Who We Are



The past few years, the area where I live, Crawford County, Ohio, has seen a wonderful explosion of younger families who are embracing the joys and challenges of living off the land. Because of them, amazing things are happening which have been embraced by our community. Farmer’s markets have been created and on-farm stores have opened. Families dedicated to growing organic produce and naturally raised meats are meeting the public’s needs for locally raised foods. And at the heart of this movement are the women.



Ohio Country Journal is my attempt to share the essence of farm life, focusing on, but not limited to, women. My goal is to bring you into our circle of friendship by inviting you to share your stories and experiences with us. You don’t have to be a full time country woman to benefit from joining us; you just have to be you.





The full-time country women featured in Ohio Country Journal are an inspiration to anyone who dares to follow her dreams, whether it is to live in the country or to bring the country life-style to their urban neighborhoods.





Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Peaches... and Pears... and mmmMMMMMM (Pear/Peach Salsa Recipe)


These are our red pears. The trees are loaded and will soon be ready to harvest.

 Four of these trees were on our property when we bought it, and we have not been able to identify exactly what kind of pears they are.

They look like Red Bartletts, but those kind ripen later in the season and are good keepers. Ours ripen around the first to second week of August and are not good keepers.

What they are, however, is the most delicious pears I've ever eaten. When ripe, they are fine textured and very sweet and juicy.

Our red pears make good pear pies, sauce, and hold up well when home canned. Since we have such an abundance, I have canned pears every way that I can think of. Picture the scene in Forest Gump when his shrimp buddy tells Forest all the ways that shrimp can be prepared and you get the idea of how it is with me and these pears: cinnamon pears, mint pears, brandied pears, plain pears, etc. etc. :)

Last summer I came across this recipe for peach/pear salsa from my fav cooking website, www.allrecipes.com. Since our pears are early and ripen just about the time we also have peaches, I gave it a try. Now it is among one of my favorite "specialty" dishes to make.  As always, I encourage you to think of this recipe as a starting point and make it your own. For instance, if you don't like curry, you can omit it. The original recipe called for 2 2 cloves of garlic, but I only like to add one. Now that I have the garlic oil that I made using the garlic scapes, I will simply add 1 tablespoon of the oil and eliminate the garlic. A Vadalia onion would be nice instead of the red onion. Or even add some chopped up chives. There are many ways to re-format this recipe!!

Marcheta *fruity-fruity

Peach and Pear Salsa

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
4 peaches - pitted and diced
1 pear - peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste




Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat; cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir the peaches, pear, and honey into the onion and garlic mixture; allow to cook together for 2 minutes. Season with the curry powder, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking at a simmer until hot, 5 to 6 minutes.

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