I admit it…I am a Daddy’s girl! I loved hanging around my Dad on the farm, in the kitchen, at his side picking and singing or listening to the stories he could tell oh so well!

It is Fathers day weekend and we will have some great father’s day gifts here at the farm… beautiful Baber Woodworking cutting boards and Bathtub gin gift packs, as well as grilling specials to take home to treat dad. David Maxwell, the executive chef from Miel will be here from 10:30 AM until 1PM with Grilling pointers and treats from the farm… don’t forget to make plans to spend some time hanging out at the grill with Dave!

Back home there was a guy called Fungo Carpenter. He was a real character, and even though my brother was named Grimes Jr. after my dad, Fungo always called me Grimesey Jr.! I could tell enough stories to fill a book about my Dad, but for the sake of time here I will only tell you a few.

daddy grimes on an old farm vehicle

Story number one… planting corn… My pop was a great farmer… he knew the old time ways, which I wish I would have studied more, but thank goodness for second chances, as Jeff  Poppen  has made relearning these things possible. He loved corn and tomatoes. As I mentioned before, if one cousin was planting acres of something down the road, you didn’t duplicate it: families and neighbors shared. So we always did corn. “Roasninears,” which translates to “Roasting Ears” to folks outside the North Carolina Mountains. One year at just the right time to plant the corn in a 5 acre field the old Moline tractor died… just wouldn’t start. My sister Alice, who loves animals had begged a neighbor not to put down an old mule named Ruth, so the mule had come to our pastures to finish out her last days. I was about 5 or so at the time, but I remember Dad going out an talking to old Ruth, explaining that everything around here had to “earn their keep” and today was a work day for her. Anyone who would have driven up to see the conversation between a man and a mule might have seriously questioned the sanity of the two legged conversant! However, for as stubborn as Ms Ruth was, she obliged the harness and the old time pull plow/seeder and off to the field the man, the mule, and the little girl went. We worked all day, Dad steadying the plow behind Ruth, with me trailing behind covering up the seeds. That was my first memorable lesson in making something happen out of ingenuity and hard work and do believe that was the sweetest corn I remember ever eating!

Dad’s corn production certificate

dad’s FFA photo

Story number two…church doors …Our family attending a small rural Methodist church about a mile or two down the road from our farm. One Sunday after church, the men of the church were discussing the upcoming repairs to the church and that the old church front door needed replacing. The new doors would be in middle of the week and they needed someone with a truck to haul away the old doors.  My Dad volunteered under the condition he could have the doors. They were not doors in today’s terms of doors… they were 3-4 inch think oak slabs about 7 foot tall and about 3 feet wide. So my Dad and brother went and got the doors and brought them home to the farm. He proceeded to use cement blocks to make “sitting benches” one under a huge red oak, one under a huge white oak which filled our yard with shade from the house to the barn. My Dad was a wise man, and many people came to our farm just to sit and talk to Dad about life and problems and ideas. You never knew who would be visiting: from Senators and Officials to cousins and down on their luck folks…they were all treated the same …a session” on the bench.”  He would promptly tell the guest that they were sitting on a piece of the church, which was a good as swearing on the Bible, so they had best tell the truth! Far as I know, they did.  One of those church doors is still in operation today as a sitting bench under a white oak tree, by an old dairy barn. Gosh how I wish it could talk.

dad and I on the plank swing he built for us

And lastly

Story number three,  farm food.

My Dad could cook. Flat out melt in your mouth stuff, including things that probably wouldn’t appeal too much to city folks, but were delicious all the same. He know about the food in the field and could translate that to what to cook! He learned from my Grandmother who was known far and wide for her meals… 3 meals a day for the farm ( she had 10 kids) plus all the visiting cousins ( probably another 10-15 folks) and for mid day meal and a morning break, food for all the tenant workers and field hands.  Food was a big part of family life on the farm. You grew it… then you ate it! He could make amazing fig jam. His canned tomatoes made a cold winter day taste like the end of June and he know exactly how to butcher and then cook up beef that was out of this world. Pots and pans never were put away in cabinets, because they were all going to be used again for the next meal! He understood the importance of having a meal together, and knowing where the food was from. I am so thankful that growing up, that even if I didn’t realize it we were poor in dollars, we were rich with the bounties of the land.

my family around the farm table

Summer’s bounty is here. The squash is rolling in, tomatoes red and yellow too! Chioggia and Red Beets, Chard, Lettuce, spring new potatoes, cucumbers and BEANS! Order your box today and don’t forget the steaks and burgers for dad! Mention “DADDY” and get either a large fig or frog jam, or bread and butter pickles or chow chow for just  $5!

CLICK HERE to order your box

Berry Good Bars 

“Fat Witch Brownies” by Patricia Helding

Bottom Layer

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon apricot jam

Top Layer

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats

3 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried thoroughly 

Grease a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make bottom layer, beat the butter and both sugars until smooth. Add the egg and continue beating until well combined.

Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift together directly into the batter. Mix gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the jam. Mix lightly and leave the batter a little bit streaky.

Using a spatula, spread the dough evenly in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the bottom layer is baking, make the top layer. Whisk the lemon juice and vanilla together. Then add the sugar and oats and continue to mix with a wooden spoon. Gently stir in the blueberries and toss so the oat mixture lightly covers all the berries.

Spread the mixture over the cooked bottom layer in the pan and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the berries are shiny and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter on it.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

Makes 12 to 16 bars.

Blueberry & Lime Curd

“Fruits of the Earth” by Gloria Nicol 

1 pint blueberries

zest and juice of 1 large lime

4 tbsp butter, preferably unsalted, cut into cubes

1 1/8 cups of fine granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

Place the blueberries in a pan with the lime zest and juice, and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until tender.

Push the blueberries through a sieve, collecting the puree in a bowl.

Place the bowl over a pan simmering water (or use a double boiler) and add all the other ingredients, pouring the beaten eggs through a sieve onto the puree. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is well blended. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon–this should take 20-30 minutes.

Pour the curd into small, hot, sterilized jars and seal.

Makes 2 cups.

Blueberry Bread Pudding with Maple Whiskey Sauce

“Comforting Foods” by Margret Fox

Bread Pudding:

4 1/3 cups milk

1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 pound blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)

1 pound loaf brioche or egg bread, crusts trimmed off, bread cut into 1-inch cubes

6 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

1 1/4 cup sugar 

Maple Whiskey Sauce:

1 cup half-and-half

3 large egg yolks

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup whiskey

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the bread pudding:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Put the milk in a medium-size saucepan. If using the vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise with a sharp knife; use the knife tip to scrape the tiny seeds out of the bean into the milk. Add the scraped pod to the milk. Over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil. Cover, remove from the heat, and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

3. Spread half the blueberries on the bottom of the 9-by-13-inch loaf pan. Cover them with the bread cubes and top with the remaining berries.

4. In a medium-size mixing bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar together, just until combined. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk. Whisking the egg mixture continuously, pour in the warm milk; if using vanilla extract, add it now.

5. Pour the liquid mixture evenly over the berries and bread cubes. Place in a baking pan in the oven and place the pudding in the baking pan. Carefully pour enough hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the side of the pudding. Bake until the center of the pudding is set and the top is lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

For the maple whiskey sauce:

1. While the pudding is baking, make the maple whiskey sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the half-and-half to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, maple syrup, whiskey, sugar and cornstarch.

2. Whisking continuously, slowly pour the hot half-and-half into the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until it thickens to a light, pourable custard consistency, about 175 degrees F on a cooking thermometer. Immediately pour the sauce through a sieve into a small bowl set over a medium-size bowl of ice water; or plunge the bottom of the saucepan into an ice bath to stop cooking. Cover and keep warm.

3. When the pudding is done, cut it into generous pieces and serve the warm sauce over it.

Chilled Berry Breakfast Salad

“Salads”

2 cups small strawberries, halved

scant 1 cup raspberries

scant 1 cup blackberries

1 cup blueberries

juice and finally grated rind of 1 orange

1 tbsp superfine sugar

6 tbsp strained plain yogurt

1 tbsp orange blossom honey

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 tbsp toasted chopped hazelnuts

 Put all berries into a shallow bowl. Stir int orange juice and sugar. Cover and chill in refridgerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Put the yogurt into a small bowl and fold in the orange rind and honey.

Divide the chilled salad among 4 serving bowls. Top each with a spoonful of the yogurt mixture and sprinkle with sunflower seeds and hazelnuts. Serve Immediately

Serves 4.       

We’ve got lots of BLUEBERRIES in right now, deliciously ripe and perfect for summertime. Also got some amazing radishes, which can be a new item for some families but always a welcome addition. Check out these recipes and come pick up what you need. We’re also running a special right now: $20 for a quart of blueberries, a bag of Shelton Farms stone-ground corn meal, and a small bottle of Peach Basil Nectar (or Strawberry Mint Syrup) by Bang Candy. Wow!! Could it get any better?

Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes

from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible (c) 2011

Somewhere between a hoecake and a blueberry pancake, this is what I came up with when we were a little low on flour one morning. They are just the sunniest, frutiest, sweetest morning treat. MAKES ABOUT 18 4-inch PANCAKES.

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 large egg

1/4 cup honey2 cups blueberries, fresh or thawed frozen

Confectioners’ suger, for dustin (optional)

1. Grease a griddle or large non-stick skillet with butter, oil, or cooking spray and place over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, as your griddle heats up, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg and honey until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture just until combined. A few lumps are just fine. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to thicken up.

3. Pour out the batter 1/3-cup rounds onto the hot griddle, sprinkle with blueberries, and cook until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the undersides are golden, another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the griddle if it seems dry. Serve hot, dusting with confectioners’ sugar if you’d like.

*A Little Sunshine* Sometimes I like to grate a little lemon zest into my pancake batter, y’all. That sunshiny lemony flavor really perks up the blueberries and livens up the cornmeal. Just a teaspoon is all you need.*

Triple Radish Noodle Salad
http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2012/05/meatless-monday-triple-radish-noodle-salad.html
Serves 2

3 cups daikon radish “noodles” (or shredded daikon radishes)
10 mixed small radishes & their tops (I chose French Breakfast and Red Globe)
4 grams (.14 oz) arame
½ cup chives
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup almonds (soaked overnight or lightly toasted)

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. cold-pressed sesame oil
1 tsp. honey or agave
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ginger powder
pinch of cayenne (if desired)

Directions:
1. Cover the arame with water and let soak while you prepare the rest of the salad (15-20 minutes).

2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Peel the daikon radish. Using a mandolin slicer, a julienne slicer, a spiralizer, a grater, or your excellent knife skills, cut long thin strips of radish and add them to the bowl of dressing.

4. Wash and top the other radishes reserving the greens. Slice radishes as you desire. Add them to the bowl. Toss to coat.

5. Wash radish tops and herbs. Slice thinly and add to the bowl.

6. Chop soaked almonds, or lightly toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Add to the bowl. Serve immediately.

http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2012/05/meatless-monday-triple-radish-noodle-salad.html

The last few weeks of HOT weather already bark of a long steamy summer. The farm already has squash rolling in and the heirlooms tomatoes are a few weeks out, versus the END of June as usual for middle Tennessee. Thanks everyone for coming out and seeing us. Every Saturday feels like “down home day” on the farm!

So the dog days of summer have me remembering our farm dogs! I hope you will take an opportunity to check out the new “Fidorable” blend coffee at the farm. Part of the proceeds from each bag goes to benefit Frankie’s Friends, an animal assistance program.

The name Fidorable comes from my hubbie’s family. His mother named all her great Pyrenees (who are awesome farm dogs) either Fido or Fidorable. Bongo Java/ Fido Coffee Roasters have teamed up with Green Door Gourmet to create a special farm blend honoring the name and the Ganier farm dog legacy. This coffee is a darker roast organic fair trade certified delicious brew.  Remember to help the pups and pick some up when you are here at the farm!

Can you believe it is blueberry season already ? Freedom farms brought some terrific berries by and we are including some in the CSA boxes this week! They are plump and sweet. Summer in one bite!

We are gearing up for our dinner in the field. I am so excited to hear Beppe play not to mention chow down on the farm fresh feast Dave and Richard will be cooking up!

Click here to get you tickets!

Speaking of fun restaurants… don’t forget to pay a visit toWatermark. Green Door Gourmet has had a blast putting the roof top gardens for Chef Bog Waggonner and crew.

They are using a ton of stuff that they are growing right there steps away from the kitchen. How fun is that! Check out our last planting day there and also more photos and info here.

Your box this week you will find new potatoes, tomatoes, squash and zucchini, chard, radish and lettuce, beets and blueberries… sounds delicious! ORDER YOURS NOW. See you at the
farm!