Get to Pickin' While the Pickin' is Good

Wilson county has a number of orchards and farms where you can pick your own produce. This is a wonderful family activity for this fall. Pick-it-yourself farms in our area include:

Breeden's Orchard - apples - UPDATE October 10, 2007: A visitor reports: "Upon visiting Breeden's this fall we found a sign informing the public that due to the poor crops this year, Breeden's would not be open until next season (2008)"phone: 449-2880 - red and yellow delicious apple picking. 631 Beckwith Road off Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. You also can pick on Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m. In business since 1974.

Bubba Pratts Farm - Corn, Tomatoes.5000 Trousdale Ferry Pike, Lebanon. Phone: (615) 444-0282. Call for Directions.

Circle S Farms - corn (sweet), cucumbers, melons, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, prepicked produce1627 East Old Laguardo Road, Lebanon. Phone: 615-210-8145. Email us at: ptsmith12@hotmail.com Crops are usually available in April, May, July, August, September, October. Open: Strawberries Monday thru Friday 3p.m. til Dark Saturdays 8a.m. till 5p.m. Sun 12p.m. til 5p.m. All other produce by reservation Strawberries May 1st thru June 1st. Other crops as the summer progresses. Payment: Cash, Check.

Dewey Acres - Pollenless Sunflowers and Zinnias.365A N. Greenhill Rd. , Mt. Juliet. Phone: 615 758-8846. Email us at: deweyacres@comcast.net Directions: 40 E or W to Hermitage Exit. R on Andrew Jackson Pkwy. R on Lebanon Rd. L on N. Greenhill Rd. 3/10 mile on Left. Second house in drive. Crops are usually available in July, August, but the 2007 sunflower crop is a bit late and will be available from late August into October. Open: Call for hours and crop availability. Closed on Sundays. Payment: Cash, only. Email to request available colors of flowers!

Kelley's Berry Farm - Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries.50 Riverview Lane, Castalian Springs. Phone: (615) 633-1426 or (615) 374-3050. Call for directions.

S & S Berry Farm - Blackberries.4515 Central Pike, Hermitage. Phone: (615) 758-9041. Call for directions.

The Perfect Autumn Salad: Baby Spinach Salad with Caramelized Onions and Apples

This is *the* perfect salad for autumn. I added grilled chicken, marinated in Dijon and balsamic vinegar, for a satisfying dinner and had a rosemary roll on the side.

BABY SPINACH SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND APPLES
From Whole Gourmet Natural Cooking
Yield: 4 Servings

CURRIED APPLES AND ONIONS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 apple, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder

DRESSING
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons walnut oil (or use more olive oil)

CANDIED PECANS OR WALNUTS
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup

SALAD
4 handfuls of baby spinach
2 ounces goat feta


Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and apple. Saute for 2-3 minutes, turn down the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 35-45 minutes, until the onions have released their natural sugars and begun to caramelize. They should be a nice caramel color.

In the meantime, prepare the dressing and candied pecans. For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small dish. Let the dressing sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

For the pecans, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the pecans in the pan, stirring and flipping constantly, until the pecans are lightly toasted, about 8 minutes—watch out, they burn fast at the end.

Add the spices and salt; mix about 30 seconds to toast the spices. Turn the heat to low and add the maple syrup. Stir constantly, cooking until the mixture has thickened and is very sticky, about two minutes. Remove to a plate and cool completely.

Place a handful of spinach onto four salad plates. Drizzle with the dressing. Place 1/4 of the warmed caramelized onions over each of the plates of spinach and top with the candied pecans and feta. Give each a grinding of fresh black pepper. Serve while the onions are still warm.
©2006 Copyright Alison Anton - All rights reserved. Whole Gourmet Natural Cooking

Wine and Food Pairing

Not sure what type of wine to pair with your dinner? Check out this food and wine pairing chart on The Food Network.

photo: flickr

Roasted Red Peppers

You too can have the smell of fresh roasted peppers wafting through your own kitchen. Roasting peppers at home is easy, and takes less than ten minutes. They can be roasted on a gas stovetop flame, under a broiler or on a barbecue.



Instructions:

Turn the heat source to high. Wash and dry the peppers.

With a pair of tongs or long fork, place the whole peppers directly on or under the heat source and gently turn them until they are blackened and blistered. This takes several minutes on each side. Try to get all the nooks and crannies to blacken.

Place the peppers in a bowl and cover for about 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. With your fingers, gently peel off the blackened skins. If they are hot peppers, use plastic gloves and be very careful not to get any of the pepper juices on your hands or in your eyes. Resist the temptation to peel the peppers under water or rinse them off, as you will lose the flavorful juices.

Slice them in half and remove the seeds. Slice thin for salads and appetizers, mince for a garnish, or puree for dips and dollops.

Instructions from Alison Anton's Whole Gourmet Natural Cooking blog.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Goodies

Happy autumn! Got pumpkins on your mind? Try these two recipes!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.
2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and mix in sugar, pumpkin, and oil.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend in the egg and pumpkin mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the muffin pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans, and cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.