Nancy on the Home Front

Farro Soup with Vegetables

Farro is a grain used in our home in many ways. In addition to making faro soup with vegetables I have made Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Corn. A breakfast favorite is Warm Farro Cereal. I also use it is soup. Farro is similar to wheat berries and if you can’t find it in your local market you could substitute wheat berries or barley.

This farro soup with vegetables comes together fairly quickly and also freezes well.

Farro Soup with Vegetables

Ingredients:

½ cup farro
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
1 leek, helved lengthwise and sliced
½ head green cabbage chopped ( 2 cups)
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary
¼ tsp black pepper
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup chopped parsley
1 Tsp grated lemon zest

Directions:

Place the farro in a small bowl and cover with water. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and 4 of the garlic cloves and cook until softened, about five minutes. Add the carrots, celery, leek, cabbage, thyme, rosemary, pepper and 2 Tbsp of the broth. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, about ten minutes. Stir occasionally as the vegetables are cooking.

Add the remaining broth and the farro and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until the farroa and the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile combine the remaining clove of garlic, the parsley and the lemon zest in a small bowl. When the soup is done, stir the mixture into the soup and serve at once. Makes about 6 servings.

April is National Garden Month.

The end of March looked more like the beginning of gardening season here in Vermont. April is another story! We had a day of snow on Monday and with the bitter cold temperatures it looks more like winter now. However, according to the Internet, April is National Garden Month!

How can we celebrate? Why not create a butterfly garden this year. Here are a few plants that will attract not only butterflies but honeybees and other pollinators as well.

Butterfly Bush. This is a large arching shrub that produces masses of flowers from midsummer to fall. Unfortunately this bush does not do well where I live.

Coneflowers. Coneflowers are colorful and carefree. There are numerous species and the sizes range from 12 inches to 4 feet. I love the coneflowers in my garden!

Milkweed and goldenrod are also good plants to attract butterflies. While you may not want these flowering plants in your formal garden find some room along the edge of your property to allow these plants to grow.

Above all don’t use pesticides or buy plants that have been treated with pesticides. Caterpillars eat their host plants and if the plants have pesticide residue on them the caterpillars will sicken and die. They will never form into butterflies. Pesticides also make birds sick and bees will take the residue back to their colonies and die. Instead try cutting off the affected plant parts or if you must use an organic treatment and use it late in the day when the pollinators are not as active.

Have fun getting out in your garden this month! Visit a community garden near you or a park. Remember that gardens are not just a beautiful place for people to visit but they are critical habitats for pollinators like bees, bats, birds, beetles, butterflies and other animals. Do your part to make your garden a healthy habitat!

Be sure to visit the blog on Friday as I will be hosting a giveaway for Mary’s Heirloom Seeds!

Exploring Stowe, Vermont

Two Christmases ago our four children and two son-in-laws got together and gave us a very generous gift certificate to Topnotch Resort located in Stowe, Vermont. At the time we had Riley, our daughter’s Boston terrier and although Topnotch allows dogs it would have been an extra expense so we kept putting off making the reservations! As you may know, Riley is now back with her family and we are dog-less. It was finally time to make a reservation and use the gift certificate. Being thrifty minded we made the reservation during the week to get the most value.

What a wonderful time we had. We drove up last Monday and it took us less than two hours to get there. It’s so nice to be able to go away and have a change of scenery and drive less than two hours! The resort was absolutely beautiful and being mid-week it was not crowded at all. In fact there would only be a few other couples in the dining room whether we were there for lunch or dinner.

Our room was spacious and looked right over at Stowe Mountain Resort and Mt. Mansfield. When we arrived it was raining and the next morning everything was covered with a dusting of snow. It melted quickly and we had a beautiful day to explore the area.

If you are familiar with the beer scene in Vermont this area around Stowe is famous for the various breweries. People line up when there is a delivery of Heady Topper, and you are usually limited on how many 4 packs you can purchase at a time. Because we were in town during a delivery day there were already people lining up! Just crazy. We did enjoy a delicious lunch at the Prohibition Pig, which not only offered delicious beer, but the food was excellent.

We made full use of the facilities at the resort; they had a wonderful gym and both an indoor and a heated outdoor pool! We did not try the outdoor pool although we did see folks outside in their bathing suits!

All too soon it was time to enjoy our last breakfast and drive back home.

On the drive home we drove down VT Route 100 and stopped at The Mad Taco for lunch. You could easily drive by this small nondescript restaurant, but if you enjoy Mexican food this is probably the best there is in the state. A simple menu, lots of hot sauces to choose from and quick service. In no time at all we were enjoying our tasty tacos!

It was a beautiful drive home and a wonderful time away. Topnotch Resort is definitely a place we will plan to visit again!

Thrifty Grains, Beans & Legumes

You want to have a well-stocked pantry. What are the thriftiest things to store in your pantry? Dried beans, rice, pasta, cornmeal and flour.

Dried beans score high points on the thrift meter. They’re inexpensive and can be stored for up to a year. I’ve actually stored them for longer periods and you just have to cook them a little longer. Beans are widely used around the world and you will find them in soups and chilies, pureed into hummus or eaten whole in burritos and salads. As a cheap source of protein, they pair well with rice and pasta, two starches that are also inexpensive and versatile.

Canned beans are cheap, and when time is at a premium, they come in handy, but dried beans win in matters of taste. A from–the–can white bean salad or slow cooked chili will wind up mushy and mealy; but with home cooked beans, you control the cooking time, so you can opt for a firmer texture. Dried beans are absolutely the cheapest way to go. A 1-pound bag will yield more than 6 cups of cooked beans and broth. A 15.5oz can of beans gives you 1-2 cups. You can also cook up a bag of beans and then store what you don’t need in the freezer. Lay them flat to freeze and they’ll defrost faster. Be sure to include some of the broth when you are packaging the beans for freezing, it will help ward off freezer burn.

Cornmeal is another great item to store in your pantry. It comes in handy for polenta, corn bread and as a coating for fried foods.

Flour does it all: bread, pasta, cookies and treats of all sorts. If you are storing whole-wheat flour it is best to store it in your freezer so it doesn’t go rancid.

Every home cook will have a different opinion about which ingredients are essential and anyone on a restricted diet will have to address individual needs. But these five ingredients were chosen for their ability to multitask and hold up in the pantry, fridge or freezer.

Linked to some of my favorite link parties!

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Spring is coming, or at least I keep telling myself this! At least our snow is gone and a few warmer days and some rain and things should start turning green. This time of year I like to focus on healthy eating and this Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Arugula Salad is a perfect example of enjoying a delicious meal and eating healthy at the same time!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 large egg
2 tsp water
3 Tbsp whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
4 (4oz) boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp & 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt

5oz container of Mixed Baby Greens or Baby Arugula
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
½ English cucumber
¼ cup chopped pepperoncini

Directions:

Place the flour in a sheet of waxed paper.

Beat together the egg white, and 1 tsp of water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and Parmesan on another sheet of wax paper. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip both sides in flour, then into the egg white mixture and then into the crumb mixture.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp water, chives, vinegar, mustard, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add greens, tomatoes, cucumber and pepperoncini and toss to coat. Place the salad on a plate and top with the sliced chicken. Enjoy!

De-Cluttering: Why Am I Holding Onto This Stuff?

Our home is usually very organized with a place for everything, and everything in its place! When we moved here almost twenty years ago we moved ourselves and rented the largest rental truck we could. Everything we owned fit into that truck. Somehow over the years we have accumulated way too much stuff!

Loosing both of my parents didn’t help as I acquired things when my mother downsized, and then again when she passed away. As we eventually anticipate a move to the west coast we realize we can’t hold on to everything. It would not be wise to pay to move all this stuff!

There are practical reasons to not have so much stuff. With less to clean around you shouldn’t have as much housework! Having more leisure time can help you live longer!

My problem is that as I’m going through the boxes I find things I have no use for such as old hand knit baby blankets that were mine as a baby! Do I really need them? Perhaps I am afraid that if I let go of an item I am throwing away the memories and connections themselves. I’m finding if I really don’t need the item I can take a picture of it and move on. I’m also passing along some of the baby items to my daughter who is expecting a baby in July!

Cleaning out my closet was my first priority. When we arrived back home after three months away it was very easy to take a look at my closet and get rid of the clothes that I never wear. If you are having trouble in this area one suggestion is to hang all your clothes backwards on the hangers. After six months donate everything still hanging backwards! Discard everything that is outdated or worn, and get rid of unnecessary duplicates. Then the next time you go buy a new pair of pants make it a habit to remove a pair of pants from your closet!

Part of my problem is de-cluttering is the mind set that “someday I may need this”! For example I have a beautiful crystal cut glass punchbowl with at least twenty-five glasses that match the bowl. The last time I used this punch bowl was at a high school graduation party, over six years ago! Much as I love the bowl I’m thinking that if I ever need a punch bowl for some future occasion I could probably rent one!

We don’t know when our home will sell or when this eventual move will take place, but I’m looking forward to working through this de-cluttering stage and learning to live with less.

Apple Walnut Salad So Good

Back to healthy eating and enjoying this tasty salad! I’ve always enjoyed the combination of apples and walnuts. The addition of fresh cranberries makes this apple walnut salad pretty and flavorful!

During the colder months when fresh fruit is harder to find adding an apple to your salad is a good option. The addition of apples and walnuts is a wonderful combination. If you don’t like walnuts try pecans which would also be delicious to this salad. This salad is good in the early spring or in the middle of the winter.

Apple-Walnut Salad

Ingredients:

¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh cranberries (frozen work well too)
2 TBSP honey
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP chopped red onion
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¾ cup olive oil

2 packages (5oz each) spring mix salad greens
3 medium delicious apples, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:

Make the Cranberry Vinaigrette:
Combine the first seven ingredients in a blender; cover and process until blended. While processing gradually add the oil in a steady stream. Set aside. This dressing looks very attractive on the table in a glass salad bottle.

In a large bowl toss the salad greens, apples and walnuts. Serve with the cranberry vinaigrette.

Makes about eight servings.A perfect accompaniment with your next spring dinner!

No Seed Starting This Year

With our home on the market I decided that I would not be starting any seeds indoors this year. Usually in early March I am busy mixing up a batch of my seed starting mixture.

I also have a wonderful table my husband made that just fits the two grow lights I have. I usually set it up in our kitchen in front of a west-facing window. The seeds do very well there until it is time to move them outside.My seed order was placed and I have received the seeds I ordered from Solstice Seeds, our local seed saver. I know these seeds which were harvested just a few towns away will do perfectly in my garden.

Real estate sales are slow in Vermont, but in case we do have a showing I decided I didn’t have to have the whole seeds starting business taking place in my kitchen. We’re trying to keep the house clean and de-cluttered!

It’s been years since I haven’t started any seeds and I will miss the early signs of spring taking place in the kitchen! I always enjoyed watching the seeds coming to life!

Unless we have an offer on our house in the next two months I am planning to grow a vegetable garden! I have several sources to buy vegetable plants such as tomatoes and peppers. I won’t have as much choice as I would if I were starting my own seeds but I still plan to grow heirloom plants.Will you be planting a vegetable garden this year? Do you start your own plants or purchase plants? I miss having my seedlings in the kitchen but I look forward to the garden season which will be here before I know it!

March is Sugaring Time

A sure sign of spring in Vermont is the steam rising from the sugarhouses. We are lucky enough to have several sugarhouses within walking distance of our home! There is nothing better than pure Vermont maple syrup and once you taste it it is hard to go back to a commercial brand.

Maple syrup is syrup usually made from the sap of the sugar maple. In cold climates, such as Vermont, maple trees store their starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple trees can be tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap, which is then processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. It takes roughly 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.

Indigenous peoples living in northeastern North America were the first groups known to have produced maple syrup and maple sugar and folks have been enjoying it ever since!

Originally the taps were set in the trees and buckets were used to collect the sap. Now you are more apt to see plastic tubing running from tree to tree down into a collection tank.Despite the newer techniques to streamline the sap boiling method it is pretty much unchanged from the early days. Sap is collected and boiled down to obtain pure syrup without chemical agents or preservatives.

If you’ve never seen the process before, take a trip to Vermont in February or March and observe a sugarhouse in action. Take home some real maple syrup; nothing tastes better on those homemade waffles!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

We are trying to eat healthy, but who doesn’t love chocolate once in a while? I don’t cook sweet things as often as I used to, but when I have company coming it’s nice to bake this rich and tender chocolate chip coffee cake! Nothing will get your company out of bed in the morning then the smell of this delicious coffee cake fresh from the oven!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
¼ cup chopped nuts (pecans, almonds or walnuts)
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl cream the butter, cream cheese and 1 ¼ cups of sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the milk. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. the batter will be creamy and thick.

Pour the batter in to a greased 9 inch spring form pan. Combine the nuts, cinnamon and remaining sugar and sprinkle over the batter.

Bake the coffee cake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, Cool completely before cutting. Makes 10-12 servings. The cake also freezes well.