcher of water (it looks lovely for a party) and cucumber soup (nice and refreshing on a hot

We have been so blessed to have fresh milk produced and processed within 20 minutes of our home. Kilby Cream Farm began selling their own milk this past May. It comes in glass bottles, which you can return, and is sold in quarts and half gallons. It is delicious. The last batch I picked up was milked and processed the day before. Can you say that about your milk? The price is great, too. Organic milk in the store runs

Ever since I started getting my CSA basket three years ago we have tried more new vegetables and eaten more vegetables in general. What a big difference in mine and my family’s health! The first year though receiving things like unshelled peas, kale, bok choy, beets and lots of squash required that I find a bunch of new recipes and fast! I just didn’t know what to do with everything that was coming in my basket. Recently I have been

Kale is a wonderfully nutritious food. I feel virtuous just thinking about eating it. But, if you have had enough already save some now to saute in the winter or throw into soups. I spent few minutes this morning blanching two bags of kale that we received in our basket from our CSA at Sunny Hill Farm. It was simple, here is what I did: 1 – wash the kale2 – tear off the rib and rip into smaller pieces3

I was reminded today in a conversation with my sister that there is a time and a place for food. She has been reading a book, Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide, Revised and Updated Edition, and was pleasantly surprised when the final chapter reiterated and reinforced the concepts that I have been reading about, viewing, talking about and pondering these last many months. The first is that food is seasonal and should be eaten, as much as possible, in