cabin feast

Dear Readers,

The best part about farming: eating! Saturday night, we had an epic meal. So epic that I want to devote this post to recipes! Get ready for some serious watering of the mouth……….

DRINKS

Mulled Apple Cider (by Signe)

Not exactly sure, but I think Signe boiled apple cider with apples, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grapefruit. Add whiskey or rum for some kick.

BYOB

The best dinner party system ever. Ask your guests to bring whatever they want to drink.

APPETIZERS

Hummus (by Laura Beth)

Saute red onions and garlic in sunflower oil. Puree in blender/food processor; add chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper, a little cumin. Add water in small increments for the right consistency.

Black Bean Dip (by Laura Beth)

Puree black beans, chickpeas, tahini, cilantro, olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt.

Slice daikon radish, carrots, beets, and peppers for dipping.

Arugula Salad (by Laura Beth)

Mix enormous amounts of arugula with small amounts of chopped hakurei turnip, diced red onion, chopped pear, chopped apple, chopped daikon radish. Toss with salad dressing made from whisked olive oil, tamari sauce, lemon juice, and water.

MAIN COURSE

Bean and Goat Chili (by Signe- I’m not sure exactly what she did, so Signe, comment with corrections!)

Saute ground goat meat in Monster Pot (this is our biggest pot). Drain off liquid. Saute in oil leeks, garlic, meat, carrots. Add whole or diced canned tomatoes. Add water, but only a little– chili is great when really chunky. Add kidney and pinto beans. Add diced peppers. Add chili powder, and, uh, spices… cumin? Coriander? Dill? (Signe, help me out here…) Definitely salt and pepper. Let simmer for a while, then let sit overnight and serve the next day. YUM.

Blue Hubbard Squash Soup (by Em)

Oh. My. Goodness. This soup will blow your mind. Buy a 15 pound blue hubbard squash. Saw open carefully (we literally used a saw to get this baby dinosaur open). Clean out seeds (saute them on high heat with salt for a yummy snack). Chop squash into very large sections. Place on tin foil with the skin facing up. Bake in the oven on about 350-400 until a fork goes right through them.

Meanwhile, to make your own vegetable stock, saute halved onions, garlic, celery, and carrots on very high heat in sunflower oil. Add a tiny bit of tamari sauce and salt if necessary. Pour in lots of water and boil for a long time; when the liquid tastes and smells and looks delicious, you know it’s ready to go. Drain out liquid into a container for later use, and munch on the soft soft boiled veggies that are left over as a snack.

Separate pan: Saute onions and apples until they’re both really soft.

Okay. Take the baby dinosaur squash that has been living in your oven. Use a small knife to separate the soft squash flesh from the skin.  Puree the squash, apples, and onions together– this will have to be done in many increments. Add vegetable stock as you go for taste and consistency. Add a little salt if necessary, but not too much! The stock should be salty enough, really. The result: a bright orangeyellow, sweet, melty, divine, thick soup that fills Monster Pot to the brim with happiness.

SIDES

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (by Em)

Bake whole or halved sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil in the oven on about 400 until soft. Remove flesh from skins– eat skins as a snack, they’re delicious! Mash sweet potatoes together and add a tiny bit of salt. Done.

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes (by Em)

Not too sure how she did this one– I was too distracted by the enormous amounts of food we were generating in our tiny kitchen. I think she boiled potatoes or baked them, mashed them with whole milk and butter, added salt, and that was it! Farm fresh potatoes speak for themselves.

Steamed Collard Greens (by Laura Beth)

I can’t really claim credit for this. Just steam collards in a big pot.

DESSERT

I have no clue what people ate for dessert, I was full before dinner started, just from snacking as we cooked! But I did see people munching on apples that we’d gotten from the farmer’s market. And I think Isabel brought brownies.

AMBIANCE (by Signe)

Light lots of candles. Make a fire in your wood stove or fireplace. Put on some background music in your record player. Place sunflowers all around. Put a big bowl of bread on the table, along with appetizers.

Happy eating!

Laura Beth