A couple of weeks ago, Tom called me from the farm and mentioned that they had found some chives that had begun growing after overwintering on the farm. He wondered if there was something we could use them in and I managed to come up with a couple of things. The first was to add a bunch to our mashed potatoes (which was a wonderful addition to already wonderful mashed potatoes) and the second was this dinner roll recipe. These turned out light and fluffy winning rave reviews from my taste testers.  I love finding great recipes to use up our herbs; they add something special to our meals.

FRESH HERB ROLLS (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 cup warm water

1 cup milk, room temperature

2 eggs

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

6 cups bread flour

1 egg white

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water. Let stand until creamy; about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the yeast mixture with milk, eggs, salt, butter, parsley, chives, and 4 cups flour. Add the remaining flour a little bit at a time until dough has pulled together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Grease one 9×13 inch baking pan and one 9″ deep dish pie plate. Deflate and divide the dough into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball, and place in the prepared pans. Cover the rolls with a warm, damp cloth, and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with 2 tablespoons of water; brush egg wash over tops of rolls.

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

My notes:

• One of my many failures as a baker is spaghetti bread from our bread machine. I just cannot seem to get a good loaf. So one day when we were having spaghetti, I decided to adapt these rolls as mini-spaghetti bread. In order to do that, add the following in place of the chives and parsley: 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 4 teaspoons garlic, 1/4 teaspoon each of rosemary, thyme, marjoram and basil. Also substitute olive oil for the butter. Yum!
• I made 18 rolls from this recipe but they were large rolls. If you want smaller dinner rolls, use two 13×9 pans and divide the dough into 24-30 pieces depending on the size you want.
• I don’t always use the egg wash (usually because I forget). Egg washes are used to give rolls a pleasing golden color but if you are like me, feel free to forget it; they will still taste great.

I have always loved apple turnover, or cherry turnovers, or blueberry turnovers or any turnover for that matter.  I have been wanting to make some for the family but hadn’t quite found the perfect recipe. After doing some research in cookbooks and the internet,  I combined several versions and came up with this version that we all loved. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

RUSTIC APPLE TURNOVERS (adapted from recipes from King Arthur Flour and Family Fun Magazine and one other place that I can’t remember)

Ingredients for Turnover Crusts:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup cold butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for filling:

• 3 cups (about 3 good-size) baking apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

For egg wash: (make two separate washes)

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water

To make the crust:

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture, much as you do for pie crust.  Stir in the sour cream. The dough should pull together; it won’t be smooth but it will pull together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads. Roll the dough out to an 8″ x 10″ rectangle.  Dust both sides of the dough with flour. Fold the dough into thirds, similar to folding a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it into a rectangle again. Fold again using letter technique.  Roll the dough into a rectangle again. Fold it in thirds, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour (or overnight) before using.

To make the filling:

Combine the apples, orange juice, sugars, and butter in a medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to boil; cover pan and boil for 3-4 minutes. NOT A ROLLING BOIL, more like a simmer.

Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add to the apples and cook  for another minute at a low boil, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).

To assemble the turnovers:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll the chilled dough into a square about sixteen inches. Cut sixteen 4″ squares. For a tighter seal, you can brush two adjoining edges of each square with one egg beaten with one tablespoon cold water. (I did this and they still leaked.)

Place about two teaspoons of filling slightly off-center in each square.  Fold the turnovers in half diagonally, to creating a triangle. Press the edges with a fork to seal. Beat one egg with one tablespoon water.

Place the turnovers on a baking sheet, lined with parchment to catch any spills. Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re a deep, golden brown; you may see some of the filling beginning to ooze out. Remove the turnovers from the oven, and cool on a rack.

My notes:

• My turnovers oozed filling all over the place, make sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper. You will have a horrible clean up job if you don’t.
• I made my turnovers bigger than the recipe and got about 12 from this recipe.
• The coarse sugar I used was Wilton’s White Sparkling Sugar. I am sure you could use granulated sugar if you don’t have the Sparkling Sugar. However, the coarse sugar added to that rustic look.
• These turnovers turned out very flaky and I believe that is due both to the fold into thirds technique used on the dough and the butter in the dough. The folding technique is very similar to the technique used to make croissants which turn out very flaky if done right.
• My only attempt to try to make croissants was on a hot humid July day in Chicago and mine certainly didn’t turn out flaky but I have learned from my mistakes. Make sure to chill the dough. It helps a lot!
• I used Idared apples for this recipe. Jonathans or Northern Spy would also work well. 

Ever have one of those days where plans get thrown out the window and you still have to come up with something for dinner or dessert? That has happened around here enough that cobblers have become my go-to replacement dessert.

We eat our big meal at lunch so oftentimes dinner consists of dessert and the beverage of your choice. Most everyone in the house is happen with these meals and I enjoy baking so it is a win-win situation.

One of the great things about cobblers is that they can be made using most any fruit.  Since we freeze peaches and store the apples, I can whip up a cobbler in no time even during the winter. Another reason to call it a win-win recipe.

Below is a recipe for the apple filling which is quite good.

Apple Filling Ingredients

5 cups apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Combine all ingredients except butter. Pour into buttered 9 inch pan. Dot with butter.

Here is a recipe for a cobbler topping that is very good.

Cobbler Topping Ingredients (covers 9 inch square pan)

1/2 cup flour, sifted

1/2 cup sugar (I like to use a mix of brown and white sugar)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg, slightly beaten

Combine all topping ingredients. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop batter over fruit spacing evenly. Don’t worry about covering fruit, the batter will spread a bit while cooking. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Since we usually have our big meal at lunch time, dinner is often just a pizza or something lighter. But usually two or three times a week, we have what we like to refer to as dessert for dinner. Most members of the family have a sweet tooth so having dessert for dinner is not a problem for them. One of the recipes I like that is easy, and tasty as well, is a puff pancake. This recipe is versatile since I can use either apples or peaches (both of which we grow) to vary the taste of this recipe. Both the apple and peach version went over well with my taste testers. Despite the name pancake, it isn’t cooked like pancakes but, rather, is baked in the oven. The batter used for the recipe is very similar to a pancake recipe though.  

Puff Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 apple or 2 peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in 9″ pie pan and melt the butter in the oven. When butter is melted arrange fruit in the pan. Mix the remaining ingredients and carefully pour into the hot pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and extra cinnamon if you desire. Bake for 15-20 minutes or till puffed and golden. The pancake does fall after it is removed from the oven. Serve with maple syrup if you like.

My notes:

• This recipe is designed for a 9″ pie plate. I cook in large quantities so I make it in a 13×9 pan. In that case, you simply need to double the recipe.
• We like lots of fruit in our desserts. As you can see, the original puff pancake recipe calls for a small amount of fruit (at least in our opinion). I added a lot more fruit when I made it and it was wonderful.

I like to tease my husband that he is a tree-a-holic. He loves his trees and we have started a new orchard at the farm.  Well, you could call me a recipe-a-holic. I am always printing off recipes from blogs, recipe sites, you name it I print it. Tearing recipes out of magazines is also one of my habits. My problem with all of this is that, unlike the trees my husband orders, I have a bad habit of letting these recipes sit around and gather dust.

This winter I decided to get organized (which would be a whole ‘nother lengthy post) and I went through all of my recipes stacked on my desk. I actually got rid of many but still have tons of them. However, along with my getting organized, I made a vow to cook more of the recipes I run across. So far, so good – I have been making many new dishes – some turned out really well and others not so much.

A couple of months ago, I ran across a Sour Cream Apple Bar recipe on a blog called Culinary in the Desert.  The recipe sounded quite tasty and since the Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe I made last November was a hit. I decided to give these a try.

THE RECIPE:

For the crust

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

For the filling

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded apple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together oats, flour, walnuts, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and allspice. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Scoop half of the mixture into a 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Press mixture down over the bottom of the pan to form an even crust. Place into the oven and bake until lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together sour cream, sugar, flour, egg, vanilla and apple. Pour filling over the hot, partially baked crust. Crumble remaining crust mixture evenly over the filling and lightly press down to adhere.

Place pan back into the oven and bake until the top is golden and the center is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes: I didn’t have walnuts so I skipped that in the crust. I used Jonathan apples in order to get the most apple flavor. I didn’t want the apples overpowered by the oatmeal crust.

The Verdict:

Quite good according to my taste testers. However, the only change we would make would be to add more apples. The apple lovers in the house thought that additional apple flavor would make this recipe almost perfect.

(Sour Cream Apple Pie)

Well, now that the farm season is winding down, we will be posting more on the blog again. Over the winter and spring, we plan to post information about the farm, our plans for next year, recipes you might be interested in and anything else that comes to mind. Once next summer arrives, please subscribe to our newsletter as that is where the most up to date information is provided. (Look on the right hand side of this blog for subscription information.)

For this post though, I am going to stick to the recipe theme. These two recipes make excellent use of the apples we have available now. The first is the traditional apple pie and the second is one with a sour cream-apple combination that makes an excellent change of pace.

One note about making apple pies: Recipes often call for adding lemon juice to the apple slices while making the pie. If you are using one of our recommended pie apples (Northern Spy, Calville, Gravenstein, Idared, Stark Jumbo), any lemon juice or lemon peel is unnecessary. These apples have just the right amount of tartness for baking up a wonderful apple pie. I have been making pies for almost ten years here and haven’t had to use lemon juice once. Of course, if you are using an apple like a Red Delicious, you will probably want to add the lemon juice.

Fresh Apple Pie

• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled pie apples (about 2 1/2 – 3 pounds)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 recipe Pastry for Double-Crust Pie (your favorite recipe)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Milk (optional)

Directions

1. Combine granulated sugar, flour, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a large mixing bowl combine apples with sugar mixture. Toss until apples are coated. Set apple mixture aside.

2. Prepare Pastry for Double-Crust Pie and line pie plate with 1 crust.

3. Transfer apple mixture to pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Trim pastry even with pie plate. For top crust, roll out remaining dough. Cut slits in top crust. Place top crust on the filling. Seal and flute the edge. Brush with milk, if desired.

4. To prevent over browning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the top is golden brown and apples are tender. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Tip: For taste reasons, it is better for the crust to be a little more overdone than underdone.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Stir together 2 tablespoons flour, salt, 3/4 cup sugar and nutmeg in bowl. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples and spoon mixture into unbaked pie shell.

2. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven 15 minutes.

3. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes more. Remove pie from oven. Increase temperature to 400 degree F.

4. Prepare cinnamon topping and sprinkle over pie. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes more. Cool on rack.

5. To Make Cinnamon Topping: Combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter or regular margarine until crumbly, using a pastry blender.

These both are favorites in our house and we hope you enjoy them.

This past week, we have been harvesting both snow peas and garlic scapes. We wanted to try both of them so I came up with the following recipe – a cross between a stir fry and cooking in the skillet. A wok is not among the many kitchen pots and pans I have so I modified a stir fry recipe. The dish got rave reviews from the crew and hopefully y’all will enjoy it as much as we did.

Magicland Farms’ Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet

Serves 8

3 lbs cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1″ cubes
2 lbs garlic scapes (cleaned and chopped into 2″ lengths)
1 1/2 pounds snow peas (cleaned)
4 T olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth 0r 2 1/2 cups boiling water combined with 3 chicken bouillon cubes

Heat olive oil in skillet. When hot, add garlic scapes. Cook about 3-4 minutes stirring constantly or until you can smell their garlic scent. Add the snow peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes, again stirring the vegetables. Add chicken cubes to mixture, again cooking for about 3-4 mintues to heat up chicken. Then add chicken broth. Simmer until broth cooks down (don’t let broth totally disappear).

Served over cooked rice.

Notes:
This recipe can be adjusted to your tastes by adding a bit of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or substituting wine for the broth.

Also you can add whatever vegetables you currently have available: beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

1 finely chopped bulb of garlic can be substituted for the scapes. We love garlic and can’t have too much in our food but if you are not a fan, feel free to adjust amounts down.

At Magicland Farms this year, we are planning to start providing recipes for the fruits and vegetables we grow. (This was done in previous years but in the past few years we had gotten away from it.) Due to popular demand I decided that we would provide recipes on the blog to coincide with some of the produce we have for sale at that time.

Since this is strawberry time, I thought I would start off with a recipe for strawberry pie. My husband really likes this one. I may have to make it again before the strawberries disappear.

Magicland Farms Strawberry Pie

1 recipe for a double crust pie (your favorite or see ours below)
4 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned and cut in half
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a drip pan or aluminum foil on lower rack to catch pie juices.

Place strawberries in large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, flour and cornstarch. Gently coat strawberries with mixture. Let rest while you get pie plate ready.

Using half of pie crust dough, roll out bottom crust and place in pie plate. Pour berries into pie crust and set aside. With remaining dough, roll out a top crust and lay over pie, crimping edges of bottom and top crust together. Flute edges. Cut slits in top.

As an alternative, you can make a lattice top which is easily done by rolling out remaining dough and cutting strips with a pizza cutter. Weave strips over top of berries and tuck under bottom crust at edges.

Bake pie in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 40 minutes depending on your oven. Our pies cooked in about 45-50 minutes.

PIE CRUST

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour — sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup shortening (we use butter flavored Crisco)
7 tablespoons cold milk (about)

Sift together dry ingredients and with pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add enough milk until dough appears moist but not wet. Try not to use more than 7 tablespoons unless necessary to hold dough together. Turn dough out and knead on a few seconds to hold mixture together. Handle as little as possible. Roll out using your favorite technique.

This is the best recipe for pie crust I have ever made. Over the years, I have made pies but none of them had a light flaky crust. This one comes out perfectly almost every time. Using Crisco really helps as it seems that butter does not make a good crust. You could also use lard.

Also the addition of baking powder (which I have never seen in any other crust recipe) seems to make a huge difference in the texture of the crust.