Rhubarb Custard Pie

Last year I added rhubarb to my garden. My aunt was thinning out her plants and gave me starts for my garden. My mom has always had rhubarb growing in her garden and she often gave me some to enjoy. Our customers at the farmers market also ask for rhubarb often. So I was excited to add 10 starts to my garden for ourselves to enjoy and also offer to our customers/CSA members.

I haven't made much with rhubarb before. I have enjoyed strawberry rhubarb preserves and strawberry rhubarb turnovers. 

But I wanted to try out a new recipe, so I searched through my mom's recipe box and found this one. 

Rhubarb Custard Pie. Sounds yummy! 

Ingredients: 

1 box pie crust mix

3 eggs

3 tbsp milk

4 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups rhubarb - cut 1/2 -1 inch length 

2 tbsp butter (melted)

additional milk and sugar

Directions: 

-Make up your crust according to box instructions...or you can make your own crust. I made up the whole box, divided in half and used, half the dough for the pie crust and the other half for the lattice top. 

-Combine eggs, milk, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until well blended.

-Stir in fresh rhubarb

- Place the lattice top crust on the pie

-Combine melted butter, some additional milk and sugar and brush mixture on lattice top crust of the pie

-Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 

I couldn't wait for the pie to cool and so I could taste it. I loved it!!! It's mildly tangy, not too sweet, not too tart. The custard part is soft and the crust it the perfect amount of crust for the pie. It has an old fashioned feel and a great deliciously different recipe to do with the rhubarb in your garden. I know I will be making it again! Enjoy!!

Favorite things on the Backroad....Summer Giveaway Series

Summer is soon among us! I am looking forward to it!

 I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite products in a few posts as a summer series and at the end have a giveaway of some of these items. The products I use almost daily.

I will post a review of the product and tell you why I like it. I will also share the links to where you can get the product for yourself.

How fun is that!?

Stay tuned to future posts to hear about some of my favorite products! I am excited to share some of my favorites with you!

What to plant in your garden?

Gardening season is here and I am already looking forward to fresh vegetables!! It feels great growing your own food! Growing a vegetable garden is one of the most rewarding activities you can do as a family. There is something about eating a juicy tomato picked right out of the garden. Or any produce for that matter. Homegrown vegetables taste better, have more nutrients, and are fresher than those store bought since you can pick them the same day you want to use them or at their ripest point.

I have gotten several questions from others asking about tips for what to plant in their gardens or suggestions on what to plant in their first gardens.

A great way to start is start with what you eat.
-Plant vegetable plants and garden seeds for the produce you know you will eat. You can try growing new things after you get some garden experience behind you. Growing produce you like, will help you give your garden more attention. Look at the food you eat regular and find out if you can grow what is in it.

If you are limited on space, there are a few ways you can look at what to grow for your garden.

Container gardening (also known as kitchen gardening or patio gardening)
-If you enjoy eating a lot of salads, this is a great option as lettuce has shallow root systems and do well in containers.
-Radishes and green onions grow quickly, you just need deeper containers
-You can also grow tomatoes and pepper plants in containers as well to add to your container garden.
-Container gardening is also great for growing herbs
Vegetable suggestions for container gardening:
      *leaf lettuce
      *spinach
      *green onions
   


Save money on groceries
-If you have more space you can grow a wide variety of vegetables, but make it easy for you.
-Are you a family that eats a lot of fruits and vegetables and purchases from the grocery store? Gardening is a great way to help your grocery bill.
             -for example: 1 bell pepper generally costs $1-$2 at the grocery store. You can buy a pepper
              plant for $2 or less (4 inch pot or a 4 pack tray) and yield several bell peppers.
Vegetable suggestions for gardening with more space:
           *green beans
           *

You will find that having your garden and growing your own produce is so rewarding! You will taste it in the freshness of the vegetables you are eating.
Enjoy gardening season and producing healthy food!
       

Garlic Parsley Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts!

I'll be honest I never used to "like"  Brussels sprouts. Or that is what I said anyways. I had never had them. 

My husband likes Brussels sprouts so we grew them one year for our fall CSA. He made them one evening for dinner and this was the first time I tried Brussels sprouts and I LIKED them! We now have them somewhat regularly and still continue to grow them in our garden and for our CSA/farmers markets. 

                               

              

There are several ways to prepare Brussels sprouts. I think there might be others out there that may think the same as I did as in not "liking" them, but maybe it's because have never had them or unsure what to do with them. Today, I'm going to share one recipe of how we enjoy Brussels sprouts as part of our meal. 

               

Garlic Parsley Brussels Sprouts 

•Clean the Brussels sprouts and cut off the bottoms and cut the sprouts in half. 

•Place the halves in dish with water to just cover sprouts

•Place in the microwave to steam them until just tender 

•Drain 

•Place in skillet with butter, garlic powder or fresh garlic, and parsley 

•Stir until Brussels sprouts are well coated with butter/garlic/parsley.

Simple and easy! Great way to enjoy a green veggie as part of your meal and maybe one you haven't tried before! 

                     

from my flower garden 4/8

Early this morning we woke up to thunderstorms here in Northern Indiana, but as the day has gone by it has turned into a beautiful day for the most part! Mid morning looking out the window you notice green grass (yay!) and sunshine!
Stepping outside....
Birds singing.
A light breeze blowing.
Nice temperature.

I worked in my flower garden for a few hours. My flower garden has kind of been a work in progress over the years. It is finally laid out the way I want it to be and I am ready to add more perennials and flowering shrubs to it this year. I have some iron fence panels that will go around the front and towards the back of the garden. I am excited to get them in place and add to my garden.

One thing I am most excited about is my garden shed! Scott built it last fall for me. It is just to the side of my flower garden and I'm looking forward to incorporating the two together.

Organizing the inside and adding little details to it are on top of my to do list for this spring.
It is rustic.
Recycled.
and perfect for what I am wanting.

I see window boxes and a grapevine wreath on the door.

I see a vintage metal chair on the garden shed porch. I may enjoy sitting in watching the kids play.

I am looking forward to sharing more from my flower garden this year with you!

Apple Salad

Apple salad has always been a favorite of mine. It is a super easy recipe that has a fresh, crisp, sweet taste about it. It is a great salad to bring to picnic or party you may be going to.

We had a family get together a few years ago and I remember trying to think of something different to make. My mom suggested this apple salad among other things. I chose this salad since it was so easy to make. Now I find myself making it often just to have in the refrigerator or making larger batches for those get togethers.

I am a big fan of apple recipes and apple treats! This one is especially easy. You can make as little as you want for just yourself or a larger batch for those family meals. If you like more of an ingredient, add more of it, or vise versa if you only want a little of an ingredient.

Ingredients: 

Granny Smith Apples
Bananas
Raisins
Plain Peanuts
Mini Marshmallows
Miracle Whip
Celery (optional)

Directions: 

Dice up apples and bananas and place in mixing bowl. Add diced celery if you choose to. Add raisins, peanuts, and marshmallows for your liking. Then add some dollops of Miracle Whip. Stir everything together and it is ready to serve.

 I use Granny Smith apples, or a tart apple as I love the tart taste with the sweet of the marshmallows. Think about how many people will be attending the event and go from there for how much to make. Add diced celery if you would like extra crunch and fresh taste. If you want to add more of one ingredient or less of an ingredient this is the perfect recipe for that. I like the creaminess to compliment my salads, so i just add a little Miracle Whip to cover the other ingredients, but you can add more if you prefer it creamier.

I recommend when making it for a meal event, to make it just a few hours before the meal as the raisin and marshmallows will swell from the moisture.

Enjoy!

My Story in Agriculture

I have attended several conferences and workshops this year and among several things I take away from each of them, a phrase stuck out that was common between  - Share your story....so here is mine. 

So many of my early memories are involved in agriculture. From riding in the combine during harvest, to helping plant the garden, picking pumpkins to carve in the Fall, to doing chores and cleaning the horse stalls on the weekends. Even all the way down to playing tractors in the sandbox with my brother, one way or another, agriculture has always been a part of my life. 

My grandma helping little me get out of the combine from riding with my dad

I can remember going to feed the cows with my grandpa and dad some mornings before getting on the bus to head to school.  My brother and I did the horse chores every day before and after school as we got older. Pajama, boots, and our Carhart bibs were the attire as we woke up extra early on the winter mornings to make sure we had time to break the ice in the water troughs, or to get the chores done before we headed off to morning swim team practice. During planting and harvest, if we weren't riding along in the field, taking dinner to the field and catching a ride was something we looked forward too. We were also the kids at the top of the hay wagon tossing down those very top bales when unloading into the barn. SO many memories revolved around daily life in agriculture. 

Our school system has a strong FFA program and I was first introduced to it in 8th grade and I remember at that point is when I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture as a career. That is when I decided I wanted to learn more about horticulture. Then in high school, I got involved in my FFA chapter and was on several judging teams. My interest grew even more for horticulture. Here is where I decided I wanted to attend college for Landscape Horticulture and Design. At this time, I also knew I wanted to marry a farmer/someone with the same kind of background as I had, and here is when I met just that person. 

The college years went by and I married that farmer, my high school sweetheart. I graduated college with a BS in Landscape Horticulture and Design with a minor in Food and Agribusiness Management. I worked a few different jobs that I loved in the horticulture industry, but currently am a work at home mom where I have my own creative sewing business and also work part time for a wedding planner, help manage our produce farm, and take care of our 3 children. My farmer and I grow produce and pumpkins for 9 years now. We have a small CSA program that we offer in our community and we are vendors at a few local farmers markets. 

One of our past CSA shares

I have always had a respect and appreciation for agriculture, but here in my adult life and being a mom is where I REALLY have a LOVE for agriculture. I have always helped on my family's farm in so many ways, but these last few years, I have really gotten to help more first hand. Being in the tractor and helping my dad and brother with hay and planting/harvest was how I spent so much time and made me love it even more. I appreciate helping them as much as they appreciate me helping them. 

Auger Cart duty :)

Scott and I  - pumpkin season 2011

 Agriculture isn't just a career, it is truly a way of life! I am proud that my husband and I share a love for agriculture! He knows so much history about the area we live and grow up in and shares that with me and our children. I love that he grew up with a family very involved in agriculture as well and helps on the family farm. I love that we have the same love for agriculture. I am proud that my children are growing up directly involved with agriculture by being part of the planting and harvesting process, baling hay, and growing produce. They are seeing first hand where food comes from. They help us plant the seeds, maintain and care for the plants, and pick the produce to take to market and bring to our table. I am proud that I am able to help my dad and brother in the field as well. We are able to teach our children the value of hard work and the rewards that come from working hard. But also teach them the hardships from loosing crops or animals. There is so much they can take away from growing up on the farm and maybe one day coming back to farm themselves. I love that they are getting the same experiences I did. Agriculture makes me PROUD. We live it, learn more, advocate, and share our story. 

One of our little garden helpers snacking on peas

 Agriculture is all around us, everywhere in our economy, community, and daily lives. It's important to tell our story and share with others. So on National Ag Day, here is my story! I can't wait to continue it for many years to come! Be sure to tell and share yours.