What are we eating now?

With winter finally making an exit and the garden still just a dream away,we are left with butternut squash to remind us of good from the garden flavors.

This became a favorite several years ago when a do-ahead recipe was needed for Thanksgiving. Now I know that holiday is long past but, in my opinion there is no better time to be thankful than the end of winter. My family is healthy with a roof over their head and all are employed in what is a difficult time for many. We are grateful.

First cut up a butternut squash in chunks big enough to handle. Do not peel but clean out seeds.Put about an inch of water in a pot add squash and bring to a boil.Lower heat and allow to cook till fork tender. Could take about 45 mins. Cool in strainer till you can handle it.

In a smaller bowl mix :

1 cup mayo

1egg

1/2 finely diced onion

tablespoon of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Give this a good mix till thoroughly blended. I just use a fork.

When you can handle the butternut,remove the flesh from the peel. This is a lot easier than peeling the squash. Now I place it in a large bowl and mash it with a potato masher or whatever you have handy. Stir in sauce and mix well.

Sprinkle with butter and parmesan cheese and bake in oven till golden. 375 degrees 20-30 minutes. Depending on whether or not you preheat. I could eat the whole thing. It really is that good...........................said the hobbit

What direction to take?

So much going on lately that I haven't had time to do justice to my blog. But, family comes first. I have 4 children and 3 of them are in the process of major moves. It's amazing how much work is involved in a move. We should be pros by the third one. So, enough excuses .......her's what's going on in my craft world.


With the encouragement of friends I agreed to set up a small booth at the Tuttlefest It wasn't nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be. I need to work on my display set-up. As you can see it's a little helter skelter.

Of course if you're lucky enough to have talented friends who are willing to put their craft on your table like my friend Amy. Her little creatures are magical and would put a smile on anyones face.

Ane then we have Cynthia a member of my knitting group whose talents in wood turning have to be seen in the flesh to truly be appreciated.Here are her pin cushions.

And these unscrew to hold your stash of sewing needles when your traveling. So many other useful items for the quilter and sewing enthusiast. Check her stuff here. I was in great company for the fair. It was a fun day,I sold some of my knitting and now thanks to my people I just might do it again. Have to work on building up that stock. Be back soon...................said the hobbit

girls night out

So much going on lately. Thank goodness we have the stability of our knitting group. I know that's not a girl but,AAron has been with us since we started. He worked the fields at the farm and just started hanging with us determined to learn to knit.

That is the same scarf he started years ago ,but, as you can see the ball of yarn is getting smaller so he should be ready for his second project soon. He always manages to bring us a new knitter. This is Kerri and we hope to see more of her.

Cindi has found a project that she is having a great time with. She made these little hearts for us to wear as pins for February. (I told you I was behind.) I thought they were adorable and I've already found a project to work them into. Yes I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget.

I've been knitting my fingerless gloves trying to build up a stock as I'm going to have a craft booth at the Tuttle farm this weekend. I promise to take pictures.................said the hobbit

New beginnings

I know I've been missing in action lately.So much has been going on around here. I always try to give change a little time to settle in before I go public with the trauma of my everyday life.

It is with much sadness that I left my beloved Tuttles Red Barn The farm is being sold and the shop has been unable to keep up with stocking of the products that so many customers have come to expect. Everyday had become a little harder to go in and see it limping along. Its future is totally out of my hands and I came to the decision to concentrate on my "little pond". That being said I am off on a new chapter of my life. Of course change is always difficult ,but,I feel up to the task.

The road ahead may not always be clear but I'm aiming toward a brighter more peaceful setting.

I work best when my surroundings are a little calmer.I have many avenues that I can pursue but at my age I have learnt not to rush into things. Hubby is getting a knee replacement in December so I need to be here for him at that time. That should give me ample time to mull over whatever comes along.

In the meantime I have the loving support of my family,who seem convinced that I can handle anything. You can't beat that!! So off we go on a new adventure. We'll see what life has in store for me this time...........................said the hobbit

On the farm

Things on the farm are in full swing and all my dirt divas are working 24-7. Of course this means I'm starting to get a little backed up on posting. Produce from the garden include our own radishes that look like strawberries. I know, only a country bumpkin get excited about radishes right?

And then there were peas, more peas than we have seen in a long time. Every year people are lined up at the door, before we even open, just waiting to get the fresh picked peas.Fear mounts as the line grows and we usually know someone "aint gonna get them peas",but, this year was different. I actually saw 12 bushels of peas come in the barn at one time. Leftover peas were shucked and frozen for the cooks to use.That would be me. Excitement !!

Here is one of my favorites, the beet. Although I love my little camera it doesn't always capture certain colors like I want it to. The greens in these photos looks a little drab compared to the real thing. Those beet greens are most edible.

Now for the curse of summer farming.

We have to mash our trash and have it carted away in this city. Yes we are actually in a city.We are between a bay and the downtown area and because we have been there since 1632 we are where we are. The city has grown to the west of us and we have to abide by their rules of sanitation.So this is Amie, one of our managers, doing the nasty task of moving the trash along in the compacter.

She has this long pole to help things along when something gets stuck. Amie is new to the barn this year and what a find she has been.Creative innovative and a true artist. Check out what she does in her free time by clicking here. You already know how I feel about Pysanky eggs, well hers are pretty darn special. Amie is a great addition at the barn. I love her best because she is shorter than I am. See, she's standing on a chair to see inside the dumpster..........said the hobbit.

And we're jamming

Now, this is heaven. Row upon row of beautiful strawberries just waiting to come home with us.

This is Sarah just having a grand old time.

We couldn't have ordered a more beautiful day to be outside. This was about 7:30 am. I'd say you have to be pretty happy to smile like that at the crack of dawn. For my local people, the picking was done at Butternut Farm.When we got there,they also had cherries and raspberries. It was very tempting to pick them also,however, one can only do so much preserving in a day.Hopefully I can get back before the season is over.
We

We picked 24 POUNDS of berries.Notice the empty containers. No, they didn't run out of berries. We just came to our senses in time to realize we had enough to keep us busy all day.

We made 3 different jams. Plain strawberry,strawberry rhubarb and strawberry balsamic. We froze 3 trays and we gave drying a try. Oh, we also kept some fresh to eat and made a great dessert called Strawberry creme brulee.I'll tell you all about it next time. Next on the list are peas and raspberries. I can hardly wait..........................said the hobbit

How's the pantry doing?

So ,are you itching to get out in that garden?

This is what's left of my canning. As you can see I still have some jars that are unused but,don't forget there's still a lot of work to do before we get to the point of refilling those shelves.Here in New England we get all excited about gardening the minute the temp goes above 40 degrees.This year that happened a little early however it wasn't long before Mother Nature brought us back to reality with a hard frost.

Some flowers like the cold .This one in particular was made just for hobbits,it's so close to the ground that you have to be really short to see it's beauty.It is a Hellebore's and loves the shade.When I cook at the barn it's the first thing I see when I drive up to the kitchen.

Off in the distance from the rye field is where the strawberries.blueberries and raspberries are growing.It's quite a walk for me to sneak a closer peek but, I'll head over when I know I can taste them

Always something to do .These are the logs that fell in the storm.
The widest one reaches my hip,so,we are waiting for more powerful equipment to cut and stack into cords.
Well May has crept up upon me and there is much to do so talk to you later........said the hobbit

Just a little bit crazy

You often hear a phrase in New England . If you don't like the weather just wait a minute and it will change.The past few week have proved that to be true.

Going in to work last week,you had trees blown down everywhere.This is the driveway where I do the cooking for the farm .

We only had about an inch of snow but,we had 90 mile an hour winds which left many of my neighbors without power for days. We were the lucky ones this time around. We lost power for 4 hours and we were snug in our beds at that time so we hardly noticed.

I thought that wind might have down damage to my newly planted blueberry bushes. I went out to see if the branches where intact. Of course being just 1 year in the ground and having a bit of snow to protect them they did just fine. Then something caught my eye in the far end of the garden.

Look what was growing!!!A teeny tiny head of broccoli. Last year I struggled with grampy woodchuck,who constantly ate anything that made an attempt to grow on the broccoli stalk. I finally gave up and thought he had eaten anything edible to mankind. I decided to take a picture because I haven't found anyone with a 22 who will actually come and attempt to do grampy in. I have a shotgun in the attic but,I think that's a little too much power for me............said the hobbit

Nothing but good food here

Summertime has got to be a favorite for every foodie in the world. This morning I drove into work and found John and Rebecka washing the just picked beets and getting them ready for the barn.

It was going to be in the 80's today and field workers try to get as much done as possible.No one goes out between 11:30 and 1pm on a day like today.

This gorgeous food inspired me to try a new salad
I found in Cook's spring issue.Of course I had to

give it a personal twist to make it my own.

So many customers have asked for a potato salad

with no mayo or dairy products.They are either

concerned about allergies or have safety issues with food left outside

on these oh so warm days.I think this one fits the bill.It calls for green beans about 1 1/2 lbs and potatoes with the skin left on.I used 2 lbs of Russian fingerling's. Mix EVOO 1/2 cup s&p and a tbls of sugar.Toss your veggies till all are shiny.Pre-heat your cookie sheet in a very hot oven on the lowest rack possible.They said 500 but, honey ,I cook nothing at 500.
I settled on 425 and it did the trick. I'm sure you all know your ovens and can plan accordingly.

When your sheet is hot 8-10 min.Throw the veggies on and roast in a single layer for 25 min.Do not turn stir or rotate.While this is going on,put a third of a cup of oil in your bowl.(I hope you haven't washed it yet.)2 minced garlic cloves and vinegar of your choice. I used raspberry vinegar about 3-4 tbls.When the veggies are roasted toss them with your dressing and let cool about 30 mins.Then add something to give it crunch. I slivered a small radicchio.It's like an Italian cabbage no bigger then the palm of your hand.This salad is great warm or cold and you don't have to worry about leaving it in the sun on a hot summer day.Hope you give it a try and don't be afraid to give it your own twist..............................said the hobbit

happenings on the farm

This is part of the field that I can see when I'm working at the farm

You can just barely see the tractor turning over the soil.Rye had been planted as nourishment and now it was time to work it into the field. I love seeing that shade of green pop up before anything else has come to life.It almost seems disappointing to see the dark soil brought to the surface but it's a necessary thing.

Just where the green meets the brown soil I spotted someone standing and could not figure out what he would be doing out there.When I got back to the barn I was informed that 3 men from the Civil War society had asked for permission to follow the tractor in hopes of finding bullets or button artifacts from battles that they have documented as being on this property. They spent the better part of the afternoon following the tractors with metal detectors in hand. We kind of chuckled at their efforts.The Tuttles have been Quakers and the thought of them going to war was out of the question. However,it seems someone was out there doing battle because they located 3 bullets and as soon as they are authenticated one will be giving to the children as part of their heritage.I guess you just never know.

On to my brothers farm.Remember this sheep.I told you I was sure it had a name but, couldn't remember.Well would you believe that there are 2 just like this and they were called "the hobbits".My sister-in-law named them this because every time she let them out,they took off to the furthest meadow and out of sight.At the end of the day she would have to send the dog to fetch them back. After going to the edge of the field and saying "go get em"on more then one day,she soon realized that when she said this they would poke their heads up and start the walk home.One day she didn't send the dog but, called out "go get em".They came running home on their own,and,will be forever known as the "go get em" sisters. And that is the tale of my namesakes........................said the hobbit

HOW LUCKY AM I ?

I guess it's about time I check in with my people.October has been such a full month. I meant to write this post shortly after I told you about the soups,but,I lost these pictures and I was bound and determined to find them on my own.

When I open my car door at work these beautiful flowers are there to greet me.No kidding,I was sitting behind my steering wheel when I took this picture. There is no way I can look at them and not have positivel thoughts about how my day will go. Not that it's always perfect but, it certainly is a good beginning.

When I need a break from cooking this is where I go for a breath of fresh air. It's just a few steps from the door but with it's ever changing shades of green I think I have been transported to some distant spa.If I sit there long enough you wouldn't believe how creative my mind can be.

All though you can't see it in the photo ,there is a corn stalk that has decided to grow just behind the bench. I watched it for most of the season and it now has 2 ears of corn growing. At first we denied it could be a corn stalk, then we were sure it wouldn't have any ears growing on it I guess you just can't be sure of anything these days. So like the little corn stalk we need to just keep doing what we know best and things will turn out as they should.

Which leads me to the fields. This too can be seen from my work area. Out in the distance you see the workers preparing for next year.There are blueberry bushes and raspberry branches that need to be trimmed and cleaned in order to promote a healthy crop next year. So I guess I must take my prompting from the land,not worry about this years failed projects or shortcomings and try to be better prepared for next year.

I hope it doesn't take so long to get back I seem to be on a learning curve with the computer and I'm too stubborn to ask for help.

By the way the soups are doing well and hopefully I'll be able to give an update soon. On a sadder note my mothers sister died 6 months to the day of my mother's passing. They were not two peas in a pod,but, both loved their neighbor and would do anything to help someone in need. I'm sure God has a special place for both of them. Well I must be off, as I post this I'm crossing my fingers and hope I can find my way back.......................................said the hobbit