Breaded Cod and Carrot Cake

I love Saturday!  Victor almost always cooks dinner on Saturday - and he's a great cook!  My stomach just smiles at the thought of someone else toiling away in the kitchen... those wonderful scents wafting throughout the house...  Yes - I love Saturday!

It was especially appreciated because I've been working on a couple of websites - plus updating this one - and it was great to be in the office knowing that a great dinner was being prepared... And those scents really were wafting my way!

Tonight, dinner was simple, but decidedly good.  Panko breaded cod filets, homemade tartar sauce, peas and rice.

The tartar sauce is what made it.  Well... that, and the fact that the fish was perfectly crunchy on the outside, and perfectly moist on the inside.  Yep, it was damn good.

And then... Carrot Cake... Cream Cheese Frosting...

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 medium)
  • 1 1/2 cups oil (neutral oil like grapeseed - not olive)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup coconut (optional)

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.

In a large bowl, blend all ingredients (except nuts, etc) on low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes on high speed. Stir in nuts, raisins, and coconutr, if using.

Pour into pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cook cake 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp butter, soft
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Blend until smooth.

Spread on tops of cakes. Put one on top of the other. Frosting sides is optional.

Life is good...


Warm Weather Grilling

Happy Halloween!

It was a great day, today!  Sunny and warm...  Perfect for an intimate gathering of three million people in Philly to see the World Series Winning Philadelphia Phillies parade down Broad Street.  I couldn't even begin to imagine being there.  But from the (hours and hours) of TV coverage, it did look as if a good time was being had by all.

A good time was being had by me, as well.  I was home by 3:45pm, and had a tri-tip roast on the grill at 4:45pm.

This was a classic 20  minute dinner.  I put the roast on the grill outside, started a pot of rice, and while both of them were cooking, watched TV coverage of the parade.  A few minutes before they were done, I steamed some broccolini.

Dinner was served.

And then the phone started ringing... more political balderdash... and the doorbell started ringing - which makes the dog go crazy.

So much for my nice, quiet night at home..... :(


Pastured Products Directory From Eat Wild.com

Pennsylvania

Blue Rooster Farm has found that healthy soils are the foundation for sustainable agricultural production of any kind. We are farming two small farms using beef cows and ewes as our primary soil building partners.

The lambs are fed grass exclusively. We use no antibiotics, growth hormones, chemical wormers, pesticides, herbicides, or commercial fertilizers. Our beef cattle are Angus/Maine-Anjou crosses. Grass lean beef is sold from 700–900 pound animals. Grass fat beef is from more mature animals, retained usually to 24 months. All butchering is done when the animals are coming off grass, either during the spring or fall flushes.

We also have free-range laying hens. We raise our hens from our own broodstock and select for foraging ability, activeness, and hardiness, as well as quality egg production. Broilers and turkeys are free range until 2–3 weeks before slaughter when they are confined to moveable coops to "tenderize" them. The birds still receive fresh pasture daily. Honey is available as well.

Lamb is available in limited quantity from September to December. Beef is available in the fall. Free range eggs, chickens, and turkeys are available by order. Honey is sold year-round in quantities ranging from 1 pound jars to 5 gallon containers.

Blue Rooster Farm, Roy Brubaker, RR 1, Box 92, East Waterford PA 17021. (717) 734-2082. E-mail: royjulie@pa.net

Buck Run Farm is located in the hills of Chester County, 6 miles south of Coatesville. We are a grass and beef farm. We sell cattle for freezer beef and our premium retail product, Dr. Elkins' Angusburger, which is ground beef frozen in one-pound Cryovac packages. All cuts except the loin and rib go into this premium product. Retail price is $4.50/pound, f.o.b. the farm.

Angusburger is made from Angus steers raised from birth on our own pastures. The animals are not treated with hormones or antibiotics. We had our beef tested in Dr. Dhiman's lab at Utah State. It is consistently high in Omega-3 fatty acids and CLA. Manuscript available in Microsoft Word by e-mail.

Dr. Elkins' Angusburger, 3575 Doe Run Church Road, East Fallowfield PA 19320. (610) 486-0789. E-mail: Elkins32@aol.com Website: http://www.buckrunfarm.com/

Buckeye Highlands, owned by Max and Mary VanBuren, produces 100% grass-fed beef.

Our meadows have been certified organic since 2001, and the vast majority of our meat is certified organic. All of our cattle utilized for meat production are born and raised on our farm where we live.

Our herd of Scottish Highland cows (a breed noted for tender, lean meat) is located in Columbiana County, Ohio. We are about 7 miles from the Pennsylvania border, and about 35 miles west of the Pittsburgh airport. We can ship Next Day UPS to anywhere in the US. Please see our website for more details.

Buckeye Highlands, Max and Mary VanBuren, 43016 Buckeye Road, Lisbon OH 44432. Fax: (330) 482-0767.
E-mail: info@organicgrassfedbeef.com
Website: http://www.organicgrassfedbeef.com

Bull & the Vineyard sells grass fed freezer beef. Our cows are fed an exclusive, pasture based diet of timothy grass, clover, trefoil, ryegrass and oat grass. I became very interested in grass fed beef after reading The Maker's Diet, and following the links to Eatwild.com. Our cow breeds consist of Salers, Salers/Angus crosses, and Herefords. The Salers have proven to be the best grazers on our farm which is near Lake Erie, one mile from Conneaut, Ohio.

We have adjusted our prices for 2006 to reflect our product demand. Basically, the price of our ground beef went up and the steaks stayed the same.

Ground Beef $3.39/lb.
Filet/Tenderloin $11.79/lb.
Ribeye/Delmonico $8.79/lb.
NY Strip $8.79/lb.

Now that we are butchering our cows by 20 months, the quarters are smaller, about 75 pounds. A typical quarter has 60 pounds of ground beef, 2 pounds of filet mignon, 7 pounds of Ribeye and 6 pounds of New York Strip. Keep in mind that the ground beef has all the Sirloin steaks and round steaks as well as chuck roasts included in it. Customers purchasing at least a quarter receive a ten percent discount. With the discount included, a quarter, cut up as described above, costs $307. This price includes all butchering costs and vacuum packaging.

Bull & the Vineyard, Chuck and Maureen Nelson, 13862 West Cherry Hill Road, West Springfield PA 16443. (814) 756 - 5217.
E-mail: Chumo36@aol.com.
Website: http://www.bullnthevineyard.com.

Canyon Livestock Company raises beef cattle under two different systems. Animals that end the summer weighing 700 pounds or more are butchered early in the fall, making grass their sole source of nourishment. Those that weigh less than 700 pounds are over-wintered on a diet of hay and some grain. In early spring, they are returned to the pasture to be finished on grass. (All animals are butchered before their second spring.)

The beef is available in quantity only.

Canyon Livestock Company, R.D. #6, Box 205, Wellsboro PA 16901.
(570) 724-7788.

Clan Stewart Farm, one of Pennsylvania’s few remaining Bicentennial Farms, believes that producing fresh, nutritious, and healthy food and selling it locally is the best way to ensure a bountiful local food supply, protect the environment, and keep farmers on the land.

We raise vegetables without pesticides or herbicides and hormone- and antibiotic-free grass-fed poultry and beef on our 160-acre farm located about 18 miles south of State College in Central Pennsylvania. Our grass-fed Shorthorn beef is processed by an FDA-inspected butcher shop, quick frozen, and available by the pound. Also available at the farm are pasture-raised chickens, turkeys, and fresh brown eggs. We offer fresh vegetables from June through October.

Please call us if you are interested in belonging to our “Meat, Egg, Fruit and Vegetable” CSA: a weekly share of three vegetables, a dozen fresh eggs, and four pounds of grass-fed meats from our farm and seasonal fruit from a local Amish orchard for $35 a week. We are taking a limited number of members in 2005.

All farm products may be picked up at the farm (please call for directions) or we will deliver in the State College area.

Clan Stewart Farm, Terry and Linda Moist, RD 2 Box 271, Huntingdon, PA 16652. (814) 667-3852.

Common Ground Organic Farm produces nutritious organic lamb, chicken, turkey, eggs and vegetables. Our Jacob and Finn sheep, angora goats and llama produce wool for sale. We are dedicated to the land, nurturing the soil, and acting as responsible stewards in our relationship with the earth and what it can provide.

Common Ground has 82 acres in the Appalachian Mountains of Central Pennsylvania, including mountainside pastures and natural wooded areas.

We work hard to build healthy soil, which is the foundation of our organic system. Cover crops, compost, mowing, rotation among livestock species and natural habitat form the basis of our pasture system. We do not use synthetic fertilizers.

Lambs are raised on 100% certified organic pasture and hay. They receive no grain and have access to pasture 24 hours a day, all year long. Turkeys and chickens sold as broilers are raised on free-range pasture. Hens producing eggs are on free-range pasture or in a large portable pen. In addition to pasture, all poultry eat 100% certified organic whole and ground grains. They also eat a lot of leftover organic vegetables! No antibiotics, parasite medications or hormones are used.

Please see our website for ordering information.

Common Ground Organic Farm, Leslie Zuck, 176 Zuck Road, Spring Mills PA 16875. (814) 364-9171. E-mail: CommonGro@aol.com
Website: www.commongroundfarm.com

Country Lane Poultry raises free-range chickens fed fresh ground feed. No pesticides are used in growing our crops and no hormones are added to increase size. We are a certified organic grower with Pennsylvania Certified Organic.

This year, the farm is offering beef and turkey as well. Unless you make a special order, all the meat is frozen. The poultry is butchered at Eberly Poultry, Inc., and the beef is processed at John F. Martin & Sons. We are excited about this new avenue in our business. Please give a call if you have any further questions.

Country Lane Poultry, Norman and Donna Stoltzfoos, 345 Hess Road, Leola PA 17540. (717) 656-7321. E-mail: countrylane@redrose.net

Deep Springs Farm raises egg-layers and broilers on pasture. Our happy chickens are outside as much as they desire, and receive only all-natural fresh-ground feed.

Eggs and chicken are available any time at our self-serve stand. Eggs are $2.50/dozen and whole dressed birds are $2.50/pound. Or stop by our stand at the Indian Valley Farmers Market in Telford, PA on Main Street, across from the Towne Restaurant, Saturday mornings, June – October.

Deep Springs Farm, Andrew Knechel, 443 Stover Road, Harleysville PA 19438. (215) 256-9720. E-mail: Andiesel400@yahoo.com

Eden View Organics... When God created The Garden of Eden there were no artificial stimulants, pesticides, or genetically altered crops. God's creation was perfectly natural – the original organic garden! At Eden View Organics, our goal is to create and sustain an all-natural selection of poultry products and produce.

Eggs are available year round at $2.50 a dozen, and we will be taking orders for roasters 5 times a year at a cost of $2.35 per pound dressed weight. Vegetable crops will rotate with the growing season. A variety of leafy greens, onions, and rhubarb will be available in the spring, followed by beans, beets, kohlrabi, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, collards, garlic, and more.

Eden View Organics is nestled near the Appalachian and Tussey Mountains, located on a parcel of a fourth generation family farm in the village of Warriors Mark, Huntingdon County. Our landscaped gardens invite you to step away from the rush of everyday life and soak in the majesty of creation. Perennials from our gardens are available for purchase.

We are located on Route 350 between Warriors Mark and Seven Stars. Eden View Organics Market is open daily dawn to dusk, closed Sundays. Our products are also found in the Everything Natural Store in the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center in Altoona, PA.

Eden View Organics, Eric and Cindy Noel, 4707 Warriors Mark Path, Tyrone PA 16686. (814) 632-8589.
E-mail: edenvieworganics@aol.com.

Forks Farm supplies pasture-finished beef, pastured pork, grass-finished lamb, and pastured chickens and turkeys for over 100 families.

Our beef is from prime, young Angus/Hereford cattle that are allowed to grow naturally on protein-rich forage. The beef is available in wholes, halves, and quarters. Order enough to get you through the year. Chickens are available in the summer months. Turkeys are available in early November. Lambs are processed in September and beef are available from mid October until early November.

Forks Farm, The Hopkins Family, RR2, Box 193-B, Orangeville PA 17859. (570) 683-5820.

Green Haven Farm raises pastured poultry and eggs from free-range hens. We also provide grassfed lamb and dairy goat products, honey, and wool products.

Customers purchase our products at the farm, but in some cases we deliver. We also supply chicken and eggs to two local CSAs. We are 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia and 10 miles north of Reading. Visitors are welcome.

Green Haven Farm, Brian and Holley Moyer, 99 Noll Lane, Fleetwood PA 19522. (610) 944-9349. E-mail: BrianM22@aol.com

Greener Pastures Farm is located in southeast PA along the Blue Mountains. The farm offers beef, meat goats, and organically fed turkeys.

The beef is 100% pasture raised in summer and fed premium hay in winter months. When naturally fat, they are personally transported to a USDA processor that is less than one hour from the farm. Beef is aged about 21 days, cut into individual packages and vacuum-sealed. No antibiotics, no added hormones, and no feedlot from calf to table!

ORDERING: Products can be reserved by contacting the farm at (610) 488-6059. No shipping, no store—just family to family service.

Turkeys should be ordered early as they sell out very quickly. A non-refundable $30 deposit is required. (If the farm cannot produce the turkey, the deposit will be fully returned.).

Greener Pastures Farm, Steve Cooke, Shartlesville PA. (610) 488-6059. E-mail: gpfarm@verizon.net.

Heather Ridge Creamery is located in beautiful Tioga County near the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Our small family farm makes cheese from the milk of our prize winning Holstein and Jersey cows.

As today's farms become larger commercial operations, we looked for a way to keep a small farm where our animals could receive the best of care, and we could have the satisfaction of bringing a quality dairy product direct from our family to yours. Our Canyon Country Cheeses are made here from start to finish! Clean, comfortable cows are fed a diet of the best hay and grain Jim can find. They graze the quiet pastures on our farm and lounge under the fans if they get too hot. What a life!

We believe the final product is only as good as what goes into it. Our raw milk cheese is made from only high quality milk, salt, cultures and enzymes. Its taste will reflect the quality and care that goes into all we do. No factories here!

Heather Ridge Creamery, Jim and Miffie Kahler, RR2, Box 454A, Wellsboro PA 16901. (570) 723-1026. E-mail: jimmyk@quik.com

Hendricks Farms and Dairy provide raw milk from BOTH Jersey cows and Saanan goats. We are grass-based and all natural. We make a variety of raw milk cheeses and the normal dairy products, butter, yogurt, etc., from both cows and goats milk. We also have pastured poultry (eggs and meat), beef, lamb, and goat.

Hendricks Farms and Dairy, Trent Hendricks, 690 Godshall Road, Telford PA 18969. (267) 718-0219.
E-mail: hendricksfarms@comcast.net
Website: http://www.hendricksfarmsanddairy.com

Inverbrook Farm is a sustainable family farm with a commitment to environmental stewardship, strengthening community and an enjoyable livelihood. We are located in the rolling hills of Chester County, PA—not far from Longwood Gardens.

Our products include the meat and eggs from pasture-raised chickens, whose feed includes the pasture grasses and insects they love as well as an organic grain-based ration rich in vitamins and trace minerals. Our chickens are never given antibiotics or hormones. We also grow a variety of delicious vegetables without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Inverbrook Farm, 345 Lamborntown Road, West Grove PA 19390. Fax: (610) 869-4403. E-mail: inverfarm@aol.com

Ja-Bea Farms, currently farmed by the 6th generation on this land, is a diversified family farm in north central PA. Years of eating what we have raise have given us a commitment to producing high quality, healthy food. We raise Limousin and Limousin cross cattle on pasture (hay during the winter.) We also raise Barred Silver roasting chickens (7 pounds and up) in portable pens on pasture. Chickens and pigs are given supplemental feed. Cattle are given free-choice salt and kelp (our mineral source.) We do not use chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, antibiotics, or hormones.

Beef by the half or whole is ordered a year ion advance and is usually ready in November. Pork by the half or whole is ordered 6 to 8 months ahead and is ready late summer to late fall. Chicken is ordered 4–5 months ahead and is ready July to October. Beef and pork are picked up at the butcher shop. Chicken is available at the farm. All meats are wrapped and ready for your freezer.

Ja-Bea Farms, Jim and Wendy Briggs, RD 3 Box 240, Westfield PA 16950. (814) 628-5081. E-mail: jimandwendy@lycos.com

Landisdale Farm is located in northern Lebanon county. Here we raise certified organic vegetables and 100% grass-fed beef on 110 acres.

Our animals receive grass, grass, and more grass....NO GRAIN. We do not use any growth hormones or antibiotics. Our quality beef is all vacuum packed to ensure freshness and is sold on the farm by the individual cut, and/or by the quarter or half. Delivery and shipping are both available.

We take orders year round; but we need a month's notice on orders for quarters and halves. We also sell at the following Farmers Markets: Clark Park (PHILA.) on Thursdays from 3 – 7 PM; Chestnut Hill (PHILA.) Saturdays 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM; Glenside (Montgomery County) Saturday 9 AM – 1 PM; and Palmyra (Lebanon County) Saturday 8 AM–12 noon.

We sell organic raw milk cheeses including Colby, Monterey Jack, Baby Swiss, Sharp Cheddar, and Cheddar. Also we take orders for raw milk available year-round.

For your convenience we now accept Master Card and Visa!

Landisdale Farm, Daniel Landis, 838 Ono Road, Jonestown PA 17038. (717) 865-6220. E-mail: landisdalefarm@juno.com.

Lil' Ponderosa Enterprises have a closed herd of purebred black angus cattle on a 350-acre owned and rented family farm. We are feeding grass via MIG Managed Intensive Grazing. In 2001, the Pennsylvania Grassland and Forage Council awarded us the Conservation Farmer of the Year award. In 2003, the Pennsylvania Cattlemen's Association selected us to receive the Environmental Stewardship award.

Our cows are never fed grain. We do not use hormones, implants, or any artificial feed. No animal by-products are used. We grow all of our own feed. Grass and legumes 60/40 ratio fed as dry hay and haylege. We offer freezer beef in any quantity.

Lil' Ponderosa Enterprises, R.C. (Bob) Boyce, 44 Ponderosa Road, Carlisle PA 17013. (717) 245-2820. E-mail: bobboyce@pa.net

Martin's Twin Brook Farm is a small all natural farm in south central Pennsylvania. We raise Scotch Highland cross cattle for beef. We feed only pasture grass, hay, and a mineralized salt block. No antibiotics nor hormones are used. We use no chemical fertilizers nor herbicides on the pasture. Beef is sold by the mixed quarter and must be picked up at a local butcher, usually in July or October. Supply is very limited. We will take your name and call you for order confirmation a few weeks before the beef is ready to be picked up.

We also have very limited quantities of emu meat from free-range emus raised on the same pastures described above. No antibiotics nor hormones are used. Emu meat is a red meat that looks and tastes very much like beef, is high in iron, and has about the same fat content as turkey. We sell emu by the half or whole bird. A whole bird usually yields 50 to 80 pounds of meat with no bones.

Very limited quantities of fertile, free-range brown chicken eggs (no hormones nor antibiotics) are also available from the same pastures used by the cattle and emus.

Martin's Twin Brook Farm, 355 Kreutz Creek Road, York PA 17406.
(717) 840-4184. E-mail: TwinBrookFarm@ieee.org
Website: http://www.twinbrookfarm.com

Marwood Farm offers eggs from free-range birds, pastured chickens and turkeys, and grassfed beef in limited quantities.

Pasture-finished beef is available by the halves, split halves (quarter) or by the individual cut. Fresh bread may be available on pick-up days.

Marwood Farm, Donald and Christine Scott, 1068 Woodstock, Fayetteville PA 17222. (717) 352-7090.

Meadow Run Farm is located in scenic Lancaster County, PA, producing pastured chicken and turkey, grass-fed beef and lamb, and pastured pork from heritage breed pigs. Our agricultural practices emphasize sustainability and humane treatment; our foremost concerns are animal welfare and building natural soil fertility and health by enhancing the humus content in our fields.

Our 'Uncommonly Good' meat and eggs can be purchased directly from our small on-farm store, or visit our Buying Club online at the Farm To City website (http://www.farmtocity.org). Select Buying Clubs to find Meadow Run Farm and sign up! We welcome calls or emails at the farm if you have queries.

Currently we sell to:
Restaurants: White Dog Cafe (Philadelphia), Django, Marigold, Standard Tap and Southwark (all featured in Gourmet magazine's 2005 Restaurant Guide for Philadelphia), Farmicia and Bistro 7 (both in Old City Phily), The Restaurant Alba (Malvern, PA), Cafette (Chestnut Hill, PA), General Lafayette Inn and Brewery (Lafayette Hill, PA), Carr's Resturant (Central City Lancaster, PA);

Farmers' Markets: West Chester Growers' Market (West Chester, PA), Cosmic Catering (Chestnut Hill Farmers' Market, Philadelphia); Carr's at Central Market (Central City Lancaster, PA);

Grocery Stores: Weaver's Way Community Co-op (Philadelphia), Swarthmore Co-op (Swarthmore, PA), Kimberton Wholefoods (Kimberton, PA), Fair Food Project (Reading Terminal, Philadelphia), Mariposa Food Co-op (West Philadelphia);

CSAs: the Greensgrow CSA (Philadelphia).
Meadow Run Farm, Philip Horst-Landis, 727 Rettew Mill Road, Lititz PA 17543. (717) 669-1316. E-mail: meadowrunfarm@hotmail.com.

Misty Morning Farm is a 127 acre educational and instructional farm growing various diverse products featuring organic meats and poultry via a non-profit C.S.A. It is a certified wildlife preserve, has woods, pastures, hayfields, hills and two ponds and is also a member of "Certified Naturally Grown."

All livestock is humanely raised with environmental issues in the forefront. All ruminants are free range, grass fed (no supplemental grains), pork and poultry are free range with species-specific organic grain supplementation. No antibiotics, hormones, steroids or chemicals of any kind are ever used in any aspect of our operation.

Beef, pork and chicken are full flavored "heritage" breeds. Our season is year round and members can use their fee for the type and cut of meat or poultry they desire. No need to buy a whole or half and receive unwanted cuts; eliminates need for large freezer. Religious and ethnic concerns / needs are adhered to whenever possible.

Products offered include beef, pork, lamb, mutton, goat, chicken, rabbit, turkey and our signature "Pink Veal."

Overnight air service permits our shareholders to belong no matter what state they call home.

Call or e-mail us for a comprehensive information package and application.

Misty Mountain Farm, John D. Hollway, 1781 Hazelet Church Road, Cherry Tree PA 15724. (814) 743-5959.
E-mail: jjhollway@winbeam.com.

Natural Acres is a 550-acre certified organic farm located in Millersburg, PA. From our farm, we provide organic, grass-fed black angus beef, pasture-raised organic chickens, and organic eggs. We use mineral-rich, balanced soils, as well as organic and ecologically sound farming practices to produce healthy organic foods and meats.

Our cows are bred on our farm, where their calves are born. They remain with their mothers on our pastures. As they get older, they start eating pasture grass, and eventually are weaned from their mother's milk. They continue to eat as much grass as they desire.

When our beef cattle reach an optimum weight and age to assure peak flavor and tenderness, they are humanely slaughtered in a certified organic, USDA-inspected facility. There, the meat is processed and each individual package is vacuum sealed to maintain its flavor and quality.

RATED BEST TASTING ORGANIC BEEF
BY WINE SPECTATOR MAGAZINE 8-31-03

All of our products are available in our farm store. We provide local area delivery, and would also be glad to ship to you.

Please call for a tour of our NATURAL ACRES...we would enjoy meeting you!

Natural Acres, 175 Maple Drive, Millersburg PA 17061. (717) 692-1000.
Email: naturalacres@PA.net Website: http://www.naturalacres.com

Nature's Sunlight, located near Newville, provides certified organic raw milk from pasture-fed jersey cows. The milk is tested regularly for bacteria and meets the same standards as milk after it has been pasteurized. The cows test negative for bruciloses and tuberculosis. Yogurt, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese are available. The cheese has its own natural golden color because of the high-carotene content of their pasture-based diet.

Eggs are available from free-range hens, housed in a mobile hen house. The birds are fed free-choice, organic grain with no antibiotics or hormones. This produces large eggs with deep orange yolks. Pastured broilers, stewing hens, and turkeys also are fed the organic grain mix.

Freezer beef from pasture-finished cattle is sold in late September through early October. Pastured veal comes from calves that are raised on whole organic cows' milk. Orders are taken in the spring only with delivery in June. Our milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, burger patties, and frozen broilers are available anytime. The beef, veal, and poultry must be ordered.

Nature's Sunlight, Mark and Maryann Nolt, 401 Centerville Road, Newville PA 17241. (717) 776-3417. (No calls on Sunday, please.)

Organic Acres is a certified organic producer of pastured broilers, turkeys, beef, goats, lambs, pork, and rabbits.

The chickens are available from May to November. Turkeys are harvested in time for Thanksgiving. The pork is available in late fall. Rabbits, which average 2-3 pounds each, are available fresh or frozen. "Salad Bar Beef" is available in late October in quarters, halves, or whole. Goat or lamb are sold in the late fall. Eggs from pastured hens are available at their self-service stand six days a week throughout the spring, summer and early fall. Fresh produce is available in season.

Organic Acres, 3539 Scenic Road, Gordonville PA 17529.

Over the Moon Farm is a small all-grass farm located in Central Pennsylvania. Our goal is to grow and direct-market clean, grassfed meat products and contribute to the local small farm economy.

We currently raise dairy replacement heifers, poultry, pork and beef. The poultry (chickens, eggs, turkeys and ducks) are raised outdoors in moveable pens during the summer months and fed certified organic grains. Cattle are rotationally grazed all summer and are fed no grain. Pigs are loose-penned in the "loafing shed" where they turn the cattle manure and bedding from winter into compost during the summer. They are fed organic grain and miscellaneous treats from the house and garden.

Our products are available seasonally, primarily by pre-order. Call or visit our website to download an order form. We do not ship product. Customers pick up their orders in the State College area on specific distribution days. Chicken, turkey and duck are delivered fresh. Pork and beef are delivered frozen. We are happy to have visitors on Saturdays or other times by arrangement, just call ahead. Bring the kids to collect fresh warm eggs.

Over the Moon Farm, "Let them eat grass!" Moo-rie Antoinette, Lyn Garling, 190 View Drive, Rebersburg PA 16872. (814) 349-2697
E-mail: lyn@overthemoonfarm.com
Website: http://www.overthemoonfarm.com

Overlook Farm has grassfed beef that is free of synthetic hormones and antibiotics. The meat is sold by the half, quarter, and ground quarter. Call or write for more information.

Overlook Farm, Rob and Alanna Reed, 233 Spruce Road, Karns City PA 16041. (724) 756-0540.

Paradise Valley Organic Farm is located in central Pennsylvania in the scenic Susquehanna Valley. We offer PCO certified organic pastured chickens, turkeys, lamb, pork, and eggs.

Chickens are available from June through October. Birds may be purchased whole or cut-up. Frozen, vacuum-packed whole birds can be shipped. Fresh turkeys are produced for the Thanksgiving holiday. Grassfed and finished lamb are born in April, in synch with nature. All they eat is green forage and mother's milk. The lambs are available at the farm starting in October, by the whole or half, ready for your freezer. Pigs are born on pasture and supplemented with our own organic grain to finish in the fall and to be available at the farm in November and December. Eggs are always available.

Our news letter and order form can be sent on request. We are committed to the family farm and want to provide wholesome products. Farm visits are welcome, but Sunday sales are discouraged.

Paradise Valley Organic Farm, Bucky and Sherry Ziegler, 51 Ziegler Road, Milton PA. (570) 437-2156. E-mail: PVPPFARM@aol.com

Pasture's Pride Natural Meats raises and sells 100% grass-fed beef and pastured pork, chickens, and turkeys.

We are a family owned and operated farm committed to providing healthy and delicious meat to our community and beyond in an environmentally friendly manner.

Our beef is grass finished "Argentina style" without grain. All our animals are raised without the use of hormones or antibiotics on high quality pastures. We use natural fertilizers on our pastures and do not use chemical pesticides and herbicides.

We sell our beef by the individual cut or as sides or quarters of beef. Our pork is also sold by the cut or as half or whole hogs. Beef and pork are usually available year-round.

Our chickens are sold whole and average 5 to 6 pounds each. They must be pre-ordered and are available in June and September.

Whole turkeys are also pre-ordered and range from 15 to 25 pounds each. They are available in November only.

Our meats are mostly sold directly from our farm. For a brochure and price list, please call or e-mail us.

Pasture's Pride Natural Meats, Joy Stutzman, 1555 Crystal Cave Road, Kutztown PA 19530. (610) 683-5436. E-mail: djstutz@ptd.net

Pleasant Food Farm focuses on naturally raised pastured poultry, beef, and pork. Eggs are available all year—due to climate, birds are on pasture only April to November. Broilers are available June to October/November; Turkeys for Thanksgiving; Pork and Beef: first harvest late fall of '04.

Birds and cows get fresh grass daily. Pigs will be on pasture but moved less frequently. In future years we hope to have naturally grown berries and cut flowers as well as some unusual and tasty produce to sell—if we don't eat it all ourselves!

We welcome calls, e-mail, and visitors. Please do call before visiting.

Pleasant Food Farm, Mark A. Lichtenstein, RR 1, Box 1288, Waymart PA 18472. (570) 448-2658. E-mail: mlichtenstein@myibocs.com

Providence Pastures Farm is an old-fashioned family farm consisting of 150 acres nestled in a beautiful valley at the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in Northwestern Pennsylvania. We produce fresh and healthy produce, poultry, eggs, pork, and beef for sale direct to the consumer. All of our products are raised naturally without the use of added antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. All of our animals are allowed to "be themselves." They have free access to the outdoors, fresh air, and sunshine, and are provided with species-appropriate feed, a natural vitamin/mineral supplement, clean water, shelter from weather, and protection from predators. We strive to provide our animals with a healthy, low-stress, and comfortable life.

Pasture raised chicken is available June thru September. Pastured pork and grass-fed beef are available spring and fall. Free-range eggs are available year-round. Fruits and vegetables are available in season at the farm. Poultry is processed on the farm. Beef and pork are processed in a local USDA-inspected facility.

We are 30 miles from Erie, PA and Jamestown, NY; 40 miles from Meadville, PA; and only 2 hours from Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH. Please visit our website for directions.

Providence Pastures Farm, Michael and Vicki Pasterik, RR 2, Box 344, Corry PA 16407. (814) 663-0556.
E-mail: mike@providencepastures.com
Website: http://www.providencepastures.com.

Purely Farm raises and sells organically pastured chicken, turkey, pork, lamb and eggs. Our meats are sold direct from the front porch of our family farm. We are located on 80 East Dark Hollow Road in Tinicum.

All of our animals are raised hormone- and additive-free. We are dedicated to sustainable agriculture, the humane treatment of animals, and an organic way of life.

To ensure the availability of our meats, we recommend pre-ordering early in the season. Purely Chicken is available fresh from May to October on our scheduled farm days from 2–8 pm. Please call to request our brochure which clearly outlines the schedule and ordering process.

Retail cuts of both Purely Lamb and Purely Pork can be purchased on our scheduled farm days when in season or by appointment. There is no need to pre-order.

Half and whole hogs must be pre-ordered and reserved with a $100 non-refundable deposit.

Our eggs are $3/dozen and are available in our refrigerator on the front porch. Help yourself. We rely on the honor system.

Please feel free to call or e-mail with any questions. Thank you for your interest.

Purely Farm's Organically Pastured Meats, Joanna Bohlman and Marc Michini, PO Box 83 / 80 East Dark Hollow Road, Pipersville PA 18947. (215) 317-0889. E-mail: jbhb@epix.net

Rainbow Acres is a small family farm located in Lancaster County. Our goal is to live in harmony with nature. This means having our animals out in the fresh air and sunshine, eating green grass.

Due to our children still being small we specialize mostly in dairy products, including butter, heavy cream, and raw milk cheese. Our herd consists of Jersey and Normande cows, seasonal production. They are 100% grassfed. We also have a limited amount of beef and eggs.

We farm organically, but are not certified. We strive for high quality products at a reasonable price. Shipping available.

Rainbow Acres, Dan Allgyer, 26 South Kinzer Road, Kinzers PA 17535. (717) 442-0132.

Skate Creek Farm produces pasture-raised pork, veal, beef, lamb, chicken and eggs on a historic 120-acre farm in the Catskill region of New York. We raise our animals from birth to finish. Our pigs and chickens are fed certified organic grain on pasture to ensure that all of our meats are free of GMO's. Free-range veal calves nurse on mother cows and learn to graze beside them. (The cows are supplemented with grain at times.)

Our special meats are available by the whole, side, or individual retail cut. We can be found at farmers' markets and numerous natural food stores in Central New York. We ship our products nationwide. Call 607-278-6133 to place an order, or visit our website to order from the Meadow Raised Meats cooperative, of which we are a member.

Skate Creek Farm, Craig Haney & Amy Kenyon, 1496 County Highway 12, East Meredith NY 13757. (607) 278-6133.
E-mail: Kenyon@telenet.net
Website: www.meadowraisedmeats.com

Somethings Happinin' Farm raises their animals on rotated pastures. We don't use antibiotics, growth hormones, or vaccines. Our pastures are free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. We are also predator friendly and working toward a holistic approach.

The farm offers a variety of natural animal products, including pastured broilers, rabbits, lambs, pigs, chevon (kid goats), and eggs. The lambs are from Icelandic sheep, a very old breed designed to be raised on grass alone. The lambs are finished in 5–6 months and weigh from 75–120 pounds. The rabbits and pigs are raised on pasture as well, but are supplemented with grain and natural minerals and vitamins.

Pastured chickens and rabbit are available from June through November. Lambs and goats are available from August through October. Pork is sold from August through November. Eggs are available from March through December.

You will find the products at the farm, at a farmers' market in Deposit, NY and at some of our craft shows in the fall, most of which are in New York state. (Note: The farm also sells fiber, yarns, and hand-knitted and felted garments from their Angora rabbits and sheep.)

Somethings Happinin' Farm, Connie Heim and Howard Smith, RD3 Box 171A, Susquehanna PA 18847. (570) 727-2188.
E-mail: somhap@nep.net
Website: http://somethingshappinin.tripod.com/

Stoltzfus Grass Farm is a supplier of quality meat, eggs, and cheese from hormone-free, pesticide-free, naturally raised beef, chicken, pork, goats, and rabbits. As a family farm, our goals are to:

raise healthy animals under humane conditions on natural grasses and grains, practice sustainable agriculture on a family-sized farm, produce wholesome, quality meats at a reasonable cost, and practice and teach good stewardship of our land and water resources.

All the products are available Monday through Saturday at the farm, which is located in the heart of Lancaster County, the most productive non-irrigated farmland region of the United States. Eggs are available year round. Chicken are sold though September, by order. The beef is available by order in quarters or halves. Ground beef and cheese are available year round.

Stoltzfus Grass Farm, Daniel Stoltzfus, 3038 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-In-Hand PA 17505. (717) 768-3397.

On Stoney Creek Farm, energy from the sun converts grass to meat and natural biological processes are used for fertility and pest control. Our meat is antibiotic, hormone and pesticide-free!

We supply grass-finished beef in quarters and halves in the early spring and late fall. Pastured broilers are available June through September with turkeys ready in time for Thanksgiving. Eggs are available throughout the year. Lamb, in halves or whole, is sold from October on. Pork, also in halves or whole, is available spring and fall. Rabbits are available anytime. Individual cuts of beef, pork, and lamb are sold at the farm.

A farm newsletter and order form will be sent upon request. Inquiries and farm visits are welcome.

Stoney Creek Farm, Dick and Jane Burlingame, RD 2, Box 2708, Russell PA 16345. (814)-757-8540. E-mail: stoneycreek@kinzua.net.

Wallace Homestead Farm, owned and operated by John and Janie Wallace, offers the health conscious consumer a source for naturally raised beef that can be custom ordered.

Our beef herd consists of Herefords, Hereford/Angus, and Holstein steers. We also raise dairy Holstein heifers. They are humanely treated, well cared for, and free to roam pastures, drink from natural springs, and thrive in a natural and calm environment. Our cattle are not penned up or force-fattened on grain, and are given no antibiotics or hormones.

We raise our beef cattle under two systems. Cattle ending the summer weighing 1,000 pounds or more are butchered in the fall, making grass their sole source of nourishment. Those weighing less than 1,000 pounds are wintered over on a diet of our own hay and a small grain supplement of corn and oats naturally grown on our farm. In early spring they are returned to the pasture to be finished on grass.

Customers may order half or quarter portions of our naturally raised beef custom cut and processed at our dedicated USDA Natural Beef processing plant. Some folks prefer to select a whole animal for their own custom processing.

Wallace Homestead Farm, RR#2, Box 46, New Albany PA 18833.
(570) 924-4247. E-mail: homestead246@yahoo.com.
Website: http://www.wallacehomesteadfarm.com.

Walnut Creek Farm is a small grass-based farm located in scenic Lancaster County PA along the Susquehanna River. We specialize in grass fed lamb and free-range laying hens.

Our pastures are pesticide and herbicide free and we never supplement our livestock with hormones or antibiotics.

Lamb is available whole. It can be custom cut, wrapped and frozen to your specifications. Since we do not sell individual cuts of meat, you can always be assured that the lamb you purchase will be at its absolute freshest. We use Groff's in Elizabethtown, PA to process our lambs. They are a family owned and operated business that is USDA inspected and has been in continuous operation since 1875. Eggs are available year-round at the farm.

For additional information, stop by or give us a call.

Walnut Creek Farm, Gary LaBuda, 1570 River Road, Marietta PA 17547.
(717) 575-9207.

WIL–AR Farms is a small, family farm located near Newville, in south central Pennsylvania. We have concerns about the health of our land, our family, and our customers. We do not use chemicals or hormones on our farm. Working in harmony with nature is our rule. We are an all-grass based farm, which means that our animals are raised on pasture.

Limited amounts of a broad range of products including grassfed beef, veal, lamb, rabbits, pork, chickens, turkeys, and eggs. Raw milk cheeses, aged at least 60 days, are made right on the farm from totally grassfed Jersey cows.

We strive to farm in harmony with the seasons. Cycling our production with nature's seasons must not be compromised. As soon as we produce food against the seasons, disease, costs, and environmental degradation escalate. We calve when the deer are fawning, start chicks when the wild turkey eggs are hatching, and increase our workload when the days are longer.

WIL–AR Farms, Wilmer and Arlene Newswanger, 76 Parker Road, Newville PA 17241. (717) 776-6552. No Sunday sales.

Willow Springs Farm has been farmed for 13 years without artificial chemicals of any kind. In trying to farm in harmony with nature, we raise everything on native pasture with the seasons. We are committed to preserving our land as well as raising healthy, quality food for ourselves and others.

We raise sheep, chickens, and rabbits. Currently we have a limited supply of aged raw sheep milk cheese (cracked pepperjack) pastured chickens (frozen) and rabbit. Our rabbits are currently raised in a building, but we are working on a pasture growing system for this summer. Our lambs are raised on pasture, no grain. Our sheep milk is produced entirely from pasture. Due to cost and availability, our chickens do receive non-organically grown feed, but with no hormones or antibiotics, and are moved to fresh pasture 1–2 times daily.

Processing of all products is done by hand by local small family operations. Fresh products are available from June through October by pre-order. Frozen chicken, rabbit, and lamb are available year round. Call, write or e-mail for price and availability. We will ship, but love to have our customers visit to share the beauty of our farm.

Willow Springs Farm, Kate Pruitt and Dale Thomsen, 2169 Menchtown Road, Everett PA 15537. (814) 735-4557.
E-mail: willowsp@pennswoods.net

Workhorse Farms of Nescopeck, PA has been providing grass fed beef to families since 1989. We offer custom cut mixed quarters, halves and whole beef to our customers. To ensure that we have enough beef for September/October, we request that orders for our beef be placed early in the year.

Our beef comes from prime, healthy young cattle raised on pasture grasses. Not only does this make our beef lean and tender, but it also has a rich flavor. To ensure that our beef maintains its best flavor and has a long storage life, it is aged, vacuum packaged and flash frozen at our butcher. ALL OUR BEEF IS CUSTOM CUT BY THE BUTCHER!

We also make available to our customers the delicious flavor of the pastured pork that your grandparents knew and loved. Our production is different from most other pig farms which gives our pork that old fashioned taste. Our pigs are allowed to roam freely in our lush grass pastures, socialize, and engage in instinctive pig behaviors such as rooting, wallowing, and foraging.

Call or e-mail us for information or to order your beef and pork.

Workhorse farms has been using sustainable farming practices since 1985. As a family, we don't believe that things such as artificial fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics belong in our food supply. That is why we don't use these things on our farm.

Workhorse Farms, Debby Fassman, PO Box 524, Nescopeck PA 18635. (570) 759-3071. E-mail: workhorsefarms@direcway.com.

Zook's Organic Cheese is made from milk from grazing cows, "the most natural way to feed cows." The cows graze on a farm that is certified organic by the Pennsylvania Certified Organic organization. No fermented feeds, bST, herbicides or insecticides are used.

Our cheese is made from certified organic pasteurized cultured whole milk, salt and rennet. There are no preservatives added, and no artificial ingredients.

Zook's Organic Cheese, 1178 White Oak Road, Christiana PA 17509.
(610) 593-2883.


James Beard - My Hero

The following was written by James Beard,. It is the Forward to “The James Beard Cookbook” first published in 1959. It so clearly defines my philosophy of cooking!

“This is a basic cookbook. It is intended to help two sorts of people: first, those who are just beginning to cook and say they don’t even know how to boil water, and second, those who have been trying to cook for a while and wonder why their meals don’t taste like mother’s cooking or the food in a good restaurant.

Anybody who is conscientious enough to follow simple directions can learn to cook. For example, if you are among those who have never boiled water, this is what you do: Fill a saucepan with cold water and put it on the stove. Adjust the burner to high. Let the water heat until it bubbles and surges – and that is boiling water. I assure you in all seriousness that many of the recipes in this book are not much more complicated than these instructions for boiling water. Most cooking, even elaborate dishes, is merely the combining of a number of very simple operations.

A lack of knowledge about basic cookery can be somewhat inconvenient. Not long ago some young friends of mine started off from New York for several months’ stay in the near east. Their luggage consisted mainly of case after case of canned goods, package foods and mixes, and dehydrated soups. When all the cases were stacked up on the dock, the scene looked like the receiving platform of a grocery store. The pretty young wife perched herself on a case of soup and explained that they had to take their food with them because she wouldn’t know how to cope with the produce sold in Near Eastern markets. She had never really cooked, she admitted, except to fry hamburgers and use mixes and frozen dinners.

Now, there is nothing wrong, of course, with mixes and frozen foods. they are especially valuable when time is precious and shortcuts are necessary. But you’ll never achieve confidence in your cooking ability if your culinary skill depends on using ingredients that someone else has mixed or seasoned or pre-cooked. Like almost everything else – walking, driving a car, painting a picture – you learn by doing.

There are three very good reasons why you should learn basic cookery: practical, gastronomical, and personal reasons. On the practical side, it’s a stubborn economic fact that preparing your own food is cheaper than buying it pre-made. Gastronomically, it’s a fact that old-fashioned home cooking is tastier and more varied. As for the personal side, it’s a fact that cooking is fun, especially good cooking.

Cooking is one everyday task that can be creative. You become a creative cook by first becoming a good basic cook. Your transition from basic to creative cooking takes some doing, some actual experience in finding out what happens when you add this or change that. Once you have made this transition, you will never lack admirers. Good food has a magic appeal. You may grow old, even ugly, but if you are a good cook, people will always find the path to your door.

– James A. Beard


Pork Chops and Lingonberries

My twice-yearly shopping at Ikea always means a couple of jars of Lingonberry Preserves.  We have almost as many flavors of jam and preserves in the 'fridge and in the cabinets as we do mustards.  I like my sweet and I like my savory.

Back home there is a small supermarket chain named Andronico's.  Great food with fairly high prices, but unsurpassed quality.  The original "you get what you pay for" type of store.  Their sandwich/deli area had the best turkey sandwich with fresh-roasted turkey, spicy mustard - and lingonberry preserves.  It was the most excellent sandwich.  they had a whole wheat french roll that was just the perfect container for the fabulous fillings.  I miss that sandwich!

But I digress...

With two jars of Lingonberry preserves (and one cloudberry and one gooseberry!) that sweet/savory taste was calling to me...  Years and years (and years) ago when I worked at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe, we had duck with a lingonberry sauce at Hugo's.  I didn't have any duck at home, but I had pork chops.  That sauce started with a classic demi-glace that I was not about to start making at home an hour before I wanted to eat, but I've done quick wine and stock reductions and figured this was a perfect time to do another!

Lingonberry Sauce

  • 2 cups red wine
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup lingonberry preserves
  • 1/2 tsp tarragon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp butter mixed with 1 tbsp flour

Put wine and both broths in a pot, boil, and reduce to 1 cup.  Stir in lingonberry preserves and tarragon.  Heat through. Thicken with flour/butter paste.  Taste for seasoning.

Really simple.  Really!

And since we were having pork chops with lingonberries, I decided we needed Pumpkin Polenta to go along with it.  Victor has been laughing at me because every year I go on a huge pumpkin kick and serve it in some fashion at least three times a week for a month or more.  This pumpkin polenta was just another in a long line of pumpkin recipes that have been appearing this year...

Pumpkin Polenta

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2/3 cup polenta
  • salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth, cream, butter, salt, pepper, and pumpkin to a boil.  Slowly stir in polenta.  Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked. (I used a really coarse polenta that takes about 45 minutes.  Finer-grained polenta will take less time.)

I pan-fried the pork chops in a bit of olive oil, S&P.

I steamed the brussel's sprouts and then browned in a skillet with butter and a dusting of Honey Dust.

I dirtied four pans.  It was worth every one of them!


Gnocchi with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Well...  I had planned on having Pumpkin Soup two nights in a row, but Victor had other ideas...

We had a couple dozen fresh plum tomatoes that were r-i-p-e and really needed to be used, so whilst I was working away at work today, Victor made fresh sauce and homemade meatballs.

The house smelled great when I walked in!.  There was a big pot simmering on the stove with the sauce, meatballs and sweet Italian sausage.  Yum.  Gnocchi and fresh bread just topped it off.

And dessert is going to be fun, tonight!  Amanda gave me an Apple Strudel Apple from Zwalen's in Audubon.  OMG!  And out Neighbor Peg made us candied walnuts...  AND we have the homemamde cookies...

Life is good!


Honey Dust

Amanda went to the Renaissance Faire and I got Honey Dust! And Cranberry Honey!  What Fun!  Having absolutely no idea what Honey Dust was, I had to go to the Bee Folks Website to find out more.

The website states that Honey Dust is honey, virgin cane sugar, and virgin molasses crystallized together, making a sweet powder treat.  How cool is that?  Victor immediately had some in a cup of tea.  I thought dessert.

I was in the mood for cookies - we've had cakes and pies for weeks - and decided my Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies were just the treat we needed.

  • 2 cubes butter
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped nuts
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup coconut

Cream butter and sugars until light, then add the eggs one at a time.  Add the flour and baking soda, then the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well.

Use a 1/4 cup scoop and scoop out cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I always line my sheets with parchment!)  Press down slightly with damp fingers.

Bake at 350° for about 20 - 22 minutes.

In place of the sugar I added the Honey Dust!  WOW!

It definitely added a new dimension to the cookies!  As Tony the Tiger says...  They're Great!


Beef Stroganoff

About a million years ago - 1976 - I moved to Lake Tahoe.  A friend of mine, Steve Johnson, had recommended me for a job at The Old Post Office in Carnelian Bay on the North Shore.  I had known Steve for about 5 years... We managed restaurants for the same owner - me in San Francisco, and Steve across the bay in El Sobrante.  We were pretty good friends.  I even lived with his girlfriend for about a year...

Steve and Shelley broke up and he eventually ended up moving back to Tahoe - he was from the area, originally.  I quit the other restaurant, worked at a couple of other places and ended up getting laid off.  I did absolutely nothing for several months, collected unemployment, smoked a lot of pot (it was the '70's - it's what one did!) watched Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and generally enjoyed life.

So...  I got the job, moved to Tahoe, and Steve and I became roommates in a little 2br 1930's uninsulated summer cabin in Tahoe Vista.  We had a blast! He bought a little Fisher stove and burned coal to stay warm - driving down to Reno in his VW bug and hauling 600 lbs at a time back up the hill - at 10 mph up the steeper grades.)  Sweet youth.

The reason for all this history?!?  Steve made great Beef Stroganoff!  I almost always think of him when I make it.  He made a really, really simple version, browning the beef and mushrooms, adding sour cream and a dollop of mustard, and served over noodles.  That was pretty much it.   And it definitely worked for me. I would spend several hours making stuffed chicken breasts in a champagne mushroom sauce served with roasted root vegetables.  He'd whip up dinner in minutes.  Show-off!

I've played with his recipe over the years and while classic Beef Stroganoff calls for white wine and tarragon, I usually add a splash of sherry and a bit of dill.  Sometimes paprika.  Garlic.  Definitely onions...

Tonight's recipe was:

  • 1 lb beef, cut in strips
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • about 1 lb mixed mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup sherry
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp Champagne Garlic Mustard
  • flour
  • paprika
  • dill
  • salt and pepper

I cooked the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in a pat of butter about 5 minutes (they were well-cooked.)  They went into a bowl, and then I browned the beef after  rolling it in flour, paprika, salt & pepper.

After it was browned, i added the mushroom and onions and the sherry.  I cooked it down and then added the heavy cream, then the sour cream and the mustard.  Heated it all though and served over wide egg noodles.

It was yummy, with enough left over for lunch tomorrow!

So what happened to Steve, you ask?!?  He married a great gal named Diane that I worked with at the Old PO.  They moved to Truckee where Steve went to work for the Truckee Sanitation District.  We lost track of each other about 10 yerars ago.  Victor and I went up to see them and they moved not long after...

If you're reading this, Steve - drop a line!


Teatro ZinZanni and Ravioli

It's been a few years since we had dinner at Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco, but I never tire of looking at the great (and ridiculously expensive) plates we bought afterwards in their gift shop.  Two oval and two round - they were like $45.00 a piece!  Damn, I used to make good money!  But I digress...

Billed as "Love, Chaos, and Dinner"  it is most certainly all three - especially the chaos and dinner!

Teatro ZinZanni is a bit difficult to describe.  It's like having dinner in the middle - literally - of a three-ring circus.  There is so much going on around you, in front of you, and often to you, it's difficult to remember you're also eating really good food!  Chaos, indeed.  And fun.  Acrobats and contortionists, comics, food literally flying through the air - the contraption they use to distribute dessert is unbeliveable!  It is serious fun.

So, you ask... what does Teatro ZinZanni and tonight's dinner have in common?  Absolutely nothing.  It was just a bit of a walk down Memory Lane.  And the walk just saved me $300.00.  On our last night in San Francisco next month we're staying at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero.  I just went online to buy tickets, and - alas - they are closed on Monday nights.  But... Harrington's is right down the street.  I haven't been there in quite a while.  i used to meet two of my sisters there for lunch once or twice a week about 25 years ago.  French Burgers and lots of alcohol.... I digress some more...

I like using the plates for  big pasta dinners in the winter and salads in the summer.  They're the perfect size and they really do evoke some fun memories...

So tonight they wwere filled with beef ravioli, frozen from the grocery store.  I did make the sauce, though.  Ground beef, garlic, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, red wine, crushed tomatoes and tomato puree, and Italian Seasoning...  Pretty much the same way my mom made hers...

I heated the focaccia Victor made yesterday, and dinner was served.

And there's more cake for dessert.....


Sunday Dinner

Dinner was great!  Victor made Broccoli Soup today!  He made a huge batch because his mom was coming over and she likes broccoli soup.  We gave her a couple of containers to take home with her.

The soup recipe is fairly basic...  Fresh broccoli, broth, butter, cream, onions, and cheese.  Cook and hit it with the immersion blender.

His other treat was the homemade focaccia.  He used Lidia's Pizza Dough Recipe again, and it came out great!

And then he made dessert...  Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with a Lemon Glaze.

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.

Beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and poppy seeds and mix until just combined.

Bake about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan about 5 minutes, then remove and cool on rack rack.

Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over warm cake.

Yum.


Sunday Breakfast

It's all Amanda's fault!  She said she was bringing sticky buns to a friend's house - and next thing you know, I was buying them for breakfast this morning!  Thank you! :)

They may be the simplest, easiest - and yummiest - breakfast treat on the market!  Just sit out on the counter overnight, and bake in the morning.

And since I was out and about at lunchtime, I stopped off at Five Guys for Bacon Cheeseburgers and fries to go.

I got 'em with "The Works" which really does mean everything under the sun.  Properly greasy with more fries than we could ever eat, it was great.  Dinner tonight is going to be Broccoli Soup with homemade focaccia.

Stay tuned.


Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I've had a hankerin' for baked potatoes for a while, now.  I don't seem to eat many during the summer months.  They're certainly easy enough to do on the grill, but.....

So I picked up some potatoes with the sole purpose of stuffing and baking.  I was thinking something creamy, cheese, mushroomy and wouldn't you know?!?  I had cheese and mushrooms - and ground beef - right in the 'fridge!

I sauteed a bit of minced onion in a dab of butter and added finely-chopped mushrooms.  After they had cooked and rendered all of their liquid, I added a bit of ground beef - maybe a quarter-pound.  I browned the beef, added a splash of sherry and some salt and pepper, and then stirred in some cotswold cheese.

I cut off the tops of the baked potatoes, and scooped out most of the potato, leaving about a 1/4 inch shell.  I then packed them with the beef and mushroom mixture and into a 400° oven they went.

In the meantime, I sliced up a bit of the flank steak from last night, and reheated a piece of yesterday's French Bread.  The bread re-heated beautifully!  I was quite pleased.

Out came the potatoes from the oven and a dollop of sour cream finished them off.

Cold flank steak, crusty bread, and stuffed baked potatoes.

Life is good.