Dreaming of My Prairie

The Old Picnic Table

   Summer days bring with them memories of long ago. A time of gathering and glowing with the kiss of the Kansas sun. Prairie grasses waved in the sun; children climbed silos; and 'old folks' told tales. Walk with me through the years, back to my growing up days, were I ran free in the summer sun. Walk with me back to the prairie.
 
   You could tell family was coming to the farm; my grandmother would get antsy in the kitchen. Days and days of baking and preparing would yield a tell tale sign of a family gathering. Our standard fair: hamburgers on the grill with all the fixings.
    In the farm kitchen we stood pressing patties (heaven forbid someone suggest pre-made). Cheese slice wrappers lay between each one to keep them from sticking- she had saved and washed those wrappers just for such a need. Treats were made and placed on the old card table: cookies and pies, sometimes a cake, too. With all the work, there was always the concern- might not be enough.
  As the afternoon sun shifted in the sky and chores were finished the grill was pulled to the side of the house where the garage doors open - the same place we would sit and clean garden vegetables- the place where you could see the barn, shop, some of the fields, and most importantly- company driving up the drive.
   Grandpa and Uncle Randy would haul the old picnic table around there for us. I would run from the house to the picnic table setting out all the necessities: ketchup and mustard, pickles and onions, lettuce and tomatoes- my grandfather's favorite chips- bread for the burgers and drinks for everyone (iced tea, of course).
   The grill fired up as family members backed the trucks up near our picnic table; there were never enough places to sit! Some of the used the tail gates for placing the food items, some sat on them to eat. Bread slices were graced with hot hearty burgers- each dressed their own just as they liked it. My grandpa loved to stuff bar-b-que chips in his, naturally, I had to give it a try...yum! Sitting by him, my feet dangled from the bench swinging left and right (at least till someone noticed- sit still, you're shaking the whole table). 
   When the sun fell in the sky, the family lingered there at the old picnic table. The chatter of catching up, of reminiscing, of goings-on filled the air. Food was carried in and desserts tasted as my cousins and I chased lightning bugs; giggling and running in the prairie winds. Even as I headed in to bed, they lingered around the table- visions of the day danced in my dreams.

   The old picnic table now makes it's home with me, way down south. Never do I pass it by that I don't see the gathering of family or hear the chatter of loved ones. When we sit at the old table, I share the tales of long ago, when my family gathered on the farm with simple food, simple lives, simple fun.

 

Farmhouse Dill Pickles

4 qts. medium cucumbers

8 sprays of dill

4 garlic cloves

1 qt. vinegar (here I used white)

1 c. salt

3 qts. water

The day before, we wash the cucumbers and cover them with water in a bowl. They stand overnight.

The next way, put a spray or two of dill and one clove of garlic in each jar. Pack your cucumbers (prepared as you like) into your jars (size of jar depends on your preference...I use whatever is available). Combine vinegar, salt and water in a pot and bring to a rolling boil. Fill the jars to overflowing with the vinegar mixture. Now seal them in your water bath or pressure canner.

You can dig in anytime you want, but for best flavor, we let them cure for six weeks in a dark pantry before opening.

Falling Off the (Canning) Wagon

Hi, my name is Michele and it has been one year since I last canned fresh produce. Hi, Michele.


Once upon a time my shelves were filled with all shapes and sizes of tasty things grown and processed right here on my little farm. That time is not now, for it seems my little garden and my little kitchen are somewhat bare as I transition from growing family to empty nest. No longer does my table feed many, instead it often finds me with a small plate and a big book.


Looking back over the past years' pictures, my heart longed for the snap and pop of lids- the hiss of a pressure vent- and the colorful stain on my hands. I miss harvesting and chatting- snapping, cutting, and peeling. There are no countertops full of resting jars, bowls of beans, or baskets of peppers. My garden is much smaller... much emptier.. as are the shelves.


My jars sit quietly beside my canners- hidden in the darkness of the pantry.


It seems I have fallen off the canning wagon. What shall it take to get me back on track?

Keeping the Greens

   As each garden season comes to an end we find ourselves with a need to preserve. Recent heavy rains have brought parts of our garden to become water-logged driving us to harvest as much as possible before the water and southern heat destroy it.

   After harvesting the greens, I like to give it a nice soak in the sink to clear out bugs, dirt and other not-so-nice's that may be lurking in the little crevices.

   After a nice bath, the greens are placed between two towels; rolled up and given a nice squeeze; they can be run through a salad spinner as well. One thing to be careful of is snails- they tend to hide in the leaves. Snails can carry dangerous parasites, so I like to be extra careful.

   Once the greens are clean and fairly dry they are placed loosely on dehydrator trays; I try to keep from over crowding since any residual moisture will lead to mold and waste. Greens are dehydrated on low temps for 4-6 hours depending on the density and size of the leaf. To speed things up, stems can be removed and leaves torn into smaller pieces. After they are completely dehydrated (crisp) I place them in a colander over a bowl and rub them through the holes until they fall through in a  powdered state. The powdered greens are stored in an airtight container and placed in a dark, dry pantry.
   Dehydrated greens are used to add vitamins and minerals to any dish; stir fries, soups and dips... sprinkled on a salad or tossed in a smoothie. I find they are not overpowering and generally do not effect the flavor of the dish.
   Now when the summer weather kills off the plants we will at least have some of the greens tucked away!!

   

Poultry Processing Spring 2016

   Processing time comes and goes here on the little homestead. Unpleasant as it may be, it is a necessary act we have to come to terms with. Spring butchering fills our freezer with healthy food plentiful enough to feed our family. Over the many years we have honed a setup and work through plan that has served us well making large batch processing efficient and timely.


This year brought quite a few challenges to our homestead- many of which have a profound effect on our food production. Heat was the first obstacle partnered with some shipping mishaps which left us with half the birds we normally process in a year's time. This was followed by severe flooding that left us standing in water searching for higher ground.



Challenges are good for us- even in urban farm/homesteading. Times like this force us to think outside the box, evaluate every option we hadn't thought of, and press on. The flock didn't suffer to terribly once we found a dry place for them, and the year's butchering day went off without incident.

I am task oriented, focused and rather intense about set up, process and the generally running  of it.
The week of processing I get freezers cleaned and prepped making sure there is plenty of space and plenty of ice on hand. The night before, stations are set up in order to streamline the process.


One of our young adults did return home to assist this year; it was such a blessing to have an extra set of hands! Since we are an empty nest homestead, changes to our layout were required.


In general , we used three stations: Killing is station one: knives, cones, and lined buckets are ready, waiting, and stay at this station until clean up; Break Down is station two:  cutting boards, knives, bowls of salted ice water, large lined trash cans are on hand for the main processing station; 'Cool Down' is station three: positioned near the sink are sealing bags, markers, and towels to rinse, dry, bag and label. With fewer hands on deck, we opted to combine station two and three which left my husband to man the catch and kill station and myself to process, cool down, and then package the birds. Our extra hands helped with my station until she had to leave.


 To our great surprise the whole thing went off without a hitch- or even an injury! In all, we processed about 48 birds in 4 hours despite the fact there are only 2 (three for a time) of us here to do the work (in the past there were 5-7 people on hand).

 If you have never had the privilege of processing your own poultry or if you are considering it, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and give it a go. Start small, maybe a few birds, and work to a goal that meets your family's needs or consider partnering with an experienced poultry family until you get a feel for it.


Sitting at the table tonight, we shared in good food and the satisfaction of hard work and the provision it brings, the security of a well stocked freezer, and the joy of knowing that he and I can manage this task- just the two of us.

Garden to Table: Oil of Oregano



My weekend weather forced me to work inside instead of out. Between showers and storms my feet found their way to the gardens for snippets of pungent herbs and healing spices; after all, my body has been waging quite a war with things these past weeks.

Amid the many buzz words floating around the health-o-sphere oregano has risen. This strong, somewhat 'hot' herb caught my attention some time ago leading me to dig deeper and test it for myself.

Oregano oil is derived from the leaves and flowers of oregano (Origanum vulgare), a hardy, bushy perennial herb, and a member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family. It's native to Europe, although it grows in many areas around the world¹ The plant grows up to 90 centimeters (35 inches) high, with dark green leaves that are two to three centimeters long.
The ancient Greeks and Romans have a profound appreciation for oregano, using it for various medicinal uses. In fact, its name comes from the Greek words "oros" and "ganos," which are words for mountain and joy,– oregano literally means "joy of the mountain." It was revered as a symbol of happiness, and it was an ancient tradition to crown brides and grooms with a laurel of oregano.


In the general population, oregano is known as the taste Italian and Greek cooking- sauces, vinaigrettes and marinades. Aromatherapy clinicians employ oregano essential oil for it's antiviral antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. Herbalists bring oregano into their practice knowing the broad uses of aroma therapy as well as the importance of ingesting it and topical application for skin conditions, fungal issues, and inflammation.


Personally, I bring oregano into all aspects of my home practices: culinary, aroma therapy, and herbal preparation. One rather multipurpose and very easy preparation is oil of oregano. Let's make a note of understanding: oregano oil often infers the essential oil derived from oregano, while oil of oregano often implies an infusion of oregano into a carrier oil. Both preparation can be topical, diffused, and ingested with caution (oregano is 'hot' and may cause rash, burning and upset stomach).


Oil of oregano can be prepared in two ways: sun steeped or heat steeped.
Sun steeped simply means placing the leaves and or stems of the oregano plant in oil then placing it i the sun to infuse for approximately 6 weeks. I do not use sun steeped due to the increased risk of botulism spores or rancid oil.
Heat steeped is much quicker and safer since the herbs are set in the oil over low heat and warmed just to the simmering point.
Both methods require removal of the plant materials and air tight storage (I freeze or refrigerate mine for extra precaution).
From here the oil is used for cooking, added to boiling water for a steam/aroma therapy, or applied topically for specific ailments.


Today my oil of oregano resides safely in the fridge waiting for me to call it into action! Hopefully it will only be needed for flavor and preventative health- not to combat illness:)

Freeze, Can or Dehydrate? Oh My!

   Today I stand amazed at what a garden can endure! Five months into this year we have faced record flooding, extended cool snaps, and a few heat fluctuations. Today the sun is out which invites the pests to hatch- strange year.

   Despite nature's mood swings the garden has been a gift! Greens, hot house tomatoes, herbs, peas and snap beans have consistently been harvested. Since the household is so small, that means it's time to preserve. Let's take a peek at the top three preservation methods that I not only use at home, but also teach as well.

1. Freezing

    In the heat and humidity of our southern home freezing is my top method of choice. Produce is picked at its peak, mildly processed (if at all) and frozen quickly. Safe in the freezer, mold and pests don't stand a chance. The down side of freezing is space; with broilers and turkeys also stored in the freezer, space is precious and must be used wisely. My food freezing musts are: cole crops, greens (chard, spinach), okra, corn and squash/gourds.

2. Canning

    Second in line and next on the list is canning; water bath and pressure methods. High acid foods, jams, jellies and relishes and pickles hold well with a gentle water bath set up where as sauces, veggies, and pie fillings require the intensity of a pressure canning. Space is not quite as competitive with canned goods since they store easily in the top of a pantry, under a bed, or in any cool dark place.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and carrots along with berries of all kinds are excellent canning candidates.

3. Dehydrating

    Last, but not least I have fallen in love with dehydrating. Dried goods are space friendly and easy to incorporate into everyday cooking. Some items lend well to a simple open air drying method: hot peppers, garlic, onions and herbs are a few...while some require a bit more intensity. My electric dehydrator is perfect for putting up apples, bananas, bell peppers. We love the tasty tang of kale chips and the chewy zing of a dry pineapple. Dried foods do need airtight conditions to keep well; canning jars or sealed bags work very well and store right alongside other canned goods. 

   I slosh my way through the growing garden, my thoughts look to the pop and sizzle of canning lids, colorful peppers hanging in rows along kitchen walls, and steady hum of the dehydrator working its magic. 

   Local friends be sure to keep your eye out for our canning classes! If you are like me, you can hardly wait until this season of food preservation begins.