Spring Peepers Farm

10/09/2024

Thyme and sage in prep process for drying :)

10/08/2024

It's not every house that has freeze dried apple cores in the kitchen closet lol

10/07/2024

Do you know that commercial tomato growers commonly pick tomatoes while they're still under-ripe because the green tomatoes will continue to ripen during shipping?

As frost approaches, this is valuable information for those of us who still have lots of green tomatoes on the vine. To learn about ways to ripen tomatoes off the vine, see https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-ripen-tomatoes-off-the-vine

10/05/2024

10/03/2024

Our sweet boy, Trevor, a bit sad I am taking his picture instead of giving scritches ❤️

10/02/2024

Harvesting this year's oregano and prepping it for the freeze dryer. The kitchen smells amazing!

10/01/2024

Today we are powdering our freeze dried lemongrass so that we can easily use it throughout the year. Have you cooked with lemongrass? It is delicious!

Check out this recipe for Spicy Lemongrass Chicken from Food & Wine...

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken cut into 3/4-inch pieces
6 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons powdered lemongrass
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine or sake
1/2 cup Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce (see https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vietnamese-stir-fry-sauce)
4 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Asian chili paste
4 large scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 small dried red chilis
1 large jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

Directions
1)In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, salt, and pepper.
2) In a large skillet or a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil until small puffs of smoke begin to appear. Add half of the chicken and stir-fry over high heat until browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
3) Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the lemongrass, onion, and garlic; cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce, oyster sauce, chile paste, scallions, dried chiles, and jalapeño; bring to a boil. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer until heated through, then serve with steamed jasmine rice.

For more detail, see https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-lemongrass-chicken

09/28/2024

Holy peppers! We tried an experiment this year and created our Not As Hot Pepper Flakes. A blend of jalapeño, shish*to, and pepperoncini, they are a delicious addition to anything you want to have a bit of (but not too much) kick :)

09/26/2024

On the farm, we grow savory in abundance. For thousands of years, people have used this herb to enhance the flavor of their dishes. Ancient Romans and Greeks used the plant in their cuisines as far back as 2000 years ago.

In fact, it was a very popular herb in Europe, acting as a sort of precursor for pepper due to its similar taste. Ancient Romans used it before the spice route from Asia could introduce black pepper. Aside from seasoning, this herb also had other notable uses. The Ancient Romans dubbed it the “herb of love,” using it to make love potions and aphrodisiacs.

We use it in spice blends for Italian and Greek dishes. For other ideas, see https://recipes.net/articles/what-is-savory-herb-and-related-recipes

09/26/2024

The weather may be getting chilly, but the flower gardens are still pretty :)

09/24/2024

Farm supervisors, Siobhan and Santana, taking a quick break before getting back to work...

09/23/2024

Now that the weather is cooling, are you looking for an apple pie with a twist? Check out this recipe for caramel apple pie made with homemade salted caramel sauce from Baker Street Society!

Caramel Apple Pie Filling
1 recipe salted caramel sauce
5 tbs unsalted butter
4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4″
2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4″
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1–2 tsp cornstarch

For the Apple Pie Filling
1) Make the caramel sauce (found at https://bakerstreetsociety.com/the-best-salted-caramel-sauce) and cool while the apples cook.
2) In a large 12-inch skillet, add the butter and cook until it begins to brown and smell nutty. Add the apples, sugars, cinnamon, and salt to the brown butter and continue to cook on medium-low for 15-20 minutes. The apples should be soft but not mushy and falling apart.
3) Mix in 1-2 tsp of cornstarch to thicken the juices. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.
4) Transfer apples to a sheet pan and spread them out to cool. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

To Assemble the Caramel Apple Pie
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Remove cooled apples from the fridge and pour into pie crust. Top with caramel sauce and spread evenly.
3) Top with top crust being sure to press the edges of the crust together so that the top is sealed to the bottom crust. Make small slits in the top for air vents.
4) Mix egg and water for egg wash, and brush on top of the pie crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar(optional).
5) Place caramel apple pie in the freezer for 15-20 minutes so that it gets really really cold before baking. This helps to reduce crust shrinkage.
6) Bake pie for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-45 minutes, or until top is deeply golden brown. If the top is browning too fast, cover edges or entire top lightly with foil.
6) Let cool for at least 2 hours, and serve as is or with ice cream.

To make your own crust with this, see https://bakerstreetsociety.com/the-best-caramel-apple-pie