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Holiday Stuffing

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

10-12 cups dried bread (cubed)

1 cup celery plus celery leaves chopped (light green ones)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
½ cup onion chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage (more if desired)
1 stick butter
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray a 9 x 12 inch baking dish with cooking oil; set aside; cut or tear the dried bread into bit size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl; set aside

In a medium size sauté pan over medium to medium high heat melt the butter; sauté the onions and celery till tender; 8-10 minutes, stir in the parsley and sage; pour the mixture over the bread and gently fold in; pour the chicken broth over the bread and continue to fold till bread is completely moist. Salt and pepper

Note: you may need to add more or less broth
Cover dish with foil for the first 30 minutes for a moist dressing (if desired)

Spoon the mixture into the baking dish; bake for 50-60 minutes till golden brown and crunchy on top.

Serves 8-10

ENJOY!

A Family Tradition… Read More »

Autumn officially ends on Dec 20th, yet nature is slowly showing us the signs of a new winter

that is soon to come…

The Moon comes early…

The Mums show off the last of their color…

As with the bushes…

The Gardens sit empty…

The Trees no longer shade the yard…

Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have eyes to see them.

John Ruskin

ENJOY your day!

The Final Days of Autumn… Read More »

I came across this bread recipe earlier this year in Country Living Magazine. As I have done so many times before…I tore out the page with the recipe and stacked it on top of all the others I have in my kitchen. I do however go through them on occasion for inspiration. I like to add or take out ingredients to make it my own.

This bread recipe is vary basic and there is not much that can be changed, although the inspiration came when I figured out that this bread can be made with numerous combinations of seasonings. The recipe calls for rosemary, sea salt and a drizzled of extra virgin olive oil. I added extra flavor with Butter Infused Olive Oil and the next time I’m going to split the dough into two loaves and add salt, parmesean cheese and Basil Infused Oil and the other loaf with salt, Sage and extra virgin olive oil. This recipe could be sweetened with Maple Syrup over the top too.

Give it a try and let me know what combination you come up with!

Rustic Herb Bread

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2/3 cup half and half (or whole milk)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1 ounce fresh active yeast
5 cups bread flour (sifted)
Fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
plus extra for the top
Extra Virgin olive oil or Butter Infused olive oil

Sift and measure flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt; set aside

In a small pan over medium heat, heat the milk, water and sugar to just warm (90-95 degrees)
Remove from heat and stir in yeast till dissolved; pour mixute into flour mix and with your hands mix dough till it forms a ball. (If the dough is to dry add more water, if the dough is to sticky add more flour)
On a lightly floured surface knead dough for 4-5 minutes. Place dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel, let dough rise in a warm draft free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

After an hour; flour a clean dry surface and punch down the dough; form into a 10 by 8 inch rectangle about 2 inches thick. (or divide into 2 seperate rectangles) Place loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet; cover with a towel again and let rise in a warm draft free area until it doubles in size. About 1 more hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Press some indentations on the top of the loaf with your fingertips. Place a few sprigs of rosemary
in some of the indentations. Drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack before slicing. Serve with extra oil for dipping!

ENJOY!

Make 8-10 servings

Great Bread Recipe for the Holidays… Read More »

The Patty Pan Squash, also know as Scallop Squash.

The name “pattypan” derives from “a pan for baking a patty.” The French name, pâtisson, comes from a Provençal word for a cake made in a scalloped mould. Pattypan squash is also known

as granny squash, custard marrow, or custard squash.

Pattypan comes in yellow, green, and white varieties.

This fun shape of squash once stuffed with meats and veggies is a meal in a bowl.

Patty Pan Squash with Fresh Spinach

and Sausage Stuffing

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2 medium size Patty Pan Squash

1 lb ground pork

½ cup chopped fresh parsley (Italian Flat Leaf)

1 Tablespoon Farm Girl Seasoning (or any all purpose seasoning)

1 large tomato (chopped)

1 small onion (chopped)

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 cups fresh spinach leaves (packed)

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese (divided)

Bits of the Patty Pan squash chopped (after hollowed out)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Wash the squash and cut out the tops removing the seeds; with a spoon or melon baller scoop out some of the squash to create a bowl. Reserve these pieces; chop and set aside

Place the squash bowls upside down in a large baking dish with ½ cup of water and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes till the squash is heated through and begins to soften.

While the squash is in the oven:

Wash spinach leaves; measure out 2 cups (be sure to pack, they will wilt down) place in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside

In a medium size skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the pork, seasoning, onion and parsley; stir and cook till well blended and sausage is no longer pink; add the squash pieces and tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour the sausage mixture over the spinach leaves; add the bread crumbs and half of the cheese; mix well

Remove squash from the oven and turn right side up in the same baking dish; spoon the stuffing mixture into each squash; return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes; top with the extra cheese and bake for an additional 3-5 till cheese is melted and slightly brown.

Serves 2

ENJOY!

Squash Season… Read More »

Introducing!

Pork Seasoning!

New Seasoning Blend By The Gourmet Farm Girl.

Full of flavor with Coriander, Smoked Paprika, Garlic, Black Pepper, Salt, Brown Sugar, Thyme and Rosemary.

order online through The Gourmet Farm Girl Store (through Etsy) on home page of website/blog

Grilled Pork Chops with Fried Cabbage over Mashed Potatoes

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

4 Thick cut pork chops

2 tablespoons of The Gourmet Farm Girl Pork Seasoning

2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

4 tablespoon butter

3 green onions (chopped)

1/4 cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)

plus 1/2 tablespoon of additional pork seasoning

Preheat grill to 425 degrees

Sprinkle each chop on both sides with seasoning; place on a large plate and drizzle with the oil.

Place oiled side down onto the hot grill and cook for 8-10 minutes on both sides.

In a large sauté pan melt the butter over medium high heat; add the cabbage and onions. Sprinkle the additional half tablespoon pork seasoning over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Fry the cabbage for 8-10 minutes; till slightly charred; pour the wine over the mixture and toss to coat; continue to cook 3-5 minutes till tender.

Remove chops from the grill and tent with foil; let rest for 5-7 minutes

Serve over mashed potatoes and with the fried cabbage on the top

Yields 4 servings

ENJOY!

There’s a New Kid on the (Chopping) Block! Read More »

Mix and match these flavorful infused vinegars for a delicious salad dressing or marinade. Choose from Blueberry, Basil and Lemon vinegar, Pear, Rosemary and Orange vinegar, Apple, Sage and Cinnamon vinegar or The House Blend consisting of Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Celery Seed and Peppercorns.

Visit The Gourmet Farm Girl Store on Etsy

link on right column of blog page

Herbal Infused Vinegar Set Read More »

Thank you everyone for the Birthday wishes…I had a great day with family and friends and a wonderful time for Harvest Day at the Ohio Herb Education Center.

Here are a few pic’s.

The Gourmet Farm Girl Herbal Vinegars and Spice Blends are now available at

the Herb Center in Gahanna.

Enjoy your day!

The Gourmet Farm Girl

Thank you! Read More »

I had mussels for an appetizer recently and they were delish. Mussels are easy to prepare and there are many various ways to season them.

Here is a great weekend appetizer idea for game day or an evening at home.

Drunken Mussels

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2- 2 1/2 pounds Fresh Mussels (beards removed)

4-5 garlic cloves chopped
2-3 hot peppers or chilies
1 red onion chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers (yellow, orange and green)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons butter
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 Tablespoons dried cilantro or 3-4 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
2- 12 oz bottles of beer (Dos Equis, Modelo, Tecate or Corona’s)
1 lemon or lime

In a large stock pot over medium to medium high heat melt the butter and olive oil; add the onions, garlic cloves and peppers; sauté till tender, 4-5 minutes; add the canned tomatoes and cumin; continue to cook for 2-3 minutes; pour the beer into the pot and heat up for 2-3 minutes; add the mussels, give a quick stir and cover. Cook mussels for 8-10 minutes till all are open (discard any that did not open)

Add the cilantro; squeeze some lemon or lime juice over them, stir and serve immediately in a large bowl with some of the broth and toasted or crusty bread for dipping.

Serves 3-4

Mussels & Beer…Yum! Read More »

Finally…no rain today!