hearts and honey
by fig + fauna farm on 02/10/12
The recent gift of rain has sent us right into a blossoming Spring. I haven't seen a single creature that seems off put by the premature season, and truth be told, I've been dreaming of the warmth and rain that Spring delivers.
The bees have brought forth a delicate honey so sweet and full of tender flavors. Hidden deep within the smooth taste, I find the colorful nectars from the plants that surround us. In the busyness of the morning, I watched bees perform their gentle work, as they danced around the strawberry blossoms and borage flowers. In my quiet moments with the garden and farm animals, I can hear my flow of thoughts so perfectly clear.This time, the bees guided me to a simple paralell of love and honey...
Honey bees spend their days seeking the sweetest nectars in their world. It reminds me of relationships, in that we look for the goodness in eachother each and every day. We too seek the "nectars" of our marriage - the support, caring and affections. Then there is the honey - the thing that binds us in it's delightful stickiness. The honey is the result of our tenderness toward eachother. The honey is our love.
I had a hard time waiting for Valentine's Day this year. My thoughts of honey ran straight from my head to the spelt flour and eggs. We had dessert before dinner - we shared the honey..and therefore we relished in our love.
/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN
Happy Valentine's Day Lovers.
SPELT & HONEY BUNDT CAKES
You will need:
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2 1/2 cups spelt flour (or any combination such as whole wheat or unbleached)
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1 tbsp baking powder
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1/4 tsp ground cloves or cinnamon (or both!)
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1/2 cup pastured butter or coconut oil at room temp
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1 cup honey
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4 pastured eggs
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1 cup milk
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, honey and eggs at medium-high speed until light. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet, then slowly add the milk and mix well. Fill the small bundt molds, dividing the batter evenly. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
For the frosting:
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8 oz cream cheese, softened
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1/4 cup honey (or more to taste)
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1 tsp vanilla extract or one vanilla bean scraped
Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy - refrigerate until ready to use.
Homemade Mayonnaise
by fig + fauna farm on 01/30/12
There's so much possibility in an egg. It represents all the fresh choices and opportunity that belong to a new day. An egg can be boiled and dressed in salt and pepper for a handy snack at the park, or it can be a part of the dough and bind our daily bread. An egg can be stored away for a sunday breakfast, or whipped into the whitest foam to top a birthday pie. In a more basic recipe, eggs contribute a great deal to one of the most well-used condiments around - Mayonnaise.
/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN
You can imagine that a dip with so many followers, is quite varied in recipes. Julia Child has the idea of the type of Mayonnaise that really speaks to me -thick, creamy and tangy.I find that it is the choice of oil that changes the flavor considerably. A very mild flavored Olive Oil or Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil do the trick for me. As for the strenuous amount of whisking...Julia suggests that in order to make good mayonnaise, you must really understand an egg and how to whisk it. Sounds like a plan to me.
JULIA CHILD'S HAND-BEATEN MAYONNAISE
You will need:
- Round-bottomed, 2½ to 3-quart glazed pottery, glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. Set it in a heavy casserole or saucepan to keep it from slipping
- 3 egg yolks
- Large wire whisk
- 1 tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice (more drops as needed)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dry or prepared mustard
- 1½ to 2¼ cups of olive oil, salad oil or a mixture of each. If the oil is cold, heat it to tepid; and if you are a novice, use the minimum amount
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
Directions
Warm the bowl in hot water; dry it. Add the egg yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and sticky. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt and mustard. Beat for 30 seconds more. The egg yolks are now ready to receive the oil. While it goes in, drop by drop, you must not stop beating until the sauce has thickened. A speed of 2 strokes per second is fast enough. You can switch hands or switch directions, as long as you beat constantly. Add the drops of oil with a teaspoon, or rest the lip of the bottle on the edge of the bowl. Keep your eye on the oil rather than on the sauce. Stop pouring and continue beating every 10 seconds or so, to be sure the egg yolks are absorbing the oil. After 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil has been incorporated, the sauce will thicken into a very heavy cream and the crisis of potential curdling is over. The beating arm may rest a moment. Then, beat in the remaining oil by 1 to 2 tablespoon dollops, blending it thoroughly after each addition.
When the sauce becomes too thick and stiff, beat in drops of vinegar or lemon juice to thin it out. Then continue with the oil. Beat the boiling water into the sauce. This is an anti-curdling insurance. Season to taste. If the sauce is not used immediately, scrape it into a small bowl and cover it tightly so a skin will not form on its surface.
Winter Garden Tour
by fig + fauna farm on 01/27/12
Just beyond our kitchen window grows a bountiful winter garden, dressed in shades of green, purple and grey. While my intentions are to bring the fruits, vegetables and greens to the table, most of it is consumed on the spot. The connection of instant cultivate-to-consume, strengthens me for the work that must be done to maintain a vibrant garden. There is magic in tending to a garden - I can only hope to sew a seed to germination, but the fruition is completely an act outside of me.
Readers and gardeners alike...what is the most magical plant that you grow...or hope to grow?
/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN
