When Being Busy is Good

I haven't blogged in a long time now, and I'm happy to say it's because I'm super busy with the jam and pickle gig.  Also, we're doing a lot of summer stuff with the kids.  After all, we live in Maine, and it's summer, and who wouldn't take advantage of that?

Here's what we've been up to, and this is just the stuff I have photographed!

The usual river swims with my girls.

Bubba versus the Porcupine AGAIN.

Preschool Graduation...  sniffle sniffle.

Our annual (should be more frequent!) visit between the Rubys and fams.

Ferry Beach with the Sims.

Below the dam with Cam.

Storyland with cousin Lily and Camden.

Who woulda thought that three college roommates could come up with this number of kids after 17 years?

A whole lotta bike riding.

Lemon Cukes.  Pickled in vanilla and lemon juice.  Just one example of something new and funky I'm enjoying making.

The farmers market circuit.  Loving it!

Farmer's Daughters Farmstand Fridays.  Can't believe I get paid to work here.

Jumping around with family and friends on the big new pillow at Pumpkin Valley Farm.

Addie's and my old past time:  making cookies.

Chocolate Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

This bit of yumminess is brought to you by a big mistake I made while cooking a humungous batch of strawberry rhubarb jam.  I forgot to put the pectin in with the fruit before putting in the (you really don't want to know how much) sugar.  So, I added lemon juice, grabbed a bunch of unsweetened chocolate, and went for it.  Oh, let me preface the actual recipe by assuring you it's fine to halve or quarter the recipe to make a smaller, more normal-sized batch.

3.5 lbs rhubarb plus 1 cup of water
5.5 lbs strawberries
10 lb bag of sugar, plus 6 cups (if you must know, it's about 28 cups)
1 cup lemon juice
8 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate

I used a 20 quart stock pot.  Cook the rhubarb (and water) until it's nice and tender.  Add the strawberries and mash to your liking.  Boil and add the sugar quickly.  Stir in the lemon juice and chocolate, then bring all of the above to a boil again.  Once the chocolate has melted completely, turn down the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.  This will give the mixture a jam-like consistency.  If you prefer a saucier consistency, I'd simmer for 20 minutes instead.  Once cooked, pour the mixture into jars and seal.  Always bathe in boiling water for 10 minutes if you're at sea level.

This will give you about 30 half-pint jars of sauce.  The reason I go for a thicker consistency is to allow myself the opportunity to spread it on a biscuit like jam.  It's much easier to make jam thinner than thicker once it's in a jar.  Heat it up and load it onto your hubby's ever-so-boring vanilla ice cream.  For yourself, of course.  Well, I guess the hubby could have some too.

The Devil's Portal and Vacation in Virginia

Today I cooked a LOT.  I made a couple batches of bread & butter pickles, dill pickles, cherry pie jam (TO DIE FOR), blackberry jam, blueberry jam, and strawberry-rhubarb jam.  I also whipped up a quick facebook page for Farmer's Daughters Farm Stand in Waterboro, as Ed and Sarah do not yet use facebook, or, what they fondly call the devil's portal.  I think it's because between us, we know of more than one married couple who have broken up as the result of spouses reconnecting with old flames through said portal.  Scary!  Anyway, it was a busy day and a good one.  Normally I get caught up in some dramatic tv series to obsess over while jamming, but today I mostly reflected on our vacation in Virginia last week.  We visited with Joe's family for a few days and had a fun and easy time, just the way a vacation is supposed to be.

Did you know that Joe was a Rescue Swimmer in the Navy?  Do you think he learned this move in survival school?  We're definitely framing this one!

Would you believe that four families, including all of these children (our kids, 2-year old triplets, and our little 1-year old nephew), all vacationed together in the same home?  Thankfully Grandpa has a big house!

Oh, Charlie.  She gets such a kick out of herself!  We do too, of course.

Cutting Onions and Looking Hip

Thanks to the Achorn Farm kids, I can now cut onions ALL day, which seems to be happening lately, as it is finally pickle season!  Seriously, I wore these ski goggles for the entire day on Friday.  Not only didn't I tear up at all, but it was a very good conversation starter.

Garden Update, June 2011

Some things early, some things late.  Weeds everywhere.  So far no sign of bird damage to the fruit, but we'll see what happens when it gets really ripe!

  

What would YOU do if 24 quarts of just-picked Anderson Farms strawberries showed up on your door step?  Start eating?  Make jam?  Both.  Thanks, Sarah!  Soooooo yummmmy.  It all started tonight with no-sugar, all strawberries and local-honey-sweetened jam.  Next, on to more SR while the R (rhubarb, of course) is still aplenty.

Kennebunk Farmers Market in June

The Kennebunk market is well underway, and I'm having a wonderful time of it.  It's terrific to be so close to so many great farmers and other vendors.  Pop by for a visit any Saturday morning from 8:00 to 1:00 in the middle of town for awesome seedlings and new veggies, a wide variety of dairy items, all kinds of meats, baked goods, and other yummy and creative stuff.  Here's just a glimpse at our end of the market-- next time I'll run down and grab some pics from the entrance.  Hope to see you there!

Groundwork Farm

The Sweet Specialist

Chick Farm

Trailside Farm Herbs:  This stuff really works.  Our whole family is using it this summer.

Barn Swallow Farm

Tracy and her girls from Maple Ridge Farm

Rhubarb Pie

One of my best-sellers right now is Rhubarb Pie jam.  Did we determine yet if I'm personally allowed to judge my own jam as sooooooo good?  Well it is, and of course the idea came from my neverendingly favorite kind of pie, which must be baked at least a few times during the height of the rhubarb season.

If you're not a pie-baker, don't be afraid to try this super-simple kind.  For real, it's easy.  You can do it.

When it comes to crust, if you're a pie-baking newbee, go ahead and get yourself a box of rolled up crust from the grocery store.  No one will know, and you won't tell anyone either.  When someone asks if you made the crust, you say, "Why yes, I did bake it."  You did.  Otherwise open up any recipe book to find a crust recipe you're comfortable with and go for it.    

In addition to the crust, you'll need:

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5 cups rhubarb, cut up in 1/2 inch pieces.  Do NOT peel the rhubarb.

1 Tbs butter

Set your oven at 425.  Place one pastry in bottom of 9 or 10 inch pie plate.  Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Turn half the rhubarb into the pastry-lined plate and cover with half the sugar mixture.  Cover with the rest of the rhubarb, then the rest of the sugar mixture.  Drop little bits of the butter around the top of the sugar mixture.  You'll want to put slits or decorate small openings in the top crust before you cover your pie with it.  I usually put 4 little leaf-shaped holes around the pie, and an x-shaped slit in the middle.  Seal your crusts well and cut off excess pastry.  Oh, I almost forgot this very important part!  Beat an egg then paint it on the top of your crust.  Next sprinkle sugar or cinnamon-sugar on top of the egg.  You will not be sorry you added this step!  Next, I cover the entire pie with tin foil to avoid burning the crust, but it is important to put a large slit in the tin-foil where the middle of the pie is so your crust doesn't get soggy.  Keep the foil on for about half an hour before removing it, then baking your pie another 15 minutes.  You'll know the pie is done when juices starts bubbling through the slits in the crust.

Feel free to eat this pie for breakfast.  Joe and I have determined that it can't be less healthy than a muffin, and doesn't rhubarb look healthy?  It is!  You will love it.