Recipes

 Swiss Chard with Ham and Beans

By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 stalks celery plus some light green leaves (chopped)
3 green onions (chopped)
3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium size bunch of Rainbow Swiss Chard
(chop stems and leaves)
1 15 .5 oz. can Cannellini beans
2 cups cooked smoked ham (chopped)
In a large stock pot heat the oil and saute the celery, green onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes till fragrant. Add the chicken broth, seasonings and stems of the Swiss Chard; cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes with lid tilted.
Add the Swiss Chard leaves, beans and ham; reduce heat to simmer; tilt the lid and cook for an additional 25-30 minutes; stir occasionally.
Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Grated Parmesan cheese works well as a garnish.
ENJOY!

Spring Time Soup… Read More »

               

If you like Porter Beer, you will like this burger.
Potato Buns work well with this recipe in place of the Pretzel Buns.
Porter Cheese Turkey Burgers
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
1 pound ground turkey
5-6 cloves roasted garlic (smashed)
1 package Pretzel Buns
4-5 tablespoons soft butter
lettuce
tomatoes
1 cup Porter Cheese chopped into small chunks
In  a medium size bowl mix the ground turkey and the smashed garlic together; form into four patties.
Grill at 425 degrees until cooked through; 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and top each burger with the chopped porter cheese. Cover with an inverted plate and let rest for 3-4 minutes to allow cheese to soften and melt.
Cut the Pretzel Buns in half and butter each side. Place under broiler till just golden.
Assemble your bugers with the lettcue and tomatoes or garnish as you like.
Have the beer cold and serve um up!  
  Enjoy Your St. Patrick’s Day!


Happy St. Patrick’s Day… Read More »
I came across the old cake recipe while searching for something else. I just had to take a moment and look at it. It was carefully typed out by my mother in order to keep it readable, since the original recipe had been used so many times by my grandmother that you could scarcely read it. Even this one had smudges of cake batter and frosting fingerprints. I didn’t make the cake but I thought I would share the recipe with you. As you read through it, you will notice a few unusual techniques that were used many years ago. I estimate this recipe to be at least 100 years old. Give it a try… and let me know how it turns out!


Old Time Fudge Cake
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2/3 cup soft butter
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (melted)
2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
1 ¼ t soda
½ t salt

1 ¼ cups ice water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla till fluffy; beat for 5 minutes at high speed scraping bowl occasionally

Sift together flour, soda and salt: add to the creamed mixture alternately with ice water; make sure to beat well after each addition

Bake in 2 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or till a tooth pick come out clean. Cool cakes on a wire rack

Chocolate Fortune Frosting

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
3 T (hot) water
1 egg
1/3 cup soft butter
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups walnut halves (optional) 
Melt chocolate in a medium size mixing bowl over hot water or in the microwave a few seconds at a time till just melted.
(Grandma didn’t have a microwave)
Mix in sugar and water; beat in the egg then the butter and vanilla
Frosting will be thin at this point so place bowl on top of a bowl of ice water; continue beating until spreading consistency. Frost cake and trim sides with walnut halves
ENJOY!

Chocolate Cake Memories… Read More »

I have eaten frog legs, all kinds of fish and seafood and yes…Alligator. If you have tried it you will know how tasty it is. Some restaurants serve fried Gator Bites, which are great,  but when I found Alligator meat unbreaded and ready to cook with; I just had to get some.
I found some recipes for Alligator Stew, but I wanted to do something different. So I made Alligator Chowder. It’s a lot like Clam Chowder but the tender pieces of gator meat are mild and add a unique flavor. Some people say it tastes like chicken…I disagree.
Alligator Chowder
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 pounds Alligator meat
(cut into small chunks)
4 thick slices of smoked bacon
1 Tablespoon butter
2 large potatoes
2 stalks celery with leaves
2 carrots
1 small onion
2 quarts chicken stock
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 15.25 ounce can corn (or three ears)
1 cup half and half
4 Tablespoons corn starch
Cold water
Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Cut bacon into pieces and brown in a large stock pot over medium heat; remove cooked bacon and drain on a paper towel; set aside. Remove all but 2-3 tablespoon of the bacon fat; add the butter and melt; add the chopped celery, carrots and onions.. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. 
Add the broth, all seasonings and the Alligator meat. Reduce heat to a simmer; tilt the lid and allow to cook for 45-50 minutes till the meat is tender; stir occasionally. Stir in the half-n-half and corn and cook for 2-3 minutes till all is hot. Mix the cornstarch with enough cold water to make 1/4 cup; pour into the soup and stir till thick.    
Makes 8 servings
ENJOY!


Gator Chow… Read More »

I had a Scotch Egg as an appetizer this past week while dinning out. I enjoyed this English Pub food and decided to make them at home for a Sunday brunch idea …Farm Girl Style. 
Wikipedia says this about the Scotch Egg:
A Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg (with its shell removed) wrapped in a sausage meat mixture, coated in breadcrumbs or rolled oats, and deep-fried. Scotch eggs are commonly eaten cold, typically with salad.

The earliest printed recipe is the 1809 edition of Mrs. Rundell’s A New System of Domestic Cookery. Mrs. Rundell  and later 19th-century authors – served them hot, with gravy.

Here is my recipe…instead of wrapping in sausage before breading, I mixed chopped bacon and Canadian bacon and pressed it together with the crumbs to give it a lighter flare. 
Scotch Eggs with Creamy Mustard Sauce 
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
4 eggs + one for breading
3 slices of bacon cooked
6 slices of Canadian Bacon
1 cup bread crumbs (1/2 regular and 1/2 Panko)
1/2 cup flour

For the sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried celery seeds
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil
In a medium size sauce pan bring the eggs to a boil for 10 minutes; remove and place in a bowl of ice water.
Beat the extra egg and set aside

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, celery seed, sugar, salt and pepper; set aside   

Cook the bacon just slightly; do not crisp, you want it to have some soft fat. Chop the bacon and Canadian bacon together in a food processor.
Remove shells from eggs and roll in flour; then in the beaten egg; press the meat mixture around the egg and press into the crumbs 
Gently lower the egg into the oil with a slotted spoon; fry at 350 degrees for 30-40 seconds or till just crisp
Serve with the creamy mustard sauce
ENJOY!

Unique Breakfast Idea… Read More »
Roasted Cashews and Asiago Chicken Spread
 with Fresh Herbs
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 medium size boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves roasted garlic
1/3 cup roasted cashew halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 small red pepper
1/3 cup real mayonnaise
3 green onions
1/3 cup Asiago cheese (shredded)
5-6 large basil leaves
1/4 cups cilantro leaves
pinch of salt and pepper
Assorted crackers or toasted baguette slices
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and poach chicken for 7-10 minutes till cooked through; remove and drain. Allow chicken to cool then tear into a few large chunks.
While chicken is cooling; melt the butter in a small saute pan; roast the garlic and cashews over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes till just warm and slightly browned. (Be careful not to burn)
Place all the ingredients into the large bowl of a food processor and pulse till just blended.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Serve with toasted baguettes, pita chips or your favorite cracker.
Serves 15-20
ENJOY! 

Need a New Appetizer Idea… Read More »
Springerlets
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
If you come from German decent; you most likely know about Springerlets.
This recipe has been in my family for at least 100 years or more. The unique flavor profile in this cookie is Anise oil. If you like black licorice, you will like this cookie.  It does require a Springerle rolling pin that looks like this. (They are available on the Internet)
4 cups flour sifted
1 pound bag powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon anise oil
In a large mixing bowl measure out all dry ingredients and sift together.
Beat the eggs in a separate large mixing bowl for 15 minutes; add the anise oil then slowly add the dry mixture and blend.
Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and chill for 2 hours
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Roll out dough with a regular rolling pin to about 3/4 -1 inch thick; finish rolling with the springerle rolling pin to get the designs on top. Cut edges with a knife (or I used a jagged cheese cutter)
Place cutouts on a greased cookie sheet and let stand for 2-3 hours or until a light crust forms on top.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or till lightly brown on the bottom.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Note: These cookies dry out quickly; to keep them moist, place a slice of fresh bread in an airtight container with the cookies. Replace as needed.
If you like them dry; they go very well with a hot cup of rich black coffee.
ENJOY!

Springerlets Read More »

Let the baking begin…or should I say the non-baking. This recipe has a different twist to the non-bake cookie or cereal bar cookie.  I made some with chocolate and some without. On the ones with out the chocolate chips, I drizzled  extra honey over the top.
Non- Bake Granola Cookies with Honey, Chocolate
 and Peanut Butter
By The Gourmet Farm Girl 
6 cups Great Grains Cereal with Pecans
1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or with nuts)
1 cup pure honey
1 cup dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate (optional)
Spray with cooking oil a 9×12 glass baking dish
In a large skillet warm the honey and peanut butter over low heat; stirring gently till incorporated.  
Remove from heat and stir in the cereal till coated; add the chocolate chips and stir gently till mixed. 
Pour into the baking dish and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting.
Yields 12-15 bars depending on how big (or little) you cut them.
ENJOY!
Note: Rice Krispies works well with this recipe also

No Bake Cookies Have a New Flavor… Read More »

 

Turkey a la King

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2 cups leftover turkey cut into pieces
2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms
½ small white onion chopped
1 cup frozen peas
3 Tablespoons chopped pimentos or chopped red bell pepper
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 Tablespoons cold water
½ cup milk or half and half
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley

In a deep skillet melt the oil and butter; add the onions and mushrooms cook for 5-7 minutes till tender. Stir in the chicken broth, wine and bay leaf; simmer for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
Mix the cornstarch into the cold milk or half and half and set aside.
Stir in peas, pimentos or peppers, add cayenne and paprika;  simmer for 1-2 minutes till heated through; gently stir in the milk mixture to thicken; salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped parsley

Serve over baked biscuits, noodles or mashed potatoes.

Serves 4-6

Have Leftover Turkey? Read More »
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 »