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Tomato Season at Harvest Gold Gallery!

Original publish date: Sept. 16th, 2011

 

Fearful we would not have enough tomatoes this year, Bill planted no less than 36 plants!   Now we are picking everyday in 7 different varieties.   Even this funny little one that looks like he has a hat!

Our screen porch is table is covered with great colors and delicious flavors.  Many customers have been seen walking out with a sampling!

After giving away free samples we are still left with quite a few.  We have started making sauce.  In three colors this time.

 

 

 Come in for a taste of tomatoes!

Who knew making sauce could be so colorful?

 

 

 

Even if it's a bit messy!
A Warm Dinner on a Cold Winter Night!

Original publish date: Jan. 23rd, 2011


Bill created a delightful French Country Cassoulet to ease the chill on a January evening in Maine.  "Cassoulet" is a fighting word in the southwest of France.  "Each housewife has her recipe, her method, which is the right and only way."  This from the Great Women Chefs of France cook book where Bill spent some of his research for his perfect Cassoulet.


This is the list of ingredients:
2 pounds Great Northern white beans, dried
1 teaspoon of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 onions
2 strips smoked bacon
1 whole head of garlic
3-4 carrots
4 garlic sausages
4 fresh pheasant breast
6 legs of duck
4 country style pork ribs
1/4 cup goose fat
6 cups duck stock
4 cups fresh bread crumbs


 He started by soaking the Great Northern white beans overnight, 6-8 hours.  Throw out the water and put the beans in a large pot and cover with duck stock. Add the thyme, bay leaf, bacon, whole garlic sausages, chopped garlic and quartered onions.  Set over low heat: simmering until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.  This is only the first part of the cassoulet.  Now to the meats.

Separate the duck legs and thighs, trimming excess fat, and cut the pork into 2" chunks. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 450 for 45 minutes until browned.

 

Remove the large pieces of onion from bean mixture, discard.  Remove and cut into small pieces, whole garlic sausages and bacon.  Add the bean mixture to the meat roasting pan, with other meats layering bean mixture and diced raw carrots, then cover with the  remaining liquid.

Add raw skinned pheasant breast (cut into small pieces) to the top of the pan and cover with foil.  Bake at 325 until it simmers: about 1/2 hour.




Reduce oven temperature to 300 and cover with fresh bread crumbs.  Drizzle the goose fat over the top and bake uncovered for 2 - 3 hours until brown and bubbly.



Serve with your favorite red wine, crusty french bread, spinach salad and 8-10 hungry friends.
Happy cooking!
Bill's Pesto, a Quick and Easy Recipe!

Original publish date: Sep. 11th, 2010

It's that time of year when the vegetable garden has seen better days, and the final harvesting of herbs and such must take place before the garden rests for the winter. For Bill, this translates into- PESTO making time! Pesto is a tasty sauce that can be made in a big batch and stored in the fridge or even freezer to add to your dishes at your convenience.  Bill has a quick and tasty recipe that fits any Pesto craving!
The recipe is as follows:  Pick your fresh basil, and using a food processor, add  2 cups of basil leaves, 1/3 cup of pine nuts,  8 cloves of peeled fresh garlic, 3/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Blend this all together into a nice green and aromatic paste! Then add 1 cup of olive oil and blend the oil into the paste.  Store the Pesto in a jar and keep refrigerated and use within 30 days. OR store your pesto into ice cube trays in the freezer. Once they are frozen, pop them out into a ziploc bag and Voila- Pesto all winter long! So yummy!
(Check out Bill's large can of Olive Oil- a sign of a true cook!)

 

And we wanted to share this lovely sunset picture taken from our backyard this week.
We love this time of year! Happy cooking!
Have Green Beans Year-Round with Bill's Kitchen Tips!

Original publish date: Jul. 26th, 2010


From the garden to the freezer: with this large amount of green beans we'll be eating home grown garden fresh green beans all winter!  It's been a great year for the garden with the early spring and hot sunny days so far this summer, and so we have an abundance of green beans.

Bill's best tip for savoring your green beans year round is quite simple: blanche and then freeze!

1. Pick all your green beans when they are ripe, and wash all the dirt off.



2. While you're washing your beans have a full pot of water heating to a boil.

3. Also be sure to have a full bowl of ice water close by


4. When the water boils carefully add all the beans and bring back to a boil.


5. Once the boil returns quickly remove and strain the beans.

6. Add the strained beans to the ice water and gently toss until cold.


7. Remove the beans from the ice water and prepare the beans either French cut or Julian cut. 




8. Then pack and store your beans in freezer bags in the portions you desire!

 


9. Store these bags in the freezer until you are ready to use them on that cold winter day! When you are ready to eat your beans, simply place the frozen beans back in some boiling water to reheat.

10. When water returns to a boil your beans are ready to strain and eat!


Stay posted for more helpful garden and cooking tips from Bill!