Crows Goat Dairy Farm in the Phoenix Valley

We love Crows Dairy and are so happy to mentored by Crows! You go Crows!

Swiss Chard - Love It!

Swiss chard is beginning to pop up in all the right spaces in rows at our farm.  And this is just about my favorite way to prepare Swiss Chard (compliments of Cookiemag.com)

Swiss Chard from last years garden.

Recipe:
1 bunch of Swiss Chard - washed and drained.

Trim the leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves and pat them dry.

Then, in a large skillet saute 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. I use a liberal amount of olive oil, but use what you'd like.

Boil water for linguine (or spaghetti) and cook a good amount al dente - then set it aside.

Next, sprinkle red-pepper flakes into the oil and garlic and saute for about 1 minute.

Add the chard and saute until it's wilted - then remove it from the heat. 

Now, add the pasta. Toss with salt and pepper and then - the fun part - toss a handful of grated Parmesan.

Serve and watch the eyes begin to smile.

If you like you could serve some baked chicken pieces with this - I generally don't. Just a big plate of this along with my home made whole wheat bread.

Goats will climb in your lap . . .

. . . if you let them.

It's Friday and we've begun to gather . . .

 . . . for the market on Shea & 94th - N. Scottsdale Farmers' Market.

We're bringing . . . .
our gourmet French garden micro greens - it's a combination of cress, radish, fenugreek, clover, radish, arugula and dill. Can't get much healthier than this!  These micro greens are of course great on a sandwich, topped on a tomato, a slice of 76 cucumber with goat cheese and a mixed in a salad of greens.

We're bringing . . .
a basket full of American beauty eggplant with a few handful of our Mediterranean eggplant.  Those smaller purplish/white eggplant are perfect for stuffing.

We're bringing . . .
a basket full of our gourmet 76 heirloom cucumbers....crisp on the inside. Great for salad and sandwiches or just to nosh on.

We're bringing . . .
fresh cut herbs: basil, mint, thyme, oregano and a few others.  One of the things we hear people say is that they can smell our herbs when they walk in the door...and it's that lovely fresh fragrance that draws them to our French inspired market store.

We're bringing . . .
fresh cut flowers from the farm.

We're bringing. . .
a few pounds of okra pods.

We're bringing. . .
some hot spicy arugula.

We're bringing . . .
some fresh salad green mix....very little...the first of a huge crop to come.

We're bringing farm eggs from Ruthanne's Hen House (a friend of the farms)

The Simple Farm farm team hopes to see you this Saturday, the 2nd - 8 am at the North Scottsdale Farmer's Market on Shea & 94th St.

Soup & Stew Recipe from Dawn's "Farm"

Spicy Chicken & Hominy Stew  

Prep:  25 min

Cook: 10 min

Makes: 6 servings

1T EVOO

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1" cubes

1 c chopped red onion

6 cloves garlic (1 T minced)

2 15oz cans hominy, rinsed & drained

2 14oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth

1 c pitted olives, quarted (I omit as I am not an olive fan)

1/2 to 1 c purchased green salsa or green enchilada sauce (can adjust amount to taste - more salsa = more spice.  We like a full cup)

1/4 c finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (we ALWAYS use more - can never have too much cilantro)

1/2 of an avocado, chopped (optional)

2 T sour cream (optional)

2 T finely shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

1.  In a 4 qt Dutch oven, heat EVOO over medium high heat.  Add chicken.  Cook & stir for 3-4 min until browned.   Add red onion; cook & stir 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook & stir 1 minute more. 

2.  Add hominy to chicken mixture; cook & stir 4 minutes.  Stir in chicken broth, olives, salsa & bell pepper.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat.  Stir in cilantro. 

3.  If desired, top individual servings w/avocado, sour cream & cheese.  

Tangy  Black Bean Soup

Prep: 35 min. 

Cook:  25 min

Makes: 6 servings

1/2 c chopped onion

12 cloves garlic (2T minced)

2 T EVOO

1/2 t ground cumin

8 c reduced sodium chicken broth

3 15oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 lemon, sliced 1/2 " thick

1/2 c snipped dried tomatoes (not oil packed)

1 small fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded & finely chopped (optional)

1 T chopped fresh oregano or 1 t dried oregano crushed

1 1/2 t sherry or balsamic vinegar

1.  In a 4 qt Dutch oven cook onion & garlic in hot oil over medium heart until tender, stirring occasionaly.  Add cumin; cook & stir for 1 minutes more.  Add broth, beans, lemon slices, tomatoes. jalapeno & oregano if using dried.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered for 15 min. stirring occasionally. 

2.  Discard lemon slices. Remove 3 c of the soup mixture to a large heatproof bowl.  Use an immersion blender or potatoe masher to coarsely puree or mash the mixture in the bowl (I just our regular blender).  Return to Dutch oven.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 

3.  Stir in vinegar & oregano (if using fresh).  

What to do with your butternut squash - make soup!

Butternut Squash & Coconut milk soup
2 cups butternut squash
1 can coconut milk
about 1/3 cup water
Curry to taste

In a deep large saucepan fry up butternut squash till it's soft. Then . . .

Add coconut milk. Stir on medium to low heat. Then . . .

Add curry. Add water as needed. Mash with a potato masher.

You could also add a diced carrot and some sauteed onion.

Serve with a sprig of rosemary! 

Tortilla Soup from the Farm

Now that there is some hope of cooler weather, I thought I'd share one of the soups that's a weekly mainstay at our home. You've got to try it and let me know!

It's Tortilla Soup from the Fix-It and Forget It Cookbook (Good Publishers) and it's done in your crockpot!

My husband LOVES this soup. Both our daughters make it frequently and everyone they serve it to LOVES it.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves (cook, debone and shred chicken)
1 garlic clove, minced,
2 Tbsp. butter,
2 14 1/2 oz cans of chicken broth,
2 14 oz cans chopped stewed tomatoes,
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot),
1/2 cup chopped cilantro,
1 Tbsp or more of ground cumin.

Melt the butter and add the minced garlic to it. Combine all the other ingredients in a slow cooker THEN add the sautéed garlic. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.

Then shred or cube 8 oz of Monterey jack cheese - put this in your soup bowls. Ladle your soup over the cheese THEN sprinkle tortilla chips on the top and add a dollop of sour cream.

IT'S that easy and very yummy. I always double the recipe. It's great the first day and even better the second. And it freezes well— Enjoy! Let me know how you like it!

Cooler weather definitely calls for soup simmering on the stove. Also with this cooler weather I'm seeing the cilantro I planted a few weeks ago pop up!

I used to make this Salsa Corn Chowder frequently but for whatever reason, haven't made it in ages.

Guess what will be on our dining room table soon?


Corn Chowder– Serves 6—8

                 Ingredients
1 1/2c chopped onion

1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 T flour
1 16 oz pk. sweet corn (thawed)
2 c salsa
13 3/4 oz can chicken broth,
1 8 oz container of soft cream cheese,
1 c milk, fresh
springs of cilantro

First, in a large saucepan saute your onions in butter in a large saucepan.
Stir in your flour and your seasonings.Add your thawed corn, salsa, broth and bring this to a boil and then immediately remove it from the heat.

Now, gradually add 1/4c of your hot mixture to your cream cheese (which you have already put into a bowl).Stir this well until it’s blended.

Continue until it’s all combined and blended.

Cook this until it’s thoroughly heated. DO NOT BOIL. Serve immediately in bowls and top each bowl with a small sprig of cilantro.

Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup

Awhile ago I had a half head of cabbage in my refrig. I'd wanted to make sauerkraut, until I ran across this FABULOUS recipe. You must try it and let me know if you like it as much as we did!

Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup   Serves 4
1 Tbs Oil
1 Small Onion, minced
1 Small Cabbage, about the size of a grapefruit
2 Large Carrots, chopped
1 15oz Can Tomatoes, blended smooth
6 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Tamari, low sodium
1/3 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar,
1 tsp Hot Red Chili Flakes
1/2 tsp Salt, Black Pepper, to taste (a lot!)

Heat a large 5 qt soup pot that has a heavy lid over medium heat. Add oil and onion, and saute until golden. Meanwhile, quarter your cabbage, remove the core, and shred the cabbage with a large chef’s knife. Add carrots, tomatoes, cabbage and water to the pot and stir well. Add the Tamari, vinegar, chili flakes and salt.

Bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until cabbage and carrots are the desired tenderness. Grind a lot of fresh black pepper over the top and serve.

Autumn Harvest Soup

I'm into soups. And, I'm always looking for new, yummy soup (healthy) recipes. So, if you have some, send them my way. Either email me or post them in the comments section.

I just found this one off of Leeks and Bounds Blog. I'll definitely make it.

Autumn Harvest SoupServes 4-6
1-2T olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2-3 carrots, cut into rounds

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and crushed

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15oz can pinto beans (or, any combo you like)

1 bunch kale or chard, chopped
Grated

Parmesan cheese, to tasteSalt + Pepper to taste

In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant then . . .
Add chicken/vegetable stock
Add carrots, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes
Add tomatoes (crush them up with your hands first), beans and chard/kale
Bring to a boil, cover and cook until chard/kale is wilted, about 5 -10 minutes
Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on grated Parmesan