Meet Ida and Localvore Week ~ Day 6

 These pretty apples are Ida Reds. Originally from the famous Spud State, Idaho, Ida Red is a cross between Jonathan and Wagener. 

Ida is a bit of a tart with a measure of sass thrown in, so it only appeals to people who like to eat apples on the tart side. 

So far this year we have harvested Yellow Transparent, Lodi, and Wealthy...and the tartness level goes down with each variety. I'd say, for me at least, Ida Red is on the borderline...there's a hint of sweetness behind the kick:)

If you find that Ida Red is still to tart to eat straight up, try adding them to chicken salad (will really perk up deli salads!), Waldorf, or other salads.

If you like baking apples, Ida Red's for you! And if you are in a hurry, Idas are great as fried apples. I saute apples in (real, of course!) butter. When they are done, I sprinkle them with a mulling spice mix (my own) or a combination of apple pie spice and sugar.

Marcheta *Ida Red's Friend

**********LOCALVORE DAY 6**********

Even though Galion/Crestline Chamber of Commerce was grilling free hot dogs on Galion's Public Square, and I was super busy with a TON of things that had to get done, I pushed down temptation and ate locally harvest meals at home.

We still had enough hamburger from Rus-Men's Naturally Raised Meats to make each of us a fat, juicy sandwich, served on locally baked buns also purchased from The Farmers Wife Store. Fresh tomato and green pepper mustard made the sandwiches yummy. I had some Iceberg lettuce needing to be used up, and really, is a hamburger complete without lettuce? 

Another thing needing to be used up was an eggplant bought at NorthSide Farmers Market on Tuesday. I sauteed it with white onion and yellow squash.

I finished up the home made tomato juice and Jim had iced tea.

Jim was away at supper, so I had an egg sandwich with a side of tomatoes, topped off with an oatmeal cookie bought at NSFM from Bill's Bakery.

Not sourced locally:

Iceberg lettuce

tea

Localvore Week, Day 1

Today is the first day of my experiment of having as much locally produced foods as possible for our meals. So far I'm calling it 99% successful. The glitch came about because Jim had bought green beans at Ashland's farmers market on Saturday when he was in that town on business. I was working at Bucyrus' Lil' Farmers Market, if I had known that he was coming home with fresh green beans, I could have bought ham, bacon, or ham-hock from Mendy and Russ, who also set up at the market with their naturally raised meats. 

Those beans needed to be cooked today, and Mendy's store is not open on Monday, so I thought the next best choice would be at Discount Drug Mart. Yes, it is a chain store, but it does a pretty good job of supplying local when available. DDM carries meat from  New Washington, a village in the northern part of the county. 

No luck, DDM was out of what I was searching for, (being Monday morning I am guessing that the delivery hadn't arrived). My only option that was left was to go to our main grocery store. I bought a nice ham hock, that I believe came from an Ohio farm. 

Back home, I cleaned the green beans and put them in a slow cooker with potatoes and onion from our garden. The ham hock went in for flavor.

Then it was time to fix lunch. The only thing on our lunch menu that was not local was lettuce.

I made hamburgers from ground beef bought at Mendy's store on Saturday. The bread was a hearty maple/oat loaf that I got at NorthSide Farmers Market last week. It is wonderful bread made by the Charlton's. The bread has no preservatives and has to be stored in the refrigerator, but believe me, I've never had any kind of bread keep as long as the Charlton's. :)

The tomatoes and red peppers were from our garden, the cauliflower from Witter's Produce (again bought at NSFM).

A peach smoothie, made with our peaches and fresh milk from Hartzler's Dairy in Wooster (again, purchased at Mendy's) served as beverage and dessert :)

Tonight's dinner is the green bean dish (it smells SO good!) and apple/pear cobbler, made with our apples and pears, honey from Dave Duncan (Crestline) and Hartzler's milk. 

All in all, I think that I've got a good start to a localvore week of eating. What do you think?

Marcheta *keepin' it real

Half Local, But I Can do Better!

Today is another Lazy Sunday. After breakfast at home, we're off to where the road takes us.

I like days like this, with no agenda...nothing in particular that needs to be done or seen. We all need adventure in our lives; for me, the more the better!


I do want to share today's breakfast menu (did not take time for pics, daggoneit!).

French Toast made with cinnamon swirl bread, home baked by the Charlton family (vendors at both NorthSide and 'Lil Farmers Markets).  Served with raspberry syrup bought from the Charltons, who are distributors for a small business that makes syrups.  The eggs were from Bill and Kathy Bebee.

Small link sausages, finished off with Shag Bark Hickory Syrup, bought at Shreve's Migration Sensation event from the person who makes it. It is VERY yummy!

Sliced bananas, with a slight maple syrup drizzle. Of course, the syrup was made by Galion's own Nelsonstrail honey and syrup makers :)

Iced tea.

So, here's what I was thinking: most of this meal was from local producers. Could I make a similar breakfast that is TOTALLY local?

 

!!!!!!YOU BETCHA!!!!!

 

Even heavy rain does not stop

Chef Michael Taylor and his

wife Mo from doing cooking with

fresh, locally raised foods at 

NorthSide Farmers Market.

Stay tuned, because I am on a mission to do just that. To make it easy, Chef Michael Taylor leads the way with his demos on cooking with local foods. He and his wife, Mo, come twice a month to NorthSide Farmers Market, ready to shop the market and cook with what is there that day. (Believe me, his demos are loads of fun!...and tasty, too!!!)

 

 

The next farmers market is on Tuesday, so I'll be looking for sausage or bacon from Rus-Mens Naturally Raised Meats, and if our peaches/pears/apples are still not ready, berries from Fairview Orchards.  And, I'll take time for pics, too :)

 

How much locally raised food is in your pantry? Like me, can you do better?

 

Marcheta *working on improving

 

 

Country Friends

Today I am participating in the Cracked Pot's Mother's Day Open House, "A Taste of Spring". Yesterday I set up a photography display. So if you are in the area (Galion, Ohio) stop in and see my "Cardshop Cafe" display. The Blue Plate Special is Humor :)


Many thanks to Jackie for the opportunity to showcase my work and to Noel (who is set up with taste samples and her cookbook, Apron Free Cooking) for brainstorming on how to display my card designs. This is what I think friendship is all about: a circle. I introduced Noel to Jackie, which led to the open house which I helped to plan, which led to Noel and Jackie helping me figure out how to display my items.

SWEET!

Mendy is joining us, with taste samples of her naturally raised meats. She is a powerhouse in our parts for networking and promoting "shop local". I've written about her several times, already, but feel that I need to include her part of the Outstanding in Her Field story I wrote for Acres of North Central Ohio because she's a vital part of it.

Marcheta *running in a good circle :)

Mendy, Born to Farm

Mendy Crim Sellman says that she was born to farm. She and her husband, Russ, are the sixth generation to work the Crim family farm in Crawford County.  Mendy explains that she has always loved the farming lifestyle and never had a desire for any other occupation. The Sellmans are grain farmers and also raise naturally fed meat.

Mendy has been instrumental in bringing local farm products to her community. Her first step was to offer part of her land for a community garden. To help sell the bounty of the garden, Mendy then helped to establish two farmers markets. Those successes led to selling their meat at the markets, which let people know that locally, naturally raised meats were available. The meat became so popular that Mendy was able to realize her dream of having an on-site farm store and in 2012 opened The Farmers Wife. The store quickly grew into a “general store” of sorts, offering goods, such as eggs, raised by vendors that Mendy met at the farmers markets, and fresh dairy products from Hartzler’s Dairy in Wooster.

All of those accomplishments could fit into a “proudest moment” category, but Mendy says what fills her most with pride is when she sees her children answering customer’s questions and taking responsibility for the farm.  Emely (and husband Dustan Tate), Jesse, and Elaina are the seventh generation of the Crim family to have a heart for agriculture, embracing the challenges that come with the uncertainties of farm life. Mendy says that the scariest part of farming is when the family goes out during storms to protect the animals. With a legacy like that, no wonder Mendy’s own heart is full of joy and satisfaction that she is fulfilling her life’s purpose by following her passion.

Serving up Inspiration

My friend, Jackie, owns a store in Uptowne Galion. Over the years we've worked together on many events and "Country Gatherings".  In brainstorming for a theme for a Mother's Day open house, we first thought of gardening and flowers, of course. But the theme took a turn of events because the vendors who are setting up are all "foodies".

Except for me.

Noel is setting up with tasting samples from her cookbook, Apron Free Cooking. Mendy is setting up with samples of her naturally raised meats. Jackie carries Tastefully Simple and other upscale food mixes. I suggested that the theme name be changed to "Taste of Spring". Doesn't that sound yummy?


 I just didn't see how my photography was going to fit in, but Jackie still wanted me to be a part of the event. With writing for publications behind me for a while, I turned my attention to what I've wanted to do for a long time. All week I've been busy designing cards...10 new designs in all. Last night I was still in a quandary as to how to set up a display, especially one that fits into the new theme.

Enter Noel and her creativity. I need a way to keep cards separated, but do not like the idea of plastic containers. Noel suggested loaf pans.

Loaf pans!

*B*R*I*L*L*I*A*N*T*

But I don't have any loaf pans.....

:(

A trip to Goodwill netted me one new loaf pan.

Back home, I started digging through my many cupboards of dishes and came up with a few serving bowls, an enamel-ware pan, and a gravy boat.

A Booth Display was Born!

The picture shows my practice set up at home. Of course, the display will look much different at the shop. I know I'll need to add other kitchen-type of containers to accommodate the different sizes and designs of other cards and prints. But at least I feel confident now that my contribution to Taste of Spring will fit in with the theme.

Tomorrow, inspiration is being served up at The Cracked Pot.
Come visit us:)

Marcheta *order up

Corinne Gompf, Part 2, Expanding on the Dream

 

Today concludes my interview with Corinne Gompf, of Heritage Harvest Farm, but it is far from the end of the story. Corinne, Matt, and their two young children are really on the cusp of their journey of becoming market growers and living a sustainable lifestyle.

Corinne and Matt Gompf are proud
parents of Fletcher and Emery.

An easy way to share in the bounty that the Gompfs are working towards is to sign up for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares, where you will receive a weekly portion of their harvest. Other ways are to shop at the farmers markets that the Gompfs participate in, or to stop by The Farmers Wife store where several of the Gompf's products are sold by Mendy and Russ Sellman of Rus-Men Farms.

Here is the rest of my conversation with Corinne, enjoy!

Marcheta *sharing

 OCJ

What is the scariest thing that ever happened to you on the farm?

Corinne

When I was pregnant with Emery, we were having a hard time with chickens pecking each other to death. I think we lost about 12 chickens. I would go to the coop to do chores and find chickens on top on one, pecking her. She might be dead, or close to it. If she were still alive, I would have to do my best to save her. Each time was heart-breaking.

 

OCJ

What was your proudest moment?

Corinne

It makes me so proud that Matt and I had a dream for so many years, and we took a chance and did it. We made things happen. So often, people have dreams and just think, "Oh, wouldn't it be neat if..." Well, we put our dreams into action. Our business tripled in one year, and that verifies, to me, that we are on the right path. Our hard work and dedication to growing chemical-free food is our passion.

OCJ
How do you market your produce?

Corinne

Heritage Harvest farm will participate in two farmers' markets for the 2013 season:
Mount Vernon Farmers' Market, Saturdays, May - October, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Powell Chamber of Commerce Farmers' Market, Saturdays, May - October, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

There will also be CSA pick-ups at:
Heritage Harvest Farm, Wednesdays, May - October, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. at 8546 County Road 46, Galion, Ohio 44833
The Farmer's Wife, Rus-Men Farms, Thursdays, May - October, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Customers can also find Heritage Harvest Farm's specialty items at
Harvest@TheWoodward, Mount Vernon

 

 

OCJ

What is your contact information that you want to share?

Corinne

www.heritageharvestfarm.weebly.com, and we always direct our customers and CSA shareholders to like our Facebook page.

 

John's Favorite Meatloaf

Noel Lizotte is back today with another one of her quick and easy (but very filling and comforting) recipes from her Apron Free Cooking Cookbook.

 

With the cold rain today, which may turn to sleet, ice, snow, or all of the above, this oven meal fits the bill.

 

What is  great about today, for me, is that I just got home from The Farmers Wife store, where I bought hamburger from Mendy for today's lunch of mushroom melt hamburgers. The hamburger I bought is already done up in patties, all I need to do is to fry them  (I start on low heat, after the meat has thawed and cooked I turn the heat up to brown them), then put sauteed mushrooms and a slice of cheese on top.   Healthier and better than burgers from a chain store, and just as fast!

 

For meatloaf, Mendy also has ground beef in bulk packages as well as farm-fresh eggs.

 

Both approaches to a hot meal are fast and easy. What could be better?

 

Marcheta *Y :) M

 

Here is Noel's recipe. Find more like it, as well as advice from Frankly Francine, at Apron Free Cooking. :) 

 

 

One of my husband’s favorite meals is meatloaf. Like many of us, meatloaf was a weekly meal at his house when he was growing up. Meatloaf is a good menu choice today, as it was back then. It’s budget friendly and it’s tasty!

 

John’s Favorite Meatloaf
Ingredients:2 lbs ground beef1 box (12 oz) stuffing mix2 lg eggs½ cup ketchup½ cup brown sugar



Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, break up ground beef with a wooden spoon or your hands. Add unprepared box of stuffing mix. Break eggs into a small bowl and beat, and then add to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients until evenly combined. Transfer mixture into 9×5 loaf pan. In small bowl, mix together the ketchup and brown sugar. Spread over the meatloaf. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Make It a Meal: Serve with baked potato and green vegetable. Also good with a side salad and macaroni & cheese.

Variations: replace ground beef with sausage for added flavor. If you’re cutting back on fat content, substitute ground turkey for all or part of the ground beef.

Approximate Nutritional Value: Servings Per Recipe: 8, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303, Total Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 123mg, Sodium: 497mg, Total Carbs: 20g, Protein: 24g.

Storage: Keeps up to one week in the refrigerator and four to six weeks in the freezer. Thaw before reheating.
Download a PDF format of this recipe to your computer for printing, click here.

What is your secret to a great meatloaf?

Heart Warming Ham Loaf Oven Meal

There is an old farm saying; "When the days begin to lengthen, the cold begins to strengthen".  Frost on the ground and in the air proved this to be true today. What better day to make an oven meal to warm up the house as well as the spirits?

Today's recipe for ham loaf comes from Mendy Sellman (see "Farmers Wife" on the business page).

to make an oven meal, along with the ham loaf you could

bake potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or squash (I vote for squash)

and

make a green bean casserole or scalloped corn (I vote for green beans)

for dessert

make a fruit crisp, pie, or cobbler (I vote for crisp)

Doesn't this sound yummy? What sides do you vote for?

Marcheta *cast her vote

 

Mendy's Ham Loaf

 

 

1#ground ham

1#sausage

2 cups soft bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp powdered mustard

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp paprika

Basting Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix all ingredients. Press into 9x9 cake pan, Bake in oven for 45 minutes, then pour basting mixture over top of ham loaf, bake for an additional 15 minutes. Note: The unbaked loaf freezes very well.

Full-time country woman profile: Mendy Sellman

Mendy Sellman stocks her store's freezers with naturally raised meats that she and
her husband, Russ, raise on their farm in rural Galion

Yesterday I had a nice visit with Mendy Sellman at her farm. I was there to interview her, both for this blog and also for Acres of North Central Ohio newspaper. Maybe the story will be published in the Galion Inquirer, too. I hadn't seen Mendy since before Christmas, so it was good to catch up on things and to see how her business has grown.

Mendy is the epitome of a full-time country woman. She is the sixth generation to farm her family's land and has expanded the grain operation into a naturally raised meat business, a community garden, and an on-site farm store. More on that later.

A Pioneer in Establishing Local Farmers Markets


I first met Mendy about ten years ago when Main Street Galion organized a farmers market on Public Square. I was already set up with apples and pears from our orchard when she arrived. I offered to help her unload and set up, and we've been friends ever since. During our first conversation, I realized that her father is a good friend of my husband. That early farmers market failed, as many do; lack of parking being the biggest issue. In the meantime, Mendy was hard at work, offering garden space to friends. That small seed sprouted Hebron Community Garden. The goal of the gardeners is to grow food for their families in a healthy, organic way. They were so successful that they soon had a produce overload, and were looking for a way to share the bounty. Working with a local church, Mendy helped establish God's Little Acre Farmers Market. At this same time, other area families were starting market gardens. God's Little Acre became the place where these families met and got to know each other. With an abundance of produce, a vendor (Toni Norwood, who will be profiled at a later date) came up with the idea to start a mid-week market and approached me to help her. A quick, informal survey of vendors asking if they would like to participate resulted in a resounding "Yes!" so it was that Toni, Mendy, and I put our heads together. I immediately thought of Galion's K.F.C. as an ideal location because I am friends with the owners, who are extremely community minded. Their store is on a main route that comes into town and has a large grassy area in front, as well as ample parking. Jan and Joe, owners, were quick to agree to the market, and so NorthSide Farmers Market was born. By this time, Mendy and her husband, Russ, had established their naturally raised meat business. To show the type of support K.F.C. has for the market, Jan and Joe put up a barn-shaped storage shed and ran electricity to it, to help run freezers for vendors like Mendy and Russ. NorthSide Farmers Market has become the most heavily attended market in Galion. Mendy and Russ currently set up at four markets. The addition of meat has helped these markets to grow.

 
The Farmers Wife



Mendy and Russ Sellman. owners
and operators of Rus-Men Farms, welcome
customers to their new store, The Farmers Wife

For several years, Mendy had the desire to have an on-sight farm store. With the successes of community garden and farmers markets behind her, she set out to make her dream a reality. In 2012, The Sellmans opened the door to their new store, aptly named The Farmers Wife. The store sells meats, of course, and also their own farm-raised eggs and produce when in season. Bringing people together is something that Mendy does very well. To further help the local economy, Mendy also stocks items made by local women. A trip to her store for a roast for dinner might also have the shopper bringing home hand-milled soap, baskets, aprons, totes recycled from feed bags, hot pads, crocheted dish cloths, spice mixes, and more. The demand for eggs is so large that Mendy supplements her supply with eggs from Corrine and Matt Gompf, of Heritage Harvest Farm. Corrine is a full-time country woman who I plan to profile on this blog. To encourage healthy eating, Mendy also stocks organic sugar, organic coconut oil, and locally produced maple syrup. Looking towards the future, Mendy plans to add more wholesome food products for the health conscious consumer.

 

Inspiring a Younger Generation
 

During my visit with Mendy, a young woman, Carrie Cottrell, and her small child arrived to run the store while Mendy worked on other duties. My conversations with Carrie revealed that Carrie and her husband live on eight acres and are working towards living a sustainable lifestyle. She credits Mendy's mentoring as her inspiration to follow her dreams. When I questioned Mendy, who is far from being "over the hill" about it, Mendy's reply was she loves to teach farm life to others, and that these younger women are a blessing to her because they remind her why she lives the life that she chose to live.

 

Family First

 Mendy's family life runs deep. The sixth generation to farm her land, she was especially close with her grandfather, who she readily admits to butting heads with in more than one occasion because they're, well, built from the same cloth and both had strong opinions as to how the farm should adapt to a new era in farm techniques as well as a new economy. Now deceased, her grandfather is with her in spirit as she goes about her daily chores; feeding animals, collection eggs, helping during grain harvest, running the store, gardening, canning, freezing, preparing for markets...whew! this list is long! Help is not far away, as her daughter Emely and her husband, Dustin Tate, live across the road in one of the Sellman's three farmhouses. Son Jesse, who is active in Future Farmers of America and 4-H is also a farm hand, and younger daughter Elaina, also active in 4-H, helps run the store and works at markets.

Mendy's love of her family is part of what has fueled her desire to provide the same healthy foods that they eat to local families, as well as continuing the grain operation. In all aspects, she has been successful because she has been consistent in making her plans happen, even when they seem to be impossible dreams. To Mendy and other entrepreneurs, I quote Steven Tyler: "Dream on! Dream until your dreams come true!"

My visit to Mendy's farm was pure joy. Shopping at her store is quite the country experience, from seeing the animals that are in the Sellman's care, watching barn cats sun themselves on a roll of  straw, smelling lovely hand-milled soaps, and even coming home with a roast for today's dinner. What could be better?

The Farmers Wife is located at
710 Iberia Rd., Galion, Ohio
(419) 462-5295

Hours are Tuesday 10-2
Thursday 4-8
Saturday 9-1

For updates on the Sellmans and their buisnesses, visit Rus-Men Farms Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rus-Men-Farms-Naturally-Raised-Meats/344044869152


Marcheta *dreamin' on

Scenes from Rus-Men Farms