Farm Kitchen

This salad is easily adapted to your vegetable preferences. Add more of your favorites.

The Counting Chef’s Cow-Slaw Salad™
In large mixing bowl put:
1/2 medium head of cabbage chopped (about 5 cups)
1/4 cup carrots diced
2 tbsp. green pepper diced
2 tbsp. chopped red onion
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Dressing:
In quart jar put-
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
Make dressing by mixing vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and
pepper in quart jar. Shake until blended. Pour over cabbage
mixture. Stir. Refrigerate until flavors are absorbed.

The Counting Chef’s says,
“Make fruits and vegetables your style.
Enjoy a treat once in a while!"

Apple Smiles are an easy treat. Simmer the apples in water for fewer calories or sauté them in butter for a richer dessert. Add them to a pre-baked tart shell (if desired) and serve with a dollop of Crème Fraiche.

Ingredients:
4 medium apples peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges with apple cutter.
Cut each of these in 1/2 again. Try to keep a uniform size.
3 tablespoons water OR 3 tablespoons butter
2 tsp.– 4 tsp. sugar depending on the type of apple or the sweetness desired.
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions
Put water or butter in large fry pan
Add apple wedges. Begin simmering apple wedges in water over med heat. Or sauté apple wedges in butter over low heat.
Simmer/sauté about 5 minutes or until apples are fork tender. You do not want mushy apples. Stir gently occasionally. Add a little more water or butter if needed.
Mix sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Sprinkle sugar on apples. Stir gently. Remove pan from heat.
Let cool. When cool, arrange apple slices on pastry shell. (Recipe below)
Garnish with other fruit such as raspberries or blueberries if desired.
Serve with Crème Fraiche!

The Counting Chef’s "Pat-a-Cake" Pastry (No rolling)
(for 8"-9" tart).
Step 1 (pastry dough - dry ingredients)
1 ½ c. flour
½ tsp salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
In bowl mix flour and salt
Cut in shortening with a fork until mixture looks like small pebbles. Set aside.
Step 2 (pastry dough-liquid ingredients)
Let kids help with this step by putting the following ingredients in a jar with lid. Shake until blended.
1 egg
2 tablespoons of water
1 ½ tsp. vinegar
Step 3 (combining ingredients)
Make a “well” (small hole) in flour mixture in bowl.
Pour liquid mixture into “well”
Stir together with fork until blend.
Divide mixture into 2 balls and pat together as if making a snow ball. If too sticky, add a little flour.
With palms, press one pastry ball into a tart pan or pie tin. Come up the side of the pan a little ways.
If necessary take more pastry dough from remaining pastry ball. If desired, brush pastry with an egg white wash made by separating the yolk from the white of an egg. Stir the whites of the eggs briskly. Spread a small amount on bottom of tart crust.
Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche.
In a pint jar, put 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. (Do not get ultra pasteurized.) (Do not whip the cream. )
Add 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Stir. Let set at room temperature. It will thicken in about 12 hours. It is a rich and flavorful topping for the apple dessert. Refrigerate. Dust apple dessert with sugar just before serving.

The Counting Chef visited the FriendChip Farm's kitchen recently to help make peach salsa. It was served with organic blue corn chips (made from the blue corn grown on the farm) and a grilled chicken breast sandwich.
Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 ripe peach
1 medium cucumber
2 tablespoons green onions (scallions) chopped
1/4 cup blueberries
2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoons olive oil
Pint jar or mixing bowl

Directions:
1.Cut one medium cucumber in half lengthwise and remove seeds with spoon. Peel each half with potato peeler. Dice. Add to pint jar
2. Cut peach in half, remove pit. Dice. Add to pint jar.
3. Add chopped green onions (scallions) to pint jar.
4. Mix orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil in small container. Add to pint jar.
5. Put on lid securely and shake gently.
6. Remove lid. Add blueberries. Put lid back on jar. Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve: Pour into serving dish and mix gently. Serve (using slotted spoon to drain excess juice) with organic blue corn chip and a grilled chicken breast sandwich!