TRIVIA THURSDAY

One of our new herbs that we are growing this year is Stevia. It is a sugar substitute with very sweet leaves.

What family does Stevia belong to?


Submit your correct answer by Friday April 1, 2011 by 8 pm to receive a $1.00 off coupon to be used at any farmer's market we attend. Good for 1 month.

TASTY TUESDAY

Rabbit Stew

Ingredients

A couple of Rabbits

Olive Oil

Garlic, Onions and Chillies (if you like it HOT)

Carrots  

Potatoes

A couple of pints of chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Joint the Rabbits into back legs front legs and saddle cut the saddle in to two pieces discard the rib cage (or use for stock).

Chop the carrots into large chunks. 

Start heating the chicken stock ..bring it to the boil and turn down to a very slow simmer.

Using a heavy based frying pan sweat the garlic (crush and chop it) onions (roughly chop them) and chillies (finely chop them) in a liberal splash of olive oil..once tender transfer to a heavy based stew pot.

Turn up the heat on the frying pan, add another liberal splash of olive oil, sear the rabbit joints in the frying pan.
(Don't go overboard on the frying just enough to give a nice light brown colour).

Once seared transfer the Rabbit joints to the stew pot pour the hot chicken stock over the rabbit.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chopped carrots, bring the whole lot back up to the boil.

Turn down the heat to a low simmer, stir the stew, cover and leave to simmer for about an hour.
Then add the potatoes (cubed) bring the stew back up to a slow simmer stir it and leave for about another 45 minutes of an hour or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve with crusty bread and green vegetables.

Spring is officially here....

So that means the snow needs to stay away, we have had enough! We are hoping all the snow is done...I am actually praying and begging all the snow is done! Warmer temperatures seem to be on their way!

Sunday was a day full of planting and transplanting.
Eric Jr and I spent today starting to clean up the yard and flower beds. Eric Sr and Julianna spent today in the greenhouse.

Wednesday we will be taking a batch of approximately 50 rabbits to the butcher! Just in time for the opening of Ithaca Farmer's Market this Saturday from 9-3 at Steamboat Landing. Please come see us and enjoy the Ithaca Market. Hopefully it will be a great day!

And now begins our Farmer's Market season where every Saturday we will be at a market sometimes 2! I will be updating the website to let you know what markets we will be at this year and their times!

CATCH UP

Gazenia's

First off, I would like to start by apologizing. I have not kept up this week with posts. We are falling behind on the farm and I have not been doing posts like I should.

On a positive note, plants are growing great! We will be transplanting marigolds, gazenia's and pansies into 6-packs soon. Our first planting of herbs is growing great and will need to be transplanted soon. We also have our first crop of Broccoli that has popped!

This week we will be planting Dwarf Sunflowers, 2nd planting of marigolds, 2nd planting of some more herbs, and some other items.

TRIVIA THURSDAY

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!


There is a lot of folklore and traditions that go along with this holiday. One of those is the symbol of the shamrock.

  This stems from an Irish Tale that tells how St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the _________.

Fill in the blank! Submit your correct answer by Friday 18, 2011 by 8 pm to receive a $1.00 off coupon to be used at any farmer's market we attend. Good for 1 month.

TASTY TUESDAY

Zucchini Soup with Herbs

Ingredients

• 10 cups zucchini chunks
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon dried savory
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup milk

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the zucchini, potatoes and onion. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on high heat, shaking pan occasionally to prevent sticking on bottom.
2. Add chicken broth. Lower heat to medium low. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add the freshly chopped herbs and milk. Heat. Serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream on top of each serving.

Weekend in Review and Week ahead

Farm Days- March 2010

Where to begin? Friday night we were at the Oakdale Mall helping set up the Otsiningo Farmers Market table. Saturday we had market at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building on Upper Front St. in Binghamton. We came home and worked in the greenhouse seeding more herbs.Then worked on our lists of what needs to be done this year, what order and who's doing what! Sunday we were planning on being in the greenhouse all day seeding and transplanting, but it was freezing. We took the kids out for a little bit and Eric Jr got soaking wet from playing with his trucks in the water that was sitting on the ground from all the rain and snow melting. So we decided to take them in so that he wouldn't get sick.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend. Realization is that it is the beginning of the season and like I told my mom, "Let the games begin." This is the time of us not having time to do anything outside of working on the farm.

Week ahead:
Seed, transplant, build shelves, work on refinishing the building that is going to be our new "Store/stand," start working on stuff for market (tents, signage, recipe cards), and package some more of the dried herb shakers.

We have the stall auction and Ithaca Market Clean up on Saturday.

The start of Ithaca Market is coming up, Saturday April 2nd is the first market there. Make sure you mark your calenders!

Ithaca Farmers Market- April 2010

Last year it was packed. It took some people almost 2 hours of waiting in line in their cars before they could get in to the market. Although it was really nice out, 70 degrees according to my records. This year hopefully we won't have a foot of snow on the ground.