Monthly Archives: September 2015

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,571 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,327 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

For this week’s Farm Kitchen Know Your Food Intermediate Level Merit Badge, Part 2, I soldiered on with my all-homegrown/local/organic dinner at my friend’s home. As I mentioned before, these friends, while near and dear, were not exactly farmgirls, and nary an organic ANYTHING had passed their lips.

They had enjoyed their first heirloom tomato though, and that’s when I got cocky.

The homemade wheatgrass, maple syrup, kale, and green-apple smoothie was not a hit.

Photo by Kari Sullivan via Wikimedia Commons

The looks of horror on their faces though … priceless.

I had to start smaller. And quick, before they ordered a High Fructose Corn Syrup and Preservative Pizza and locked me outta their house.

Hastily, I assembled the ingredients for my next course:

Chicken and Bacon Panini Sandwiches with Homemade Roasted Garlic Aioli and Sweet Potato Fries

• Homemade or locally made and organic, good-quality bread. I used white, as we were easing into this territory with my friends and had learned my lesson with the kale smoothie. I wasn’t sure they were ready for my Fifteen Grain Whole Wheat and Sprouted Barley Dark Rye Bread …

• Organic butter from happy cows

• Organic chicken breasts, pounded thin and grilled in organic extra virgin olive oil

• Nitrate-free bacon slices (sprinkle with a little brown sugar or honey for some extra sweetness)

• Heirloom tomato slices (unless your guests already ate them)

• Baby lettuce/spinach/sprouts, whatever floats your green boat

• Red onion

Butter bread. Assemble sandwiches and grill in a Panini press, or in a pan with a very heavy pot placed atop your sandwich. You can add the lettuce after grilling if you like, but I don’t mind a nice charred Romaine, myself.

photo by Tmannya via Wikimedia Commons

Homemade Roasted Garlic Aioli

• 3/4 cup organic olive oil

• The juice and zest of one lemon

• Several cloves of roasted garlic (homegrown if you have it). How many depends on your taste; I recommend at least three! Extra delish, and keeps the vampires away, to boot.

• 2 egg yolks from happy, free-range, organically-fed chickens

• Salt and pepper to taste

Use a blender or food processor to combine everything except the olive oil. Drizzle oil in in a steady, but thin, stream as you blend.

Sweet Potato Fries

• Sweet potatoes or yams from your garden. I like to figure two potatoes per foodie.

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Slice potatoes the way you like ‘em: shoestring style or steak-house style. Drop them in a large pot of boiling and salted water. Leave ‘em there in their bath for 15 minutes or so.

Drain.

Line up on a baking sheet that’s been wiped with olive oil (or organic oil of your choosing). Drizzle a little more oil on top. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Bake at 400ºF for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway.

—————

My “come to you” dinner party was a rousing success. Not only were the sandwiches a huge hit, but my skeptical eaters devoured the fries. They said they were even better than McCarl’s Burger Dairy Jr. and the Roasted Garlic Aioli was much tastier than Miracle Whip.

I swallowed my horror and pride and took it as a compliment.

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Michele McElwee!!!

Michele McElwee (#5969) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert Level Icing on the Cake Merit Badge!

“I have taken all of Wilton’s cake decorating classes in order to earn the Beginner badge. I loved the classes so much. I also taught Wilton Method classes for two years.

I made this cake for my daughter’s going-away party (boot camp) using different techniques I learned with icing/fondant.

I think it turned out well. I always know I have lots of room for improvement and I continue to learn, but I was pleased. A few people wondered why I had boots on the table with the duffle bag cake!

I was contacted by a company (Icing Smiles, Inc)… to bake a cake for a little boy named Hudson. About the company:

Icing Smiles Inc.

We are Baking a Difference.

Icing Smiles is a nonprofit organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. We understand that the simple things, like a birthday cake, are luxuries to a family battling illness. Our goal is to create a custom cake for the ill child, or their sibling, that provides a temporary escape from worry and creates a positive memory during a difficult time.

Memories have magical powers. Long after the cake is gone, the memories linger – memories of the kindness of a stranger, of the art of the design, of the sweet smells of a special treat, of the smiles and laughs, of a normal childhood experience so often stolen from these children. These memories are why we say, “It is so much more than a cake.”

With that being said, I was asked to donate a cake for Hudson, and I was very blessed to be a part of this! (I continue to be involved with them.)

Hudson’s mom sent me a video and pictures of Hudson seeing his cake … and in the video he said, “Thank you, it’s the best cake ever!” So as long as Hudson was happy, I believe it turned out great!”