Balsamic Beets on Toasties

Beets have loads of healthy benefits as they are packed full of vitamins and nutrients and have even been found to keep blood pressure in check. Plus, they’re DELICIOUS! Try this savory appetizer the next time you have folks over. 

You’ll need:

• 1 baguette
• 8oz garlic herb goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 bunch of beets with stems and leaves (about 3-4 beets)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Salt
• ½ cup of candied walnuts, chopped

To make:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut baguette in ½ inch slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake 8-10 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking for even toasting. Set toasties aside.

In a bowl, combine goat cheese and heavy whipping cream. Use a hand mixer to blend until smooth. Set aside. 

Remove the greens from the beets and rinse. Gently pat dry. Stack the leaves and roll up into a cigar shape. Use a knife to cut leaves into ribbons and set aside.

Peel beets and then, using a mandoline, slice them into thin rounds. Slice rounds into ribbons and set aside. 

Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add greens, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Sprinkle the green with salt and cook them for 2 minutes or until bright green and just wilted. Place cooked greens in a bowl and set aside. 

In the same skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil, beets, and balsamic vinegar and saute for 2 minutes until beets are tender. 

To build your toasties, spread goat cheese on the toasts. Top with beet greens, beets, and chopped candied walnuts. These are a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

Follow us on Pinterest for more delicious recipes! 

Did you know you can get farm-fresh beets sent directly to your doorstep? Learn more!

Delicious Pesto!

Our farm-grown basil has such a wonderful flavor and is the perfect ingredient for salads, herb butters, and, of course, PESTO! Here is one of our favorite pesto recipes. 

You’ll need:

• ½ cup of pine nuts
• ¾ cups parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 6 cups basil leaves (about 3 bunches)
• ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

To make:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay pine nuts out on a baking sheet and roast for 5-7 minutes, tossing halfway. Place roasted nuts on a plate to cool. 

Put cooled pine nuts, cheese and garlic into a food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely ground (about 1 minute). Add basil. With the top on and the motor running, gradually add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the sauce is smooth with just flecks of basil (about 1 minute). Add salt to season. Serve with your favorite pasta!

Recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of pesto sauce.

Follow us on Pinterest for more mouthwatering recipes!

Did you know you can get our delicious basil in your CSA box? Learn more!

Toilet Paper Tube Ornaments

You can’t beat handmade Christmas ornaments. They’re a fun craft the whole family will enjoy and they can often be made with items lying around the house. This DIY ornament repurposes empty toilet paper tubes. Kind of fitting for 2020, no? Giggle.

You’ll need:

Empty toilet paper tubes
Paint
Paint brush
Ruler
Pencil
String

To make:

Paint outside of tube and allow to dry
Paint inside of tube and allow to dry
Using a ruler, draw a ½  inch thick around the middle of the tube.
On one side of the tube, cut equal strips (should wind up with eight) and cut those into triangles.
On the other side of the tube, do the same making sure strips are slightly off set.
Fold triangles towards middle of tube.
Tie string around middle of the tube.

Mom Tip: Lay down wax or parchment paper to save your table for little paint-covered hands.

Hang on the Christmas tree and enjoy!

Check out our blog for other crafts, recipes, and general farm fun!

Hot Cocoa With a Kick

Winters here in Tennessee can be chilly which makes the special ingredient in this hot cocoa so perfect! A touch of chili powder gives this traditional cold-weather beverage a  bit of kick!

You’ll need:
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla (pure or extract both work)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of nutmeg
Sugar to taste (optional)

To make:
Combine all ingredients into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and nearly simmering. Stir frequently. Taste and add sugar, if necessary. 

Follow us on Pinterest for more tasty treat ideas!

What better way to trim your farm-fresh Christmas tree than with homemade ornaments! Kids will enjoy seeing their fun creation hanging on the tree for years to come. Here’s a simple ornament made from common household ingredients! 

You’ll need: 

Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 ½ cups warm water

Tools
Parchment paper
Rolling pin
Cookie cutters
Baking sheet

Decor
Forks, stamps, lace, or anything else to make a pattern
Straw or toothpick (to poke a hole to hang the ornament)
Baking sheet
Paint, glitter, etc.
Mod Podge or Polyurethane spray (for sealing/preserving)
Ribbon or twine for hanging ornament

To Make:

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Slowly stream in warm water while stirring. Keep stirring until all water has been added. 

When it gets to a point where the dough is too thick to stir with a spoon, put it on a lightly floured surface and knead until it’s smooth and pliable.

Put the dough down on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll until about 1/8 “ thick (reduces likelihood of air pockets and future breakage). 

Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and, keeping dough on top of the bottom layer of parchment paper, use cookie cutters to cut out ornament shapes.  

Once all shapes have been cut, peel away all the excess dough, leaving shapes on the parchment paper. Use a straw or toothpick to poke a hole where the ornaments will hang. If you’re going to add texture elements to your ornaments, now’s the time to do it.

Move your ornaments and parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for an hour. Allow to cool thoroughly before decorating. 

After you’ve decorated your ornaments, paint with a layer of Mod Podge or spray with Polyurethane to preserve.

Visit us on Pinterest for more festive DIY ideas!

Christmas Pot-Pourri

The holidays are a time for twinkling lights, the invigorating scent of farm-fresh Christmas trees, and a general sense of togetherness. One of our favorite ways to bring on the holiday coziness is to heat up some stove top pot-pourri!

You’ll need:

1 orange, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
tablespoon of whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole bay leaves
1 star anise pod

Put it all in a pot and cover with water. Turn the heat up until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Your whole house will smell of holiday cheer!

For more festive recipes, visit us on Pinterest.

Easy Roasted Butternut Squash

‘Tis the season for roasting and one of our favorite roasted dishes is butternut squash. Try this easy recipe. It’s guaranteed to please everyone’s palate!

You’ll Need:

1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsps olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook It Up:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, add cubed squash, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.

Arrange squash on a baking sheet and roast until tender and slightly browned, around 25 to 30 minutes.

That’s it! It really is one of the easiest fall side dishes.

Pick up your butternut squash right here at the farm and follow us on Pinterest for more great recipes!

Fall Blooms

What better way to celebrate fall than to take delight in it’s stunning blooms! The cool, crisp weather brings with it some of the most vibrant bouquets of the year.

Here at the farm, we offer a variety of flowers including zinnias, several varieties of celosia, gomphrena, hydrangeas, sunflowers, asparagus fern, gladiolas, and marigolds. With shades of crimson, gold, and bright orange, these flowers will make any space feel like fall.

Come on out to the farm and pick up a few bouquets! New to flower arranging? Visit our Pinterest page for inspiration!

DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is just around the corner! As parents, we’d love to find fun and creative costumes for our kids without spending a fortune.  Try these WICKEDLY easy DIY Halloween costumes! They’re ADORABLE and won’t break the bank!

Scarecrow
You’ll need:
Jeans
Plaid shirt
Face paint
Fabric scraps cut into squares
Hot glue gun/glue or safety pins
Large piece of brown felt for DIY hat

To create:
Sew, glue, or safety pin fabric scraps to jeans and and felt hat. Fake sunflowers can be glued to hat if you’re feelin’ fancy. Paint seems and patches on your little one’s face and you’re done!

Bee
You’ll need:
Yellow shirt
Black pants/leggings
White felt, large enough for a pair of wings
Black felt, cut into wide strips
Hot glue gun/glue or safety pins

To create:
Pin or glue black strips to yellow shirt to create ‘bee body’. Using the white felt, cut out a pair of wings. Pin or glue wings to back of shirt. If you want a more girlie bee, you can add a black tutu to your ensemble!

Minion
You’ll need:
Yellow shirt
Denim overalls
Yellow beanie
Felt (white, black, and grey)
Hot glue gun/glue or safety pins

To create:
Using black felt, cut a strip long enough to wrap around the beanie and glue it to the beanie. Cut out a circle of white felt and another circle of grey felt, cutting out the center to make a frame. Cut out a smaller black circle to create the eyeball. Glue the grey felt frame to the white felt. Glue the black circle to the middle to complete the trademark minion goggle head!

Visit us on Pinterest for more fun DIY ideas!