If you’re looking to get more nutrition from your meals without adding extra bother to your kitchen routine, organ meats might be your new secret weapon. Liver, heart, and kidney from grass-fed beef or lamb are packed with essential vitamins and minerals — think B12, iron, vitamin A, and zinc — and with just a…
If you’ve ever cooked a pot of beans and thought, “Wow—these actually taste like something,” chances are they were heirloom beans. Unlike the beans you’ll find in grocery store cans, heirloom beans are older varieties that have been passed down through generations. They’re grown for flavor, nutrition, and beauty—not for how well they fit into…
This Asparagus Spelt Salad is a delightful combination of hearty spelt berries, tender asparagus, and fresh chives, all tossed in a bright lemon dressing. Topped with creamy feta cheese and optional chive blossoms, it’s the perfect light yet filling dish for spring. The nutty spelt pairs wonderfully with the crisp, savory flavors of the vegetables,…
This bean dip is the perfect addition to a charcuterie board, or great as a stand-alone appetizer with some veggies or crackers. It’s creamy, yet full of flavor. If you are feeling adventurous, you can switch up the spices for an endless variety of dips! Garlic Dill Bean Dip 2 cups (about 1/2 pound) Marrow…
(Read all the way to the end for information about our annual Shearing Day open house!) When it’s cold outside, my thoughts turn to wool, and what a great resource it is. Here’s a quick Wool 101 class. Wool is renewable. Sheep are shorn once a year, providing a good supply of new wool all…
We’re in prime garden season right now. Such an abundance of great veggies—and if you don’t have your own garden, you can head down to the farmers market and get them from a local farmer. I love to make this bean dip to go along with my veggies. It’s something that Mike came up with…
Sometimes I just don’t have time to cook a big meal after I get home from work. I still want us to eat well, but I need to have something quick. These meatballs can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until it’s time to cook them. Cook the beans ahead of time, too, and…
One of the things we’ve learned from people at the farmers market is how few people actually cook anymore. It might be a dying skill. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Let me guess—you don’t have 60 minutes each day to spend in the kitchen? Neither do I. Let’s try one or two…
Article by Rich C. Lakeberg, Ottawa County Department of Strategic Impact (posted with permission) The West Michigan growing season may not have started yet, but the Ottawa County Agriculture Preservation Board is celebrating a bumper crop after officially protecting its sixth property, Shady Side Farm, with the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program. This agreement guarantees…
I know you’ve been looking at seed catalogues lately. It’s still plenty cold outside, but now is the time to dream. And as you plan, I’d like to encourage you to consider incorporating wool in your garden. Why you should use wool: Conserves water. Wool holds 20-30x its own weight in water and releases it…