Recipes
Homemade Granola with Fresh Peaches and Cream
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
3 cup rolled oats (regular)
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped pecans (walnuts work well also)
½ cup flax seed
½ cup raisins
¼ cup + 2 T brown sugar
¼ cup honey + 2 Tablespoons
¼ cup melted unsalted butter
¾ t salt

Pre-heat oven to 225 conventional oven or 200 on a convection oven

In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts, flax seed and raisins; set aside
In a smaller bowl whisk the melted butter with the honey, brown sugar and salt till blended and smooth; pour into dry mixture and gently stir with a large spoon till coated
Spread the granola on two baking sheets with edges and lined with parchment paper; bake for 15 minutes at a time; stir and repeat for 1 hour 15 minutes; cool and store in an airtight container; granola will keep for up to  two weeks.
Note: Substitute milk for the cream for a healthier version.

Enjoy your Breakfast!

It’s Peach Season… Read More »


 Garden Fresh Slaw
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

1 medium size head of green cabbage (chopped or shredded)
1 stalk celery (chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
1 small white onion (chopped0
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s) or your favorite
1 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip Light) or your favorite
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3-4 tablespoon pure horseradish (drained) more if desired
If cabbage is picked from the garden; soak cabbage in a large bowl of salt water for 20-30 minutes to remove any bugs.
Remove outer leaves and cut into wedges; cut out and remove the stem; chop into bite size pieces
Place chopped cabbage into a large glass bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt; toss and set aside for 1-1 1/2 hours to draw out excess water.
Mix the mayo, salad dressing, mustard, horseradish, pepper and honey together in a small mixing bowl; set aside
Chop celery, carrot and onion; set aside
Pour salted cabbage into a large colander and drain, rinse with cold water to remove salt; drain well by gently pushing on cabbage to remove water. (or drain on paper towels)
Add the chopped vegetables and stir in dressing mixture; refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Great dish to make ahead!
Note: The horseradish gives this dish a unique flavor, don’t be afraid to add more. 
Serve with fresh sliced tomatoes.
  
Serves 6-8
ENJOY!


From the Garden… Read More »


French Toast over Crème Fraiche
with Fruit Sauce
By The Gourmet Farm Girl 

1/2  pound Frozen Blend of Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
¼ cup sugar
8-10 day old Sister Schubert’s Baked Dinner Rolls (or your favorite)
8 ounces Crème Fraiche
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon ginger or cinnamon

Use slightly stale baked dinner rolls cut into thirds

Warm frozen berries with ¼ cup sugar till heated through and sugar is dissolved; reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Whip together the crème fraiche and powdered sugar; set aside

Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasoning; dip 3 pieces of the dried rolls into eggs wash and grill on a hot griddle for 1-2 minutes on each side till golden brown.

Spoon 5-6 tablespoons of the crème fraiche onto plate and top with French toast slices; spoon 1/4 cup  of the warm fruit sauce over toast, garnish with fresh mint and serve.

Serves 4-5

ENJOY! 
Thought for today…Growing older can be a wonderful adventure as long as you remember that the important thing is growing.

Sunday Brunch Read More »
Blackened Salmon with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 pounds Wild Caught Salmon fillet (or your favorite)
2-3 tablespoons Blackening Seasoning
2 cups assorted fresh cherry tomatoes (sliced if desired)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Pre-heat grill to 400 degrees
Rinse fish fillet under cold water and pat dry; brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning.
Lay fillet on a large sheet of aluminum foil brushed with olive oil skin side down. Top with another sheet of foil and fold edges together to form a pouch
Lay foil pouch onto hot grill skin side up; grill for 12 minutes then flip the foil pouch to skin side down and continue to cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.
Note: Once flipped, remove top piece of foil after 8 minutes and check for doneness as each grill is slightly different. Fish is done when flaky and starts to pull apart.
When fish is done remove and tent with foil; let rest; before serving transfer fillet to a serving platter skin side down.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a medium size skillet; add the tomatoes; salt and pepper to taste; cook over medium high heat till the skins on the tomatoes start to soften and split; 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and pour over the salmon fillet, garnish with fresh chopped basil; serve immediatley.
ENJOY!

What to do with all those cherry tomatoes…? Read More »

The garden is producing Zucchini…here is a simple delicious recipe for zucchini bread. This bread is full of moisture and good for you rolled oats. The fresh blueberries add additional flavor and texture. Other fresh fruit works well too; strawberries, chopped apples, blackberries or bananas.

Zucchini Nut Bread with Oats and Blueberries
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup applesauce
2 cups shredded zucchini (unpeeled)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray with cooking oil a glass loaf pan; set aside

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, rolled oats and cinnamon; set aside  
In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed till foamy (about 2 minutes)
Add the sugar, applesauce, butter and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix on low speed till just blended. With a large wooden spoon gently stir in the zucchini, blueberries and nuts.

Sprinkle top of loaf with 1 teaspoon sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or till a wooden pick comes out clean; cool in pan on a rack for 10-12 minutes; remove from pan; cool or serve warm

Makes one loaf

Note: bread will break when served warm   

ENJOY!

Zucchini Time… Read More »



 This dish was a regular item at the dinner table during the spring and early summer on the farm. We always had an abundance of lettuce from the garden. I have not changed this recipe much at all…my mom had it perfected. It is also a great way to use leftover boiled potatoes or bacon from breakfast.








Wilted Lettuce
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

14-16 ounces of fresh garden lettuce
2-3 strips smoked or peppered bacon cut into bit size pieces)
2-3 green onions chopped (red and green both work well)
1 oz sugar (2 Tablespoons)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 medium boiled potato with skin on cut into pieces

Wash and trim lettuce; place in a large bowl and top with green onions and chopped potatoes, set aside.
 Mix sugar and vinegar together in small bowl, set aside.
 In a medium size skillet over low to medium heat cook bacon pieces till crisp; pour bacon and grease over lettuce; return pan to medium to medium high heat and deglaze pan with the sugar vinegar mix till all the bacon pieces come loose and mix with liquid; pour over lettuce and toss gently till the lettuce is coated and starts to wilt. (lettuce will continue to wilt) serve immediately 
Serves 4-6
Enjoy!

Garden Lettuce… Read More »
Breakfast in a Shell
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
1 package Azteca (bakeable) salad shells
10 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2  cups shredded  mild cheddar cheese (plus additional for topping)
1 pound package frozen hash browns
2-3 tablespoons butter
6 slices smoked bacon
Bake shells according to package directions; set aside
Cut bacon into bite size pieces; cook over medium heat till crisp; drain on a paper towel
While bacon is frying; cook hash browns according to package directions; keep warm
In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with a whisk or large fork; stir in cheese salt and pepper. Pour eggs and cheese mixture into a large non-stick skillet sprayed with vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon melted butter
Note: eggs cook best in two separate batches  
Cook eggs slowly over medium to low heat till done; remover from heat
Layer the potatoes then eggs, extra cheese and bacon pieces into the baked shell; serve immediately 
Makes four servings
Alterations: add chopped green onions or chives, sour cream or sausage gravy instead of bacon  


Unique Breakfast Idea… Read More »

Dates are thought of more often during the holidays…however while in Palm Springs we visited a local art fare and farmers market. I bought some Medjool dates from a vendor who produces dates in Coachella.
California is known for the production of Palm Dates; here are a few things about dates I have discovered.

Dates are a type of fruit, specifically a drupe, grown on date palm trees. The cultivation of dates as food began in the Middle East approximately 6,000 years ago, though records show the fruit was enjoyed about 8,000 years ago.

Despite their sweetness, medjool dates only contain about 66 calories each. Dates are a good source of fiber and contain high levels of potassium, magnesium, copper and manganese. They do have a significant amount of fruit sugar, but this can make them a perfect alternative to other forms of dessert.
I have stuffed dates as an appetizer for the holiday season, this time I decided to stuff them for a delectable little Spring time treat…the saltiness from the cheese and the nutty macadamia pairs well with the sweetness of the Medjool.    
Medjool Dates with Feta and Toasted Macadamias
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
1/2 pound Medjool Dates (10-12 dates)
4-5 ounces Feta cheese crumbles
2-3 tablespoons macadamia nuts (chopped)
 
With a small sharp knife cut open the date and remove the pit. Stuff each date with as much feta it will hold. Top with a few pieces of macadamia nuts and place on a cookie sheet; bake for 3-4 minutes till just warm and nuts are slightly toasted. Serve immediately
ENJOY!
Serves 4-5  

Spring Time Treat… Read More »

I had this appetizer as a meal while in Palm Springs. I really like the combination of the cucumber and seafood with Tajin Seasoning. Tajin can be found at Mexican Food Stores or in the Ethnic section of your local market.

 This appetizer will definitely be a hit, especially when the garden cucumbers come on. Here is my version of  this refreshing dish… 





Seasoned Cucumbers with Crab and Shrimp
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 King Crab legs (cooked)
4 Jumbo shrimp (cooked)
1 large fresh cucumber
1 lemon or lime
1 avocado  
1 teaspoon Tajin seasoning (or to taste)
(Tajin fruit seasoning is a blend of chile peppers, lime and salt)

Pull crab meat from legs and peel shrimp; set aside
Wash and peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise; remove the seeds by scooping out with a spoon. Cut cucumber across to create 4-5 hollowed out sections. 

Cut shrimp into bit size pieces and pull crab apart into bit size pieces. Top each cucumber section with the seafood; sprinkle with Tajin seasoning. 
Cut lemon into wedges; slice the avacado and arrange everything on a serving plate.
Squezze the lemon juice over the cucumbers and top with a slice of avacado before eating.
ENJOY!

Makes 2 appetizers

A Great Summer Appetizer… Read More »

When traveling we always try to visit local eateries to get a real feel for the area and its people. While in Palm Springs we ate lunch at a local Mexican restaurant owned and operated by a local family.
The smells were rich and strong and the food looked delicious. We ordered the Menudo (which I had never tried before and looking around everyone was eating) when the cook herself brought us our soup; I added the recommended spices and garnishments. I knew by the first bite this was a very unique dish.

Menudo is a traditional Mexican dish made with tripe and pigs feet. Being the farm girl that I am I was familiar with these so called delicacies…however, for my taste I knew I had to somehow capture this rich and spicy flavor without the delicacies. Below is my faux Menudo recipe, and I must admit it turned out great! 
Keep in mind this dish takes some time, so if you are in the mood to cook and spend some time in your kitchen this is a perfect recipe.

Faux Menudo
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 pounds smoked Pork Hocks
2 cups chopped smoked ham
1 pound traditional Bratwursts (see note below)
1 15.5 oz can white Hominy plus the liquid
1 large onion chopped
5-6 tomatillos diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 cup red chili powder
1 tablespoon Mendo seasoning (found at Mexican grocery)
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (found at Mexican grocery) there is a difference
1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
Bouquet garni as follows:6 garlic cloves (bruised but not peeled)

1 tablespoon peppercorns

2 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
Wrap in cheesecloth and tie in a bundle with kitchen string     
Garnishes:
Lemon wedges
Dried pequin chilies
Mexican oregano
Chopped green onions
chopped fresh cilantro

In a large stock pot over high heat add 3 quarts of water, salt, bouquet garni and pork hocks; cover and bring to a boil; lower heat and cook hocks till tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove hocks (let cool) discard the bouquet garni.
Over low heat; add to the broth the onions, tomatillos, chili powder, cilantro, Menudo seasoning, oregano and pepper flakes; simmer for 20- 30 minutes.
Meanwhile pull any meat form the pork hocks and add to the broth. Cut bratwurst and smoked ham into bite size pieces; add to the broth. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Add the hominy and the liquid; continue to simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes.
  
Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired
Serve with toasted bolillos (Mexican bread made of corn flour) or tortillas.
Makes 8-10 servings
Note: Bratwurst are made of veal, pork and beef. They work well with this recipe because Menudo can also contain beef.   
ENJOY!

Menudo… Read More »