Coming soon - farm-to-table restaurant!

So I have started this project and the concept of this restaurant is farm-to-table. So the menu will reflect the seasons of the local harvests. The "freshtaurant" will serve lunch and dinner and a sunday brunch. Everything will be fresh and local. I built a wood-fired oven to use for a large part of the operation. I plan on incorporating a local farm co-op workshare program to unite the community ...with the farmers/growers. The whole concept is to get people interested in real food, from growing to preparing to eating. This will provide those who are interested in a sustainable lifestyle (and are too busy) to become more aware from season to season of their environment, and an opportunity to support our local agriculture while having access to fresh food. If you are interested in this concept, and would like to be apart of it in any way then let me know. I will also be selling c.s.r. (community supported restaurant) shares which will give some an opportunity to invest! Email for more information!

Great people here!

Check out FERN, an important new non-profit journalism organization covering food and ag. http://t.co/k6Gww5Re

Final harvest!!!

It's been great growing for this cool community here in Bedford and we plan on continuing. Jeff is finishing the CSA building into a small  fall/winter farm store where you can find organic veggies, meat and eggs. You can check out the blog for recipes, updates on the farm-to-table restaurant, the farm store opening and the kind of veggies you can find there. We will also contact all of our members via phone to update them about the opening of the farm shop. If you are not a CSA member and would like to be contacted personally for the farm buzz, email or call.  

Thank you and see you next year!!!!

Mandi Horn

Horn O' Plenty

mandisahorn@gmail.com

(814)285-2658

The last harvest...

tomatoes

peppers

turnips

radishes

pea shoots
strawberries

mizuna

chard

onions

thyme, oregano & sage

Turnips are often boiled but are also great raw: Sliced very thin, or thin matchsticks or shredded and added to salads or slaws for crunch. Try them roasted or steamed tossed with butter or your favorite oil and herbs for a simple side dish. Or you could mash them like potatoes or puree them into creamy soups like butternut squash soup. Dice turnip and add to hearty soups or braised or roasted meat dishes. Don't forget that the turnip greens (leaves) make a great meal as well. Turnips go well with chervil, chives, lemon, honey, sherry, mushrooms, fennel seed, coriander, nutmeg, turmeric and of course anything goes well with cream, bacon, salty cheeses such as Parmesan. Use your imagination and enjoy these turnips!



Radish and Turnip Salad:

This cool and crunchy salad make a great side dish.

12 radishes sliced very thinly.

3 small turnips sliced very thinly. (I use a mandolin for both turnips and radishes)

1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

juice of half  lime

1 tablespoon chives chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently but combine thoroughly. Taste and season with salt to "pop" the flavors.

Pickled Turnips:

6 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup ginger peeled julienned

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 bunches of small to medium sized turnips (add some radishes if you wish)

*(optional) 3 small (1- to 1 1/2-inch-long) fresh hot chilies, split lengthwise in half

Bring water, vinegar, sugar, and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Cool, then stir in chilies, ginger, and garlic. Scrub turnips in cold water and trim, leaving 1/2 inch of stems attached. If any are ping-pong-ball size or larger, halve or quarter. Pack turnips into glass jars or a glass bowl and pour in cooled pickling liquid, dividing chilies, ginger, and garlic among jars. Chill, covered, 1 day for flavors to develop.

Note: Pickled turnips keep, chilled, up to 1 week. Color may fade if using radishes; vegetables will wrinkle after 2 days.



Thursday's harvest

The end of September is nearing and so ends our C.S.A.  By the calendar, we are as far as we can get from the spring equinox and after today, we have one final harvest left for this year. I feel this is the appropriate time to thank you for your commitment to eat local, organic produce this season. We hope you have enjoyed watching the progression from early spring through late-summer and having a connection to our farm (and family). It has been an a fairly exceptional year for us and we hope for you as well.  As with every year, certain things do very well and others flop pathetically. Such is the life of a farmer...  We thank you for your support and patience, and to thank you for joining us this year, we are going to be sending special invitations specifically for our CSA members to join us in a pre-opening dinner at our new farm-to-table restaurant.  Plans to break ground for the restaurant begin this fall, and the opening is anticipated sometime this coming spring. Soon, we will all be joining each other! Thanks again!

Weekly Harvest 

cucumbers

green tomatoes
green beans

radishes

carrots

peppers

pea shoots

kale/collards

leeks

sorrel

rosemary & mint

Radish Slaw Recipe:

(This is our new favorite slaw!!!)

3/4 Pound radishes shredded

1/2 small cucumber sliced thinly and chopped

1/2 med pepper sliced thin then chopped

1 small onion thinly sliced

1/4 cup kale julienned

For The Slaw Dressing:

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

salt & pepper to taste

Mix dressing together, and mix slaw together and combine. Serve same day.

Potato Leek Soup with Sorrel Recipe:(The sorrel in this recipe makes the soup all lemony.)

2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 medium to leeks, cleaned and chopped, using all of the whites and at least half of the greens
3 cups chicken broth, veggie broth or water
4 oz. sorrel, taken off the thick part of the stem and chopped roughly
1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream or milk, to taste
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
*optional yogurt or creme fraiche

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil and butter. Add the leeks and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Add the sorrel . Transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. When the soup is all blended, add the milk or cream and rewarm gently, taking care not to boil.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve garnished with the yogurt or creme fraiche.

September 15th harvest

green/wax beans

scotch bonnet & jalapeno peppers

radishes

radish greens

brussels sprouts

mibuna

sorrel & basil

Mibuna is a delicious delicate green in the mustard family. It is great raw in salads or perfect lightly cooked and seasoned, like chard.

Pickled Greens Stir-fry... In this recipe I used radish leaves and mibuna for the greens, scotch bonnet for the peppers and also chopped brussels sprouts stirfried in, and last, some sorrel that I chiffonade and added it in raw very last!

Here is a link for the delicious Pickled Greens Stir-fry: (You can add any cooked meat to this stir-fry to make a main dish). http://www.highdesertgarden.com/2011/06/pickled-asian-greens-xue-li-hon.html 

Farm harvest and Farm-to-table restaurant...

A note to everyone,

Only three more weeks left to the CSA.... so sad.  However we do have something to look forward to and that is the restaurant coming soon - this spring!!!  Horn O Plenty Farm-to-Table Restaurant will be located in the small town of  Wolfsburg, off Route 30, just outside of Bedford on the original Lincoln Highway. Soon our farm-fresh restaurant will be serving lunch and dinner, and our menu will coincide with the season's harvest from our farm and other organic, biodynamic and ecologically conscious farms within our region. This is a picture of the old log/stone house build by William Todd, a descendant of Mary Todd, Abraham Lincoln's wife. It is the second oldest house in Bedford County and we are converting this gem into a restaurant with a wood-fired masonry oven, this is truly an exciting time!

Our quail just begun laying eggs! These little birds and their eggs are so tiny and cute... but maybe everything tiny is cute! We have around 20 packs of ten eggs available for sale at the farm for $3.00. We also have a sale on our free range chicken eggs for $2.00/ dozen. Swing by the farm, or let Jessica, at Wholesome Living, know your interested and I can arrange to drop them off on the next harvest day.

Harvest hugs,
Mandi

September 8th harvest...

green beans/wax beans

peppers

tomatoes

french breakfast radishes

zucchini

scallions

kale/collard greens

celery

tarragon, thyme & sage

Green Bean and Tomato Salad with Tarragon Dressing:
3 quart green and yellow string beans
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 green oinions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
salt to taste

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the beans and spread them on a large baking sheet to cool. Pat dry.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the shallots and tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Place the beans and tomatoes in a large bowl, add the dressing and toss well. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Green Bean, Mozzarella & Sesame tossed with Honey Mustard Dressing:
2 quarts green beans beans
6 chicken eggs or 12 quail eggs
8 oz mozzarella, preferably buffalo
toasted sesame seeds

dressing:
4 tblsp cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
12 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil

1,Steam the snap beans until just done.

2.Put the eggs in a pan cover with water and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and leave the eggs in for 10 minutes for chicken eggs and 1-2 minutes for quail eggs.  Put the eggs in cold water before shelling/peeling them.

3.Cut the mozzarella in small cubes and set aside. Divide the eggs in two.

4.Whisk the ingredients for the dressing or put them in an empty glass jar,with a lid and shake.

5.Put the beans, eggs and mozzarella on a dish, drizzle plenty of dressing over and sprinkle it all with toasted sesame seeds!

Serve with a nice bread.

September 1st harvest!

Green beans

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Cucumbers

Stinging nettle(Careful getting it out of the bag! Use gloves, or it It will sting ya!)

Peppers (jalapeno and Anaheim Chili)

Chard

Onions

Sage, Rosemary and Tarragon

Stinging Nettle Ravioli with Sage Butter:  (Borrowed from Fat of the Land)

Filling
Make the filling while your pasta dough is "resting" in the fridge. The hardest part in this step is dealing with the nettles. Wear gloves and clean up carefully—you don't want a stray leaf nabbing you when you least expect it.

10 oz stinging nettles (equivalent to 1 package frozen spinach)
1 15 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

1. Blanche nettles for 1 minute in boiling water and drain. This is enough to neutralize the sting. Squeeze out excess water, remove stems and then chop the nettles.
2. Combine cheeses, seasoning, and egg into a bowl. Stir in chopped nettles.

Pasta: (You can make your own or buy wontons to use and skip this first pasta step - but there is nothing like fresh pasta!)

Be prepared to add more flour as necessary; as with baking, anything can influence the making of fresh pasta: heat, humidity, the stock market...

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tsp milk

Combine pasta ingredients in a mixer and mix with dough hook til smooth. Then refrigerate in plastic wrap while you make the filling.



After retrieving the pasta dough from the fridge, roll it into a log and cut it into a dozen equal parts. Each part then gets fed into the pasta maker, starting at 1 and finishing at 6.

Make two leaves at a time (top and bottom layers), trim them, and use a melon ball scoop to add the filling at intervals. Next sandwich the two leaves and use a fluted pasta wheel to get those nice scalloped edges, making sure to firmly press the two leaves together around each dumpling.

Sage Butter Sauce:

Figure a minimum of a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of chopped fresh sage per serving. Melt butter in small saute pan over medium heat. While the butter is starting to melt, gently drop ravioli into a pot of salted water on low boil. Add sage to butter. The ravioli should start floating to the surface after a couple minutes. Remove to a warm plate with slotted spoon. Meanwhile, stir the butter and sage as the butter foams, and just as it starts to brown a tiny bit kill the heat and pour sauce over ravioli. Add a few grindings of salt. The specks of brown, caramelized butter sweeten the sauce ever so slightly, and combined with the sage, this simple sauce packs a wallop that belies its meager list of ingredients.













Curried Lentils with Tomatoes and Yogurt Cucumbers:

2 ounces lean thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pound lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the cucumbers and yogurt:
1 large European cucumber—peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1. In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the saucepan.
2. Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, jalapeno and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lentils, water and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sprinkle the cucumber slices with a large pinch of salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

4. In a small skillet, toast the cumin and coriander over moderate heat until fragrant, about 40 seconds; transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in the buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream and orange zest. Stir in the cucumber slices and season with salt and pepper.

5. Transfer the lentils to a large shallow bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the cucumber salad over the lentils. Sprinkle the bacon and tomatoes over the cucumbers and serve warm or at room temperature.

Harvest for August 25th

green beans

tomatoes

baby beets

peppers

onions

chard

baby carrots
squash

cucumbers

spearmint, thyme & oregano

Here is a great lentil salad with roast beets and carrots recipe at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lentil-salad-with-roast-beets-and-carrotsecipie

Balsamic marinated roasted baby beets and baby carrots :

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic Vinegar
• 1 pound baby beets halved
• 1 pound baby Carrots cleaned and trimmed
• 8 ounces Feta Cheese crumbled
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves separated
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, add the beets and carrots, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Lightly oil a sheet pan and add the beets and carrots in a single layer. Sprinkle with thyme and season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until heated through and browned. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes:
For a more pungent flavor, use goat cheese instead of feta cheese.

August 18th's Harvest...

tomatoes

peppers

green/wax beans

kale or collard greens

cucumbers
baby carrots & their edible greens!

zucchini

onions

basil

Carrot tops are edible!!!! Yes, and they are delicious too! Great for soup stock, in with your greens or salad or as a garnish. Carrot greens are highly nutritive in minerals and vitamins and are an outstanding source of chlorophyll, the green pigment that studies have shown to combat the growth of tumours. Chlorophyll contains cleansing properties that purify the blood, lymph nodes, and adrenal glands. Scientists have been unable to synthesize chlorophyll in the laboratory, but green plant foods contain sufficient quantities to protect the human body. Carrot leaves also have antiseptic qualities, so they have been added to mouthwashes and, mixed with honey, to disinfect sores. They are also diuretic (increase urine flow), and can help treat kidney disease and edema. Chewing carrot leaves can heal injuries in the mouth, bad breath, gum bleeding and mouth ulcers. They also contain a lot of potasium witch make them slightly bitter. Chopping them up finely with some garlic and vinegar can cut the bitterness, and this makes a simple "pesto vinaigrette" that can be spread on bread or used as a marinade. Carrot tops can be sauteed with other vegetables with olive oil and garlic, and added to a variety of dishes such as casseroles, pizzas, and burritos. They can be cooked into soups and stews, and added to eggs.

Carrot Green, Parsley & Hazelnut Pesto for Green Beans or Pasta:

Great way to use up those carrot greens!

¾ cup hazelnuts (or mixture of hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts)
1/8 cup carrot leaves, chopped
1/8 cup parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
¼-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh-grated parmesan cheese generous pinch of sea salt.
*Green beans or pasta

Toast the nuts on the stove top in a pan for a few minutes to bring out the flavour. In a food processor, puree the nuts, carrot leaves, parsley leaves, lemon juice and garlic.

Add cheese, salt, and olive oil. Blend, and increase olive oil if the pesto is too thick. Cook beans or pasta until al dente, drain and toss with pesto while still hot.

Italian Stewed Tomatoes and Zucchini:

1 1/2 pint tomatoes

1 onion

2 zucchini

1 green pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons oregano chopped

2 tablespoons basil chopped

1 teaspoon Romano cheese grated

*(optional) Serve as a side dish or over pasta of your choice

Directions:

1. Peel tomatoes by placing in boiling water for a few minutes and then putting them in cold ice water. The skins will peel off easily. *If you don't mind the skins then skip this step!
2. Chop onion and green pepper.
3. Put tomatoes in a sauce pan with peppers, olive oil, garlic and onions, and sugar.
4. Cook uncovered about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Cut zucchini into coins and cut the coins in half and add them and the herbs at the end of the cooking process.
6. Serve topped with cheese. 

August 11th's harvest!

green/wax beans

tomatoes

zucchini

cucumbers

peppers

baby carrots

basil & chives

This year we grew two different cherry tomatoes - Principe Borghese and Purple Plum! The Pincipie Borghese is a traditional Italian grape tomato that's often used for drying due to its excellent flavor, small size, few seeds, and low moisture. Their flavor is so intense, they make a great choice for tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, eating fresh in salads or as a preserve. The Purple Plums are a dark mahogany color and plum shaped. They are thick walled with lots of meat so they can be sliced easily and are wonderful for eating fresh or making chutney. They also make a memorable sauce with their complex flavors.

Zucchini Stewed with Tomatoes:
1 medium sized zucchini sliced into 1/2 " thick circles
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 quart cherry tomatoes
1 medium pepper chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup white wine
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil separated

1. (If you don't mind the tomatoes skins in your stew then disregard the peeling instructions) To peel the tomatoes, place them in boiling water for 1 minute and then immediately transfer to cold water.
2. Peel and half the tomatoes, and place in a large saucepan with the peppers, garlic, salt, wine, 2 tablespoons basil and sugar then cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
3. Meawhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onions until the edges barley browning (about 5 minutes). Add zucchini and salt and pepper and continue coking and stirring until the squash begins to soften (about 5 minutes).
4. Add to stewed tomatoes and continue cooking as long or as briefly as you like.
5. Add the rest of the fresh basil and season according to taste.