Stir Crazy: Sign up now for meat, egg pickup from Pocahontas farm
Young farmers Josh and Alicia Davis are again signing up subscribers for their pasture-raised food, which will be delivered this summer in four pickups to O’Fallon.
The couple, owners of the Green Finned Hippy Farms in Pocahontas, will have a summer edition from June through September, with each pickup consisting of 7 to 8 pounds of pasture-raised pork/chicken, two dozen pasture-raised eggs and recipes. Pickup will be at Sweet Katie Bee’s in O’Fallon on Tuesday evenings. Cost is $270 paid in advance and including tax.
A maximum of 20 families can subscribe, so if you’re interested, sign up now by calling 618-669-2897 or leaving a message through the Green Finned Hippy Farms Facebook page. Last winter, they sold out of their subscription in two days.
I should note that the pork you’ll get is from the butchering of the farm’s first Mulefoot hog, a heritage breed that Alicia and Josh have worked hard to sustain and expand. A new litter of piglets was born this month. No pesticides, hormones, antibiotics or chemicals are used on their 10-acre farm.
Empty Bowl Luncheon
In February, I wrote about two luncheons in O’Fallon and Collinsville that raised money for their food pantries by offering a variety of soup provided by area restaurants.
On Thursday, St. Augustine’s of Canterbury Church in Belleville will have its second annual Empty Bowl Soup Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit its parish pantry. Cost is $10 to dine on soups from minestrone and potato to chicken noodle and Italian gnocchi. Dessert and carryouts are available. There will be a silent auction, and the first 200 diners will take home a hand-painted ceramic bowl.
Another Taste of Home Cooking School
I think Taste of Home is trying to make me look bad. Last week I said the only place to see one of its traveling cooking schools this spring was in St. Charles, Mo., on April 2. Then, I got an email from Taste of Home telling me there will be one April 5 in Godfrey at Lewis and Clark College’s Hatheway Hall. General admission tickets are $15. Doors open at 4:30 with show starting at 6:30. Get tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2496803.
In case you’re wondering which is closer, from Belleville to Godfrey is 31 miles; to St. Charles it’s 35.
What’s cookin’ this week
A bunch of co-workers were talking last week about what grew in our family gardens. Several people mentioned rhubarb, and while I know it’s too early to harvest any, I found a recipe I hadn’t seen before that uses that wonderful perennial “vegetable.” I was afraid if I didn’t get it in my column, I’d forget about it. Called Rhubarb Custard Bars, it has a shortbread crust, custardy rhubarb filling and creamy topping.
I’m including a crazy-quick inexpensive way to keep a semisweet snack in the freezer for kids: frozen dessert sandwiches made with graham crackers and instant pudding.
Frozen Pudding Sandwiches
1 package (4-serving size) your favorite flavor instant pudding mix, regular or sugar-free
1 1/2 cups cold milk
15-18 whole graham crackers
In a medium-size cold bowl, whisk together the pudding and milk. Let stand about 5 minutes to thicken.
Break graham crackers in half. Spoon thickened pudding mixture onto one graham cracker square and top with another. Gently press and wrap in plastic wrap or individual plastic baggies. Freeze at least 1 hour till firm. Add sprinkles to edges if desired.
Let stand out of the freezer for a few minutes before eating if they are too hard.
Variations: Add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter to chocolate pudding mix. If using fresh fruit, puree smooth before adding to the mix. Add mini M&M’s or chocolate chips to pudding.
Also, you can substitute sugar cookies or other cookies for the crackers.
Lighten up any flavor and double the amount of servings by combining pudding with an 8-ounce tub of thawed whipped cream topping.
Allrecipes.com
Rhubarb Custard Bars
CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
FILLING:
2 cups sugar
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs, beaten
5 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained
TOPPING:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
Crust: In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into pan. Bake 10 minutes.
Filling: Meanwhile, combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Whisk in cream and eggs. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour over crust. Bake 40-45 minutes or until custard is set. Cool.
Topping: Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Spread over top. Cover and chill. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.
Taste of Home April/May 1998
This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 7:46 AM with the headline "Stir Crazy: Sign up now for meat, egg pickup from Pocahontas farm."