Friday, December 08, 2006

Holiday Cooking Continued...




Happy Holidays to you all! It is cold in our part of Tennessee, but the kitchen is warm and starting to smell an awful lot like Christmas!

Sooooo to share:

(CHRISTMAS SALAD for the Green Lovers.)

Whatever winter greens you have...my choices, Turnip greens, mustard, kale, loose leaf lettuce's, radish tops and beet tops.
Wash and spin dry, set aside for about 10 min to dry really well.
Add sliced raw turnips, radish, beets and about a cup of sliced, well drained peaches.
Toss and serve with salted sunflower seeds sprinkled over the top.

Needs no dressing, but if you insist mix a small amount of Honey Mustard with a small amount of the peach syrup and spoon on individual plates.
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(COFFEE NOEL)

8 raw sugar cubes or 1/4 tsp stevia powder
4 whole cloves
peel of one orange/white membrane removed
peel of one lemon/```````````````````````
2 cups brandy
4 cups hot brewed coffee

In a chafing dish combine sugar, cloves, orange and lemon peel, and brandy.
Heat til very warm. Spoon some of the brandy into a ladel and set aflame. Lower the ladel into the dish.
Slowly pour in the coffee. Stir gently and serve.

Makes 8 cups. Recipe is easily doubled.
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(MARMALADE POUND CAKE)

This is an old British recipe in the finest of traditions.

1 pound unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
8 eggs, seperated, whites beaten stiffly
1/2 cup thin shredded orange marmalade
1 tbsp brandy
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups cake flour

Pre-heat oven to 300*

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
One at a time beat in egg yolks until well blended.
Beat in marmalade, brandy, and salt.
Gradually add and beat in flour.
Fold in egg whites.
Pour batter into 3 buttered and floured 8-inch loaf pans and bake until golden and springy to the touch. (About 1 hour and 15 minutes.)

Makes 3 cakes

Can be served plain or with your favorite topping.
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(CHRISTMAS TEA EGGS)

These are lovely on a Christmas Brunch table:

10/12 fresh eggs
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine
1 star anise
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 slices fresh ginger, smashed with the flat side of a cleaver
3 tbsp black tea leaves

Cover eggs in cold water and boil for 10 minutes.
Drain, lightly cool eggs under cold running water.

Lightly crack the eggs but do not peel. Set aside.

Put remaining ingredients into a large pan, filled with 4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add eggs and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Turn off heat and let eggs sit in the mixture until cool enough to handle.
Peel and cut into wedges or put into a pretty bowl and serve whole along with the rest of your food fare.
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(SAGE HILL FARMS CHRISTMAS BRUNCH)

Serves 4/6 and easily doubled.

one dozen fresh eggs, beaten with a generous amount of our own Cajun seasoning.
(very softly scrambled and set aside.)

one large loaf fresh French bread-cut in half, length ways-scoop about half the soft bread out of the loaf and set aside.

one sweet onion, chopped very fine
one cup mushrooms, chopped very fine
one large tomato, chopped very fine

Saute the onion, mushroom, and tomato until just soft, season with a sprinkling of our cajun seasoning.

Drizzle the bread loaf with olive oil and sprinkle with our cajun seasoning.
fill loaf with the scrambled eggs, and layer with the vegetable mix.

Chop the remaining soft bread, drizzle with olive oil and a few pats of real butter.

Wrap in baking foil and place in a pre-heated 400* oven for 10 minutes or until good and hot, fold the foil back and put oven on broil until light and golden on the top.

Remove and cut into desired sizes, cross-ways.

Serve with golden fried potatoes and buttered grits.

Hot tea, coffee, tomato juice and your juice choice.
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Happy Holidays!
Bea Kunz/Sage Hill Farms

Friday, December 01, 2006

Herbal Punch

A delightful non-alcoholic party punch for the holidays.

Serves 30+

2 cups honey
16 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons rosemary
8 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
8 cups sparkling mineral water
3 or 4 scented geranium leaves

Combine the honey, 4 cups water, 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and the rosemary in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the honey is dissolved.
Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Strain into a large punch bowl.

Press the strawberries through a sieve into the punch bowl, add the rest of the water and lemon juice, lime juice and sparkling water. Stir gently.

Add ice cubes 5 minutes before serving.

Float extra rosemary leaves and the geranium leaves on top if desired.

Enjoy!

Bea Kunz

http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

December at Sage Hill Farms




December is truely the month I love most on the farm. Most everything is sleeping and life slows down to a pace that can really be enjoyed. I still have that bit of child-like magic expectation that comes with cold and snowy days, warm kitchens and bright lit christmas trees. So please join me in seeking out the magical moments of this time of year and share them with someone you love.

Here in middle Tennessee, we bounce back and forth from cold to warm to rain to threats of snow and then we awake one morning and realize the cold has landed for the season. That is when you want to be sure everything is well protected and then just let it all be until spring.

We have winter greens growing in the garden, turnips, spinach, mustard, loose leaf lettuces and kale. Doesn't really matter how cold it gets they will be just fine and makes for a nourishing meal at the end of a cold work day.

We had our own pumpkin supply this year for Thanksgiving, and I have to say, they were beautiful and very tasty. From the small Baby Whites to the very large bright orange (i don't know what it is)pumpkin, they were all interesting to grow. Our first time to try that crop and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.
I learned some things and will be better prepared for the next try.

Things in your herb garden that will produce all winter...your rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano should be happy as long as you aren't too far north, I'm not real sure how the herb gardens survive the very harsh winters. Maybe someone will share their experience with me on that.

Sage Hill Farms has signed a fairly large contract with "Kids Culinary Adventure" in CA., for the upcoming spring, and as a result we will be growing herbs in greenhouses all year. This is a big step for us and I'm very excited and a little scared.
Growth is frightening sometimes, when it takes you out of your comfort zone...but then I suppose if you never leave your comfort zone you really don't grow.

I'm wishing you all a very "Happy Holiday" season.

For your herb needs, please visit us at: http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

As always we are just a phone call or email away.

Blessings,
Bea Kunz
Sage Hill Farms