The Farmer's Cookbook: A Back to Basics Guide to Making Cheese, Curing Meat, Preserving Produce, Baking Bread, Fermenting, and More

by Marie W. Lawrence

Overview

More and more cooks are turning to their own gardens or to local farmers’ markets to find inspiration for their meals. Eating fresh, local produce is a hot trend, but lifelong Vermonter Marie Lawrence has been cooking with produce from her gardens, buying milk from the farmers up the road, and lavishing her family and lucky friends with the fruits of her kitchen labor since she was a kid. In this book she includes recipes for everything from biscuits and breads to pies and cookies, soups and stews to ribs and roasts. Also included are instructions for making cheese, curing meats, canning and preserving, and much more.

Organized by month to coordinate with a farmer’s calendar, cooks will find orange date bran muffins and old fashioned pot roast in January, hot spiced maple milk and fried cinnamon buns in March, mint mallow ice cream in July, Vermont cheddar onion bread in October, and almond baked apples with Swedish custard cream in December. Other recipes include grilled chicken with peach maple glaze, veggie tempura, raspberry chocolate chip cheesecake, and dozens of other breads, salads, drinks, and desserts that are fresh from the farmer’s kitchen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628732450
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Series:	Handbook Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
Sales rank:	1,009,492
File size:	140 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Marie W. Lawrence has had a passion for cooking, baking, gardening, and writing for as long as she can remember. She is a third generation Vermonter, an elementary school teacher, a mother, and a grandmother. She lives with her husband in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

JANUARY

"When the Days Begin to Lengthen, the Cold Begins to Strengthen"

Another January has rolled around, with the requisite New Year's resolutions and two and a half feet of snow blanketing my garden, berry bushes, and fruit trees. Following so closely on the heels of December's winter equinox, I think at first we might wonder if January isn't just toying with us. Any slight increase in daylight is more than offset by bitter cold, and just when we've suffered through entirely too many snowstorms, a deluge of freezing sleet comes along to remind us things really could be worse.

Hmm ... when you get right down to it, maybe snow isn't such a bad companion to have hanging around after all! It buffers the roots of perennial plants, keeping them safe from extremes of cold. It's great for snowshoeing, skiing, sliding, and snowboarding, and for bragging to our Southern friends and relatives about how many feet of the white stuff we're suffering through this time around! Judging from the multiple trucks stacked with logs that come roaring down the road in front of my house daily, it isn't so bad for the loggers, either.

January is a slow month as far as gardening is concerned hereabouts; the only green things growing at this point are my houseplants and that little tub of mint I dug from my herb garden last fall. Fortunately, the freezer and pantry shelves are still well stocked with pickles, jams, and produce from last year's gardening ventures. And because by the end of the month the days really are becoming noticeably longer, I can once again look forward to starting seedlings for next summer's garden sometime soon. What a good thing January's here after all; when else would I have a chance to look at all those seed catalogs?

Because January begins in celebration, some of the recipes in this first chapter are of a festive nature. However, festive doesn't necessarily mean expensive; with a little bit of know-how, you can produce a wide variety of delicious dishes for very little cost and effort. As we journey through the year together, you're going to learn lots of tricks about producing delicious home-cooked food, whether utilizing what you've raised yourself or purchased from others who've worked hard to provide it for you.

January is a month of rest, renewal, and planning. As I plot out next summer's garden, which of course will be bigger and better than ever, let's begin our journey together through a country year. With a culinary treat or two getting us off to an optimistic start, even better things are sure to follow.

January

1. Breakfast Delight

2. Orange Date Bran Muffins

3. Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

4. Farmhouse White Bread (Two Loaves)

5. Cinnamon Raisin Bread

6. Tangy-Herbed Oyster Crackers

7. Nutty Cereal Snack Mix

8. Creamy Clam Dip

9. Roast Beef Tenderloin

10. Mushroom Gravy

11. Beef Paprikash (Goulash)

12. Pot Roast

13. Old-Fashioned Pot Roast

14. Ridge Beef

15. Roast Saddle of Venison with Cumberland Sauce

16. Cumberland Sauce

17. Venison Stew

18. Venison Mincemeat

19. Mini Mincemeat

20. Meatless Mince Fruit

21. Napoleon of Butternut Squash

22. Orange Anise–Glazed Carrots

23. Brussels Sprouts with Blue Cheese Dressing

24. Warm Winter Salad

25. Mashed Potatoes

26. Scalloped Corn

27. Rabbit Casserole Provencal

28. Herbed Biscuits

29. Country-Fried Rabbit

30. Piecrust ... or Piecrust

31. My Favorite Piecrust

32. Basic Piecrust

33. Piecrust Cookies

34. Pineapple Pie

35. Puff Pastry

36. Chocolate Layer Cake with Fudge Frosting

37. Fudge Frosting

Breakfast Delight

January mornings begin with sunlight filtering golden though the trees overlooking my back meadow. The birds are busy eating at the feeders, hoping to get their fill before the squirrels join in the fun. We all know eating a proper breakfast is the best way to start your day. Oatmeal is a great source of fiber and nutrients; adding some fruit and nuts while we're at it can only improve things. Make an individual serving for one, or multiply the ingredients for the whole family.

For One

½ c. (cup) rolled oats, old-fashioned or quick cooking
Milk or light cream for pouring

Combine the oats, salt, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook from 1–3 minutes, depending on whether you're using quick cooking or old-fashioned oats. Remove from heat and stir in everything else except the milk or cream. Allow it to stand for about a minute to blend the flavors and then enjoy with milk or cream.

Orange Date Bran Muffins

Bran muffins are a great way to add fiber and nutrients to your diet, but only if they're properly moist and sweet. As with so many foods, the manner in which they're prepared is as important as the ingredients they contain. There's nothing like a little zing of orange to help get rid of those winter blahs. These muffins are particularly good with a dab of cream cheese, although you can't go wrong with butter, either.

1¾ c. bran cereal
Soak the cereal in the milk and orange juice for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg and oil. Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the wet ingredients along with the chopped dates and orange zest. Divide evenly among 12 lined or well-greased muffin cups. Bake on an upper rack of the oven at 400°F for 15–20 minutes. Cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes before turning out. These are at their best served while still warm, although they're easier to remove from the wrappers when a bit cooler.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

If you want something a little rich and indulgent for your winter breakfast or brunch, this recipe is the one for you. It's based on a recipe given me by Christine Jefferson, a friend of Finnish heritage who understands the value of a stick or two of butter. Try eating some fresh and freezing some for a rainy (or snowy) day. Wrap your extra coffee cake in two layers of foil or plastic wrap, label with the date, and freeze to enjoy within a month. If you cut into serving portions before freezing, you can remove a slice or two at a time.

Dough
Prepare the dough right in the saucepan. Heat the butter and milk in; it saves on dishes and time. Heat the milk and butter together until the butter is melted and the milk is hot but not boiling. Allow this to cool slightly before stirring in the sugar and slightly-beaten egg. Meanwhile, dissolve the yeast in the ¼ c. of warm water; make sure the water isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast. It should be about 130°F, or feel pleasantly warm when you put a drop on the inside of your wrist. When the milk mixture has reached a comparable temperature, stir in the yeast and a cup of the flour. This forms what we refer to as a sponge — a soft yeast batter. Allow the yeast to "work" for about 5 minutes; you will see bubbles form on the top of the batter. Now stir in the second cup of flour to make a fairly soft dough. Cover and allow the dough to rise for about an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese filling and crumb topping. For the filling, beat the cream cheese until it is soft and smooth. Add the other ingredients except the fruit and beat again until it is smooth and creamy. Melt the butter in a small saucepan; stir in the rest of the topping ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. To assemble the coffee cake, butter a 9 × 13" cake pan. Punch down the yeast dough and roll it somewhat larger in size than the pan; you want it up over the edges to help contain the filling once it's poured in. Fit the dough in pan and pour in the filling, smoothing it out toward the edges. Top the filling with your fruit of choice and fold the dough over the edges of the filling (it won't fully cover it). Sprinkle evenly with the crumb topping. Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes, until the edges and crumb topping are golden brown. Allow it to cool before cutting; the filling will firm up as it cools. Drizzle with glaze, if desired, and enjoy.

Farmhouse White Bread (Two Loaves)

There's nothing like a nice, warm loaf of fresh-baked bread to whet your appetite. Whey is a by-product of the cheese-making process and has the added benefit of making absolutely wonderful yeast-raised bread. If you want to try making cheese, there are several recipes included in the "June" chapter of the cookbook; then you'll have your own whey, as well! However, whey is not readily available commercially, so if you don't have a source, simply substitute milk and water in the proportions given; the bread comes out just fine either way. Be sure to use bread flour when making yeast-raised breads and rolls; the higher gluten content is what gives these breads their characteristic light, springy texture.

1½ c. whey or 1 c. water and ½ c. milk
In a large heatproof bowl or saucepan, warm the whey or the milk and water until the liquid is just lukewarm; a drop or two dribbled on the inside of your wrist should feel pleasantly warm but not hot. Stir in the honey, salt, and butter until the butter melts. Stir in the yeast until it is dissolved. Next stir in two cups of the flour; set the resulting batter aside in a warm (not hot) place for about 5 minutes, until it begins to form bubbles and becomes springy when stirred. This is referred to as allowing the yeast to "work," and it helps produce a finished product of a finer quality. Next, stir in two more cups of flour. Now comes the fun part; remove any rings that you don't wish to become mired in bread dough and knead in approximately one more cup of flour. Kneading is accomplished by using the heel of your hand and the knuckles to push the dough under and over until it is springy and resilient but still fairly soft. Adding too much flour will result in tough bread that doesn't rise particularly well; adding too little will result in too soft dough that sticks to your fingers and generally makes a mess. If in doubt, go for the softer product. Some folks prefer to turn their dough out onto a floured surface to knead it; over the years, I've simply begun using an oversized mixing bowl in which I mix, knead, and allow the dough to raise without having to go through the rigmarole of providing a clean, greased bowl for the rising process. Do whichever feels more comfortable to you. Once the dough is smooth and elastic feeling, place it in a warm (not hot) space, free from drafts, covered with a damp dishtowel, and allow it to hang out for up to an hour. If you find the dough adheres to the dishtowel, you could either place a bit of waxed paper in between the towel and dough, or place a bowl of hot water in the oven along with the dough and not use the dishtowel. Once it has doubled in bulk (when you stick your finger into the dough, it should leave a nice indent), give it a good punch with your fist and turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface for the shaping process. Divide it in half, kneading and shaping each into a rectangle approximately 9" × 12". Tightly roll the longer side of the dough up to form a cylinder 9" long and fit each cylinder into a buttered 9" bread pan. Again, leave it in a warm place (an unlit oven or the back of the stove works well for me), until the dough reaches to top of the pan, approximately another hour. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 35-40 minutes, until the tops of the loaves are golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped with your knuckle. Brush the top of each loaf with soft or melted butter and turn out of the pans sideways to cool on wire racks. Although it's delicious still warm from the oven, it will slice better once it's entirely cooled. Store your cooled loaves wrapped in plastic; I find the 1-gallon-sized plastic bags available in bulk work well, although I prefer the ones with twist ties to the zipper types, as they contour better to the size of the loaf. This will yield two loaves of bread.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Use the farmhouse white bread recipe as the base for your cinnamon raisin bread. You may make both loaves into raisin bread, or just one, leaving the other as is for white bread. The proportions given here are for one loaf of bread, so adjust according to how much you wish to make.

Per Loaf
When you have kneaded and shaped the bread dough prior to rolling it up, lightly spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle it with the combined sugar and cinnamon and then with the raisins. Roll up and place in the pan, seam-side down. Allow it to rise until doubled and bake in a 375°F oven for approximately 35–40 minutes, as per farmhouse white bread. Once it has been removed from the oven, you may either brush it with butter, or if you prefer, allow it to cool and drizzle it with the confectioner's sugar and milk, which have been combined to make the icing. Be sure to let the icing firm up before packaging the bread. A looser wrapping is preferable so that the icing doesn't soften and stick to the plastic; you may wish to use waxed paper or foil, or place the bread in a small air-proof container.

Snacks and Such

Somewhere in between eating breakfast and bedtime come those moments in the day when you'd really like a little something savory to snack on. You can enjoy the following tidbits as part of a New Year's celebration, or just keep them handy for any old time. They're easy to make and store well. They even mail well, if you've some faraway friends or relatives you'd like to surprise with a tasty homemade treat.

Tangy-Herbed Oyster Crackers

Little munchies are always fun to have around the holidays. These herbed oyster crackers are also great as toppers for tomato soup, or crumbled as a cracker topping on casseroles. Powdered buttermilk is available in the baking section of most supermarkets and provides an easy shortcut to many dishes. Store it in the refrigerator once opened for a longer shelf life.

14-16 oz. oyster crackers
Combine all the dry ingredients, including herbs, whisking well to combine. Using a 2-quart measuring cup or mixing bowl, whisk together the dry mixture with the corn oil and lemon juice. Stir in the oyster crackers, mixing well to coat all. Bake on the upper shelf in a 350°F oven for about 5–7 minutes, until heated through but not browned. Store the crackers in an airtight canister or plastic bag.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Farmer's Cookbook"
by .
Copyright © 2011 Marie W. Lawrence.
Excerpted by permission of Skyhorse Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Growing Up in Farm Country,
General Cooking, Baking, and Preserving,
Guidelines,
January,
February,
March,
April,
May,
June,
July,
August,
September,
October,
November,
December,
Old-Fashioned Household Hints,
Weights and Measures,
Harvest Guide,