| Our lovely $20 Farmer Pick box this week! |
We are celebrating that the last really cold forecasted night is past us now, the sun is shining hard and the next couple of weeks look like we are in for fantastic weather! Of course we are always wary of late freezes, and for us the "Great Easter Freeze of '07" will always be a reminder of how bad it could still be. This week we are tilling, planting and mulching Peas, Lettuce and other Spring crops, yay! We are also doing a lot of Farmyard renovations this Spring with new houses for our Goats and we are moving the range for our Chickens and Ducks to include several more acres. Check out some Farm pics from this week below.
Weekly Recipe: Kale Ravioli
| These are so flavorful we serve with just a drizzle of Georgia Olive Oil. |
We know a lot of folks won't make homemade Pasta at home but we'll share the recipe we made for this past weekend's Supper Club with practical options for the Pasta. Of course if you have a little extra time, fresh homemade Pasta is fantastic and we'll help you make it! The Pasta: A great easy alternative to homemade is to use either Won Ton or Egg Roll Wrappers found in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. If using these skip down to the Ravioli section. To make your own: in a stainless steel bowl combine 3 cups Bread Flour and 3 large Eggs (you can use Chicken or Duck Eggs). Add 1-2 Tablespoons good Olive Oil, knead until dough forms. You should have a dry firm smooth dough ball, not sticky (add a little more flour if it is). The ratio can vary depending on humidity so keep a little extra flour and Olive Oil on hand to add as you work the dough. Then the hard part: knead for five minutes until the pasta dough is smooth and texture is even. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature. For Ravioli: prepare filling (see below). Cut dough into rectangular chunks about 1-1/2" thick, 2" wide and 4" long. Roll through pasta machine on widest setting, repeat with each thinner setting until you have a long sheet that is as thin as your machine will go. (There are lots of great videos online for using a manual pasta machine.) Cut rounds of the pasta sheets (Will likes to use a Tomato Paste can about 2" in diameter but you can use any size biscuit cutter or round can for this). For 2" Ravioli scoop 1 teaspoon of your filling, place in the center and dab a bit of water around the edges. For larger Ravioli or Won Ton Wrappers use up to a Tablespoon. Place a second pasta round on top of the filling and press the edges together, be sure to squeeze any air pocket out before the final edge is sealed. Place Raviolis on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal so they don't stick together and continue until you make enough for your meal. They can also be frozen: place raw Ravioli in a single layer on the baking sheet until frozen then place in a zip bag or sealed container. The Kale filling: this is a variation on the Kale Pesto we had in last week's Newsletter. Wash, trim and chop 3-4 leaves of Kale, about 1 cup chopped. Pulse in a food processor with 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs, 8-10 Pecan Halves, 6 Tablespoons good Olive Oil, salt and pepper and 1-2 cloves Garlic until Kale is finely chopped like a Basil Pesto. Add 1/2 cup grated or crumbled Truffled Fontina Cheese, pulse until combined and filling is smooth.Cooking the Ravioli: We like to use a large skillet, salt your water and bring to a simmer (not quite boiling). Simmer Ravioli for 2-4 minutes, they will float and the pasta will turn a bit translucent when done. Serve these Kale Ravioli with a light Cream Sauce or as we did with just a drizzle of Georgia Olive Oil.
Farmhouse Supper Club
We had a ball with a wonderful group of folks for our Valentines Supper! Make your reservations for our upcoming dates:
March 12th (almost full) / April 9th / May 14th / June 11th / July 9th Our Supper Club meals are four-course menus we prepare right here on the farm with the ingredients we have from our group of farmers that week. We always have a Soup, a Salad, a Main Course (both Vegetarian and Meat options) and Dessert. The Kids Menu is smaller portions of the four courses and we can accommodate food allergies and preferences for most anyone. Be sure to look for the lovely article about our Supper Club in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from January 21st! If you missed it here is the link to the online version.
Purchase your reservations here (even when the rest of the Online Market is closed) and be sure to make a note in the Comments section of the order which date you are reserving for and any food allergies or preferences. If you have not been out yet to join us for our Farmhouse Supper Club we look forward to your visit!
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From the Farmers
We are very proud to bring our farmer harvests to your family's table and we always want to know what you think about what we do. Send us your recipes, pictures and stories and thank you for supporting your local food system!
Moore Farms
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