Getting to know the farm is really wonderful.  Each time we go, we experience the seasons in a new way.  While dandelions are generally considered delightful in my family, the farm in full fledged May dandelion glory is really something else.

Rebecca started picking them as soon as she was out of the car and I started thinking about what we could make with such an abundant supply of foraged food.

A quick internet search lead me to dandelion wine and off we went.  We had an easy project that would fulfil my foraging and homebrewing-while-pregnant urges for the season. I think we’ll save Sarah’s dandelion jelly for next year.

We picked a gazillion dandelion heads right before leaving and  then we took them back to the city to complete the job.  While Becca was at nursery school the next morning, I quickly separated the petals from the bitter green bits with the kitchen scissors.  It took about an hour and stained my fingers.  Next I poured boiling water over them in the crock and then covered it up and walked away for 3 days.

After adding lemons, oranges and honey to the mix, a steady 30 minute boil finished it off. A quick strain in to the carboy, some yeast, and an airlock and that’s it.  For real measurements and quantities see the MotherEarthNews Article, I just followed their instructions since their cider information was so helpful. Unfortunately we got carried away and forgot to take a specific gravity reading so we may very well be making some sort of mead-like moonshine. We’ll let you know this winter.

Lunch is actually my favourite meal, salads, soups, baked beans and especially a good sandwich.  We often just serve sandwiches when we have guests, offering up a spread of cheeses, heirloom tomatoes, pesto and what ever else is in season and it’s always a hit.  Summertime lunch can often extend well into dinner.

Lately I’ve been serving what what we refer to as a stacked grilled cheese.  Great bread, perfect ingredients, stuffed into a cast iron grilled cheese. They’re so good, I think this one has to be a contender for Canada’s Best Sandwich.

Using a loaf of Ace Bakery’s Rosemary Focaccia as the base, I stack

Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil (cut with a pair of scissors)

Roasted Red Peppers (in strips)

Extra Old Cheddar (the sharper, the better)

Fresh Basil Leaves (washed and ripped)

Fiddleheads (steamed)

Butter the outside of your assembled sandwich

Grill in an evenly heated cast iron pan.  After you’ve flipped your grilled cheese, use a second cast iron pan to flatten your sandwich while the second side is cooking.  Like a cast iron panini press.

This Italian tasting sandwich can be made with all local and seasonal ingredients here in Ontario and goes well with a fresh salad or simple a side serving of more fiddleheads.  You have to enjoy them while they last.

This is my first time using our new cutting boards from Timber Green Woods. They are simply gorgeous, pieced together with different sustainable woods and I’ve been enjoying them so much it’s hard to remember to take their picture.

I am really not a morning person.  I am grumpy, sleepy and move very slowly while trying to let various animals out and get breakfast into Rebecca who insists on being fed before I get coffee.  I find it all especially hard when it is still dark out. That’s where muffins come in. You can make them on Sunday afternoon and have at least a few mornings of breakfast started. Makes these cold dark mornings just a little bit more manageable.

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 cup sunflower oil (or another light cooking oil like grapeseed or canola)

1 small zucchini grated

2 large carrot grated

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350. Line or grease 24 muffin cups.

Whisk eggs, sugar and honey together.

Add the oil, then vanilla, and then the grated zucchini and carrots along with the raisins.

Combine your dry ingredients in another bowl.

Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and oats together.

Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together slowly.

Divide the mixture evenly into your greased or lined muffin tins.

Bake 18-20 minutes at 350.

Remove from tins and cool on wire racks.

These are so good.  Sometimes I throw half a cup of finely chopped walnuts for extra goodness. Enjoy!

Have had a few questions about the napkins.  Ryan put these awesome apple napkins in my stocking this christmas, they’re from JAQSstudio on etsy.

This seasonal combination of raw kale, beet, carrot and some pomegranate seeds is a great start to the new year and antidote to the excess of the holiday season.

After 3 turkey dinners and a truly obscene amount of baking and chocolate I need some green leafy vegetables in my life stat.

For the Salad

2 carrots

3 beets

a bunch of kale

half a pomegranate’s seeds

2 avocados

Grate your raw carrots and beets.  I cut off the ends and use the food processor but you could grate them by hand.

Tear kale into bit sized pieces. Now for the fun part; massaging your kale with avocado. This is what makes this salad so delicious.  With clean hands take two avocados and much them into the torn up kale covering each piece.

Combine the avocado massaged kale with the beets, carrots and pomegranate seeds. Toss as evenly as possible.

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 scant teaspoon of salt

Pour on your dressing and toss again.  Delicious and a nice break from the gravy train.