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Summer Travel: Ireland

July 24, 2011

If you’ve wondered why there has been such an absense of posts, well I have good reason. My husband and I were traveling Ireland last week! I tried so hard to get a post up before we left, but you know what it’s like when you are preparing for a trip. Time got away from me and I just had to wait to post until I returned. And I have returned!

This was my third trip to Ireland and my husband’s fifth and this time around we had some of the best food of any of our trips. Fresh Irish ingredients, food markets, scones, chips, seafood, chocolates, ales, stouts and whiskeys. I’ve definitely got some great material for posting. I’ll even throw in some scenery as not to overwhelm you with food. I also picked up a Rachel Allen cookbook, hot and sweet smoked Spanish paprika and plenty of Butler chocolate.

Until I have a chance to sort through all the photos, I’ll leave you with a few to suggest what is yet to come.

The Scotch Egg with a free range Irish egg and pastured pork sausage – Dublin
Traditional take away Fish n’ Chips with curry sauce – Bushmills

Seafood chowder with local seafood including West Cork Salmon – Cork

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale – Kilkenny

Blueberry and Raspberry Yogurt scones from St. George’s Market – Belfast

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Honey and Mint

July 9, 2011

Have you ever come up with a new idea only to realize, well, it’s really not a new idea? That happens to me a lot when I’m making food in my kitchen. This is kind of how it goes down in my head.

This ingredient would work so well with that. This one I’m not sure about, but let’s throw it in anyway. Oh wow, it does taste pretty good. Let’s get a photo and put it on the blog.

Then, feeling pretty proud of myself, I sit down to write the post. Most of the time I Google my recipe combinations (after I’ve made them) because I want to know what is already out there and never want it to look like I am claiming another person’s work as my own.

So I Google, and there it is. Lots of other people have thrown this combination together before, some within the last few weeks. Sigh, slowly the balloon begins to deflate.

Take this watermelon salad for example.

We bought a watermelon for our BBQ last weekend and barely any of it was eaten so it has been taking up valuable space in my fridge all week. My husband and I aren’t huge watermelon fans so I’ve been trying to find creative ways to use it.

Then these massive Asian cucumbers we planted began to ripen in the garden. Look at these things! They are as long as my forearm. They just happen to taste amazing as well with a unique sweetness.

I’ve seen the watermelon salads with things like tomatoes, feta cheese and onions around the web, so I thought why not throw in some cucumber.

Rest assured many people thought of this great idea before I did.

But with every recipe comes a little different twist. With this one I love the way the sweet honey and savory green onion work together along with the sea salt. The mint adds a little burst of unexpected flavor making it even more refreshing.

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Honey and Mint
2 cups watermelon, cubed

1 ½ cups cucumber, peeled and cubed
2 green onions, greens and partial whites sliced
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp sea salt
Pinch of black pepper

In a bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, green onions and mint. Add the olive oil and honey. Stir to combine. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper. You can eat it right away or refrigerate it for up to a couple days. As it sits more juice will form from the melon and cucumber. Serves 3 to 4.

Filipino-style Pastured Pork Kebabs

July 4, 2011

It’s an interesting experience to view your country through the eyes of someone else. Looking back I’m not sure why I hadn’t considered what a highlight this would be during our time living abroad. We encountered people who were in awe of us and those who passed judgment on us, not after getting to know us, but simply because we were from the United States.

Both situations made me equally uncomfortable, and it made me very self-aware regarding how I was perceived by others. What stood out to me the most was how the US was truly seen as the land of opportunity among the majority of people we encountered.

While we were welcoming a new adventure and happily leaving the US for a while, it felt so strange to have people view my country in this way when I really just wanted to experience theirs. After you encounter these reactions time and time again it makes you begin to think – maybe I should appreciate my own country a little more.

That is exactly what happened. Although what I appreciate about it is something that I never really considered before.

Sometimes I think we fail to remember that unless we happen to be American Indians, we’re not from here. Somewhere along the line someone in our families crossed those waters and was allowed to enter this great country we now call home. That may have happened many generations ago for some, or last year for others.

Personally, I don’t wave my flag to say ours is better than others. It’s waved to say I appreciate those who fought for the freedoms of this very diverse country, a diversity that began long ago and continues to this day. What I appreciate the most is that I can live and work among people whose cultures and heritage make my life richer whether it’s rooted in the hills of Kentucky or brought with them from abroad.

All that being said you likely also know my appreciation for food culture in this country. So a 4th of July barbecue taking place at our house just had to have a bit of an international flare.

On Friday, we stocked up on a ridiculous amount of local, pastured pork from Marksbury Farm Market. The pork butt was rubbed down, smoked and served US-style with sweet and spicy BBQ sauces. The 6 lbs of pork sirloin kebabs, on the other hand, were headed in a different direction.

In college, my husband had a friend of Filipino heritage and his family would throw some amazing barbecues. I had the opportunity to attend one and the pork kebabs were simply incredible. My husband learned to make their delicious marinade and we thought it would be a great way to make our own barbecue this weekend a bit more international.

I stocked up on veggies from the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. This included potatoes for my Mustard Chive Potato Salad (although chives were replaced with dill this time and I used a lot more Greek yogurt), and colorful cherry tomatoes really brightened up the Curry Wheat Berry Salad. Basil from the garden and a good bunch of heirloom tomatoes rounded out the meal with a Caprese Salad.

It all went over well, but the pork kebabs were definitely the star for us. I won’t hide my excitement that while most of the food was gone, there were a few pork kebabs leftover. Whether you use it for chicken, pork or beef, or what the heck, even tofu, the Filipino-style marinade is outstanding.

Filipino-style Pastured Pork Kebabs

6 lbs pork sirloin, cubed and skewered
3 heads of garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
Juice of 8 oranges
4 cups soy sauce
1 ½ cups white vinegar
½ cup brown sugar

Place the kebabs in a deep baking pan. It’s best to work the marinade in two batches so divide each of the ingredients in half. Add half the garlic cloves, the juice of 4 oranges (reserve the peels), about 2 cups of soy sauce, ¾ cup vinegar and ¼ cup brown sugar to a blender. Blend on medium to high until all ingredients are mixed and the marinade is somewhat foamy.

Pour the marinade over the pork and continue with the second batch of marinade. Once all of the marinade is on the pork, place the leftover orange peels among the kebabs. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to grill, once the grill is nice and hot, cook the pork to a temperature of 160 degrees F.

Grilled Green Beans with Dill Feta Sauce

June 27, 2011

This past weekend I took a quick trip to Indiana to surprise my mom for her birthday. It was a huge success in two ways. First, she was surprised; second, I was able to take any and all extra garden goods back with me to my Kentucky kitchen.

Our garden seems to be pouting a bit about the fact that we got it in around 3 weeks later than normal. Peppers and squash are slowly immerging from ours, but my parent’s garden is already flourishing.

This has a lot to do with the greenest thumb that exists in the world. It happens to be attached to my Dad’s hand.

I’m amazed at how tall his pepper plants are, at the diameter of the squash plants and how the cucumbers and melon plants have multiplied since our last visit over Memorial Day.

We opted out of growing our own potatoes this year, so I was happy to take all they had to offer. Kale is still growing strong there so I loaded up on a bag, cleaned the remaining raspberries off the bushes and took all the blackberries that had ripened thus far. We topped that off with a yellow squash and green beans. There were also lots of gooseberries whose recipe destiny I’m still contemplating.

Yesterday evening my husband decided he would try out some pastured pork spare ribs we got on sale from the local meat market. We were interested in tossing on some BBQ and finishing them off on his ceramic grill.

That needed to be matched up with lots of vegetables, so I decided the first of the harvest I’d tackle would be the green beans. We both aren’t raving green bean fans so I needed to find a creative way to cook them. Simply steamed wasn’t going to cut it.

Since just about everything else from the meal was on the grill I thought, why not grill the green beans too. So I slicked them up in some olive oil and my husband tossed them into a grill pan where they stayed for about 7 to 10 minutes. I took them off the grill when they were still firm, but beginning to brown and blister (in a good way).

I wanted to match them up with something slightly cooling to balance the smoky flavor. This sauce made with feta, dill and Greek yogurt was perfect. Not only did it go well with the green beans, but I think it will become my standard veggie dip from here on out.

Grilled Green Beans with Dill Feta Sauce

½ pound green beans, cleaned
Olive oil
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, sliced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Lightly sprinkle the green beans with olive oil and stir to coat. Gently sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place the green beans in a grill pan and grill at about 325 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes.

In a small food processor, combine the yogurt, feta, dill, chives and lemon juice. Pulse until a creamy sauce forms. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the green beans from the grill, place on a serving platter and top with the feta sauce. Serves 2 to 3.

A Summer Saturday in Central Kentucky: Blueberries and a Local Lunch

June 20, 2011

I made a vow to myself when we moved back to central Kentucky from southern Brazil. Regardless of where I live, I promised myself that I will take full advantage of whatever seasonal food I can find in the region.

Once we arrived in Brazil back in 2007, I realized right away just how much I missed berries – blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. While I grew up with many of these fruits, as an adult I had lived in Kentucky five years and had only gone blueberry picking once. That isn’t exactly what I call taking full advantage.

Sadly, I let the same thing happen while I was in Brazil. I marveled over all the tropical produce – passion fruit, guava, multiple varieties of bananas. Yet, there were weeks when I made excuses to avoid walking the 20 minutes to the feira and many unfamiliar pieces of produce that I didn’t investigate and try.

Never again.

Now that we are back in central Kentucky I will go berry, peach and apple picking one or more times a year. I will eat fresh strawberries out of our garden until I don’t think I can take another bite. I’ll continue to try new foods that I see at the market and I will plant new plants in our garden despite how many times I fail to succeed.

So as you can imagine I’ve been watching the calendar, weather and Facebook closely to learn when blueberry season would begin. For us, that was this past Saturday.

It got off to a rocky start. The timing had to work out right because we also wanted to do a farm tour in the morning and had a baby shower to attend that night. We went for our morning run and then the storms rolled in. The farm tour was canceled and I whined the whole drive home because I had really wanted for my husband and I to go picking together. It was just about our only free weekend.

Things looked up though. The big blob of green, red and yellow dispersed about 11:00 am and the picking commenced!

We like going to Reed Valley Orchard in Paris, KY, about an hour and fifteen minute drive from where we live. They have several rows of berries all covered by netting to keep the birdies out.

We picked for about an hour and a half and walked away with 7 lbs of blueberries and a couple handfuls of raspberries. I told you I was taking full advantage!

It’s difficult for me to make many things with fresh berries because I enjoy them as snacks and on yogurt and cereals so much. As I begin to freeze some of them for later use, I’m still contemplating what I might make with a few.

Our day continued with lunch. While we were in the area, we decided to stop by the Windy Corner. I had heard about this place before, but it is out of the way of my typical routine so this was our very first visit. Set in the middle of Kentucky country and horse farms you will find Windy Corner with its beautiful food inspired mural on, well, a corner.

I haven’t stopped raving about this place since we went on Saturday. It is owned by Ouita Michel one of our well known chefs in the area. I am so happy to finally find a place around here where the ingredient sources, creativity in the menu, and food quality is worth the price and (for us) the drive.

The menu boasts Kentucky without being too traditional. I love tradition, but I’m so tired of being forced to celebrate fried chicken and pimento cheese just because it’s popular here. I snapped a few photos of the menu. The paper menu shows all of the farms and companies who provide the ingredients used at the restaurant.

There is an extensive list of Po’ Boys with a Kentucky twist and the grass-fed burgers are some of the most creative I’ve seen. I will definitely be trying the nut burger with peanut sauce and coleslaw on our next visit! There are tofu options for the non-meaters out there. Even the salad dressings can get a foodie all excited with options such as Smoked Tomato Ranch, Balsamic Miso and Cider Honey Vinaigrette.

We both went for the Kentucky Po’ Boy with BBQ pork, bourbon barrel beer cheese and fried pickles on a brioche roll. There were lots of great salads to upgrade to for sides, but we decided to save that money for dessert.

My husband wished the pork had been smoked, but I happen to be one that tires of always eating smoked meat so I welcomed the change. I now feel that fried pickles should go on every sandwich. This was so good!

After finishing our sandwiches my husband announced he was getting a brownie. I decided not to object because it was chocolate after all. Look at this thing! This is a standard side plate by the way, not a tea saucer. It was huge, and amazing! It was so thick and rich in the inside, it was like eating fudge. I think we could have handled two more people to help us eat it though.

If you find yourself in the Lexington, KY area, the Windy Corner is one of my top picks for casual dining. Definitely plan to go and I’ll meet you there!

Between summer, blueberry season and a delicious meal from local farms it couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend. This is one promise that is going to be pretty easy to keep.

Reed Valley Orchard
239 Lail Lane
Paris, KY 40361-8804
(859) 987-6480

Windy Corner Market
4595 Bryan Station Road
Lexington, KY 40516
(859) 294-9338

Grilled Pizza – Six Ways

June 4, 2011

You say grilling season, I say…pizza!

Yes, I know that other things like pork chops, hamburgers and veggie skewers may come to mind, but I have officially decided that my absolute favorite thing to grill is pizza.
We have a ceramic grill and those mesquite wood chips infuse the crust and toppings with a flavor that words can’t describe. From savory to sweet, there isn’t any kind of pizza that I don’t like grilled.
On Memorial Day, I was determined to kick off the grilling season with this favorite. Knowing that I’d be traveling this week for work I made up two batches of dough and lots of flavor combos so that my husband would have some leftovers during the week.
I have a favorite pizza dough that I make every time from Food Embrace (formerly Off Her Cork). I’ve mentioned it before and you can find the recipe there. I often switch the flour combos up and this time I used (for a double batch) 2 cups of unbleached white flour and 6 cups of white whole wheat flour. This dough rises every time without fail and it grills up so well.
I had the garden in mind for these combinations. Arugula is just beginning to grow, but I couldn’t wait any longer so I picked a few pieces early for one of my favorite pizzas. The loads of kale we have came in handy, too. Herbs were perfect for the cheese pizza and the strawberries came into play for the dessert pizzas.

I had picked up some local, grassfed brisket that had been smoked a few days prior and it was a bit too fatty for us. Not knowing what else to do with it besides sandwiches, I was so glad my husband came up with the great idea of dicing up the lean portions and using it for the pizzas.

Below are all the combos from this round of grilling. No measuring necessary. I eyeballed it all and used the amount I wanted based on my preferences. I divided the dough into 7 portions and we had 6 different topping combinations. All were different in size which is the fun of pizza making!
Although you might want to ignore the guava and cheese pizza. We had a bit of a mishap with the dough and it is more of an H than a circle or oval.
I love taking a few photos when my husband isn’t paying attention and this one depicts the necessary beverage for pizza grilling. We had picked up some imports earlier in the day.
Using plenty of olive oil and cornmeal to coat the dough, the grill was heated to about 350 degrees F and my husband grilled one side of the dough for about 3 minutes. The pizza dough is then flipped onto a tray and comes inside for toppings. So we are putting the toppings on the partially cooked side. Then it goes back on the grill for another 3-5 minutes with the uncooked side down. This way, the rest of the dough bakes as the toppings melt.
You’ll notice that all the photos are grill-side shots. Time is of the essence when grilling pizza because it will cool quickly. I was so hungry for pizza that no time could be wasted for photos once it was slid off the grill!

Kale and Mushroom
Red sauce (any of your favorites will do)
Sauteed kale and mushrooms (toss in a skillet with olive oil until kale is wilted)
Mozzarella

Arugula and Sundried Tomato
Mozzarella
Sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
Arugula, chopped if leaves are large

Cheese and Herbs
Red Sauce
Mozzarella
Cheddar
Fresh oregano leaves
Fresh thyme leaves

Brisket and Blue Cheese

Red Sauce
Cheddar
Mozzarella
Blue cheese
Smoked brisket, finely diced

Peach and Strawberry

Peach preserves (I used what I had canned last year)
Strawberries, sliced
Mozzarella
Romeu e Julieta (Guava and Cheese)
Goiabada (guava paste, chopped, or guava jam)
Mozzarella

Garden 2011

May 24, 2011

Every time I walk outside I think – Welcome to year two of the garden!

In case you are wondering, year two is outstanding.
Year one you have lots of plants that aren’t bearing yet and it feels like forever until they actually will. You have more failures than successes, and at times you wonder if fighting all the weeds is worth it.

Oh, but year two? Year two is wonderful.

 

At least it is for us so far. Plants returned from last year and are producing more than we expected. We were able to evaluate what we really wanted to plant, what we could skip and pick up at the farmer’s market and what new things with which we wanted to experiment.

The garden feels more organized. We even built a trellis so the cucumbers could grow up instead of out, and threw in an official compost bin that looks a bit nicer in the yard.

 
Yes, year two is a good year.
Starting out, I knew I wanted to try some different varieties of plants, things I knew we wouldn’t have easy access to at markets. I feared I’d have to start everything from seed (which I’m awful at, by the way) until I stumbled upon Proper Plants via advice from a friend who also happens to be a horticulture expert.
Proper Plants is located in Lexington, KY and even after seeing on their website that they had over 50 varieties of tomatoes and peppers I wasn’t prepared for what I would encounter. Every time I saw a plant I had been wanting, like tomatillos and paprika peppers, I literally let out a little squeal. It was gardener heaven. 
I left with 19 pepper plants and 10 eggplant and tomato plants combined. In addition, lots of herbs. It was the most self control I’ve ever had to exercise when buying something as simple as plants.
Below is a list of all the wonderful things we have planted this year or that returned from last year along with a bit of a photo tour.
 Believe it or not, due to our layout and the plants we chose this year, we still have more space!

What else do you think we should grow?

Asparagus

Arugula, Dwarf Blue Curly Kale, Romaine and Bibb Lettuce

Peppers – Lilac, Merlot, Poblano, Cherry, Better Belle, Red Knights, Goliath Goldrush,  Anaheim, Mandarin, Paprika, Mariachi, Pinata, Centennial, Scotch Bonnet, Thai Chili, Sweet and Hot Banana

 

I can’t wait to have purple peppers!

Tomatoes – San Marzano, Mr. Stripey, Sweet Cherry

 

 

Tomatillos

Dealing with some early blight and bugs, but the plants are recovering nicely.

Japanese Eggplant, Thai Perch Eggplant

Patty Pan Scalloped Squash, Grey Zucchini

Asian Cucumber
Arugula

Dwarf Pak Choy

Parisienne Carrots
Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries (won’t bear until next year)
Yokahoma and Rouge Vif D’Etamps Pumpkins

Herbs – Sweet and Thai Basil, Lemon Verbena, Celery Leaf, Chocolate Mint, Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Oregano, Chives, Thyme, Mint, Cilantro, Rosemary

 

I can’t wait to try this chocolate mint in a dessert!
This celery leaf allows you to add a little celery flavor without adding large pieces.
 

Fig tree

 

My dad gave us this fig tree. I hear they need special care, but can grow well in our area if given it.

 

 
 

A few garden fresh recipes:

Sweet and Simple Tomato Pepper Salad
Patty Pan Squash Stuffed with Basil Orzo
BLT Pizza with Spicy Chipotle Mayo
Whole Jalapenos with Honey and Allspice
Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Tomato Chile Sauce

Spring Garden Cobb Salad

May 22, 2011

I’ve been inspired by cobb salads lately. It could be because of all the beautiful colors, but I really think it’s all those fresh ingredients arranged in tidy rows. Things around here have felt very hectic lately and I must be craving organization. This has to be the most organized way to eat a salad, don’t you think?

  Spring Cobb Salad with strawberries and asparagus | Fake Food Free

 As I was thinking of making one, I soon realized I could make my own version of the cobb salad completely from our garden with a little help from local farms.

Kind of fun, right? I love the challenge of creating meals entirely from the garden.

First, we have the very last of our asparagus quickly blanched and seasoned with salt and pepper. Next is a hardboiled egg from Wonder of Life Farm nearby. This is followed by lettuce, strawberries and finely chopped kale. This version is without meat and cheese, but a delicious combination, nonetheless.

I debated on what type of dressing to use and I finally ended up topping it with homemade honey mustard dressing which included Kentucky honey. I was unsure of the combination of flavors, but the dressing pulled it all together. This proved to be a wonderful way to kick off what I’m officially marking as salad season!

Spring Cobb Salad with strawberries and asparagus | Fake Food Free

Spring Garden Cobb Salad

Makes: 1 serving
 
Ingredients 

½ cup chopped asparagus (one-inch pieces)
1 hardboiled egg, sliced
½ cup chopped bibb lettuce
2/3 cup strawberries, sliced
½ cup finely chopped kale
2 tablespoons of your favorite honey mustard dressing (or a dressing of your choice)

Prep

Heat a small pan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the stove, drain and immediately rinse or cover in cold water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the asparagus on the plate followed by the sliced egg, bibb lettuce, strawberries and kale. Top with your favorite dressing and enjoy! Makes one large salad.

Spring Cobb Salad with strawberries and asparagus | Fake Food Free
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread

May 21, 2011

One of the best gifts anyone can give me is an ingredient. While others may want a ready-made food – a cookie, a bread, etc. I’d much rather have the berries, the chocolate or the oil, which I will then turn into the final product.

Yeah, I’m that person on your gift list that doesn’t take much work at all.

So I was thrilled earlier this week when a friend gave me some rhubarb. As I mentioned last spring with my rhubarb experiments I was never a fan of it growing up, but as I’ve learned of more things to do with it, I actually kind of like the stuff.

Another source of my rhubarb inspiration has been Two Peas and Their Pod. Maria shares her love of rhubarb in her recipes such as the Rhubarb Apple Bread which got me thinking about how to use my rhubarb.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Recipe | Fake Food Free

Since we have so many strawberries, I just had to go with the classic combination. So I played around with a few ingredients and came up with a bread of my own.

There is something about a slice of seasonal quick bread and a cup of coffee on a beautiful Saturday morning that makes the entire weekend complete!

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Recipe | Fake Food Free

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread
Adapted from Rhubarb Apple Bread from Two Peas and Their Pod

Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients

 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 2% or full-fat)
3 tablespoon butter, melted
¼ cup mascavo sugar
¼ cup Demerara sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole or 2% milk
¾ cup rhubarb, finely chopped
1 cup strawberries, finely chopped

Topping
1 tablespoon Demerara sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan. (I used coconut oil.) (I also used one mini loaf pan and one 8×4 so I could give a small loaf away. My larger loaf was just a little smaller than yours will be. )

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ground allspice. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the egg and yogurt. Blend well on medium speed. Be sure your butter has cooled and slowly add that to the yogurt and egg.

Add ¼ cup of Demerara sugar and the mascavo sugar, mix on medium-high for about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and milk.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix on low just until the flour is incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the rhubarb and strawberries, being careful not the break up the berries too much.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Mix the remaining Demerara sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle it evenly over the loaf. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (My mini loaf took 20 minutes and the less full 8×4 took 30 min.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Recipe | Fake Food Free
 
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.  

Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries

May 17, 2011
Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free

I’m not sure what it is about a dairy, but if there is one in the area, I have to visit it. It might be the memories of my first farm visit in grade school, or maybe it is simply because I like cheese and ice cream so much. There is just something about cows, milk and the family history that warms my heart.

There are two dairies in Kentucky selling their milk locally that I know of. (perhaps more I don’t). I happened to visit one of these last week – Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green, KY.

Chaney's Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free

After meeting owner, Carl, we got a wonderful history lesson about the dairy including a tour through pictures that dated back to the 1800s. This is a family dairy in the truest sense of the term. They also raise Jersey’s. In case you are curious, if I had to pick a favorite cow, it would easily be a tie between the Jersey with their big eyelashes and the black and white oreo cows.

The big red barn with the comical cartoon cows eating ice cream cones can’t be missed when you are driving by. It is also set on some gorgeous western Kentucky farmland. The glow at dusk was beautiful.

Chaney's Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free

Chaney's Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free
Chaney's Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free
 
We went for a dinner of grilled cheese on homemade wheat bread and potato soup, and that was delicious. However, all I could think about while enjoying my dinner was ice cream!
 
 Once I got to that point in my meal, I realized this was not going to be an easy decision to make. I finally ended up with some Big Red Rumble which was loaded with red velvet cake.
 
Chaney's Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Kentucky | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free
I had gone prepared with a cooler because I knew I wanted to bring home some milk. I loaded up with some whole and 2% packed well with ice for my 3 hour drive home.

Once I got home, guess what I found? Yep, strawberries. My husband had already picked several quarts while I was traveling.

With Kentucky milk and garden strawberries, his first thought? Ice cream!

I’ll be honest; I’m a little lazy with my ice cream making. I’ve made more complex ice creams with eggs and a mix of cream and milk, but when I want it quick, I usually just pull out the whole milk. That’s what I did in this case.

I also like to experiment with something other than white sugar and as a result my ice cream isn’t overly sweet. This time I used Demerara. That is a great quick ice cream when you have limited ingredients. However, if you want a super creamy, sweet ice cream you might want to splurge for a more traditional recipe.

That being said, nothing beats a fresh strawberry ice cream of any type. I’ve recently learned that pureeing the berries is the best way to get the strawberry flavor in every bite.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Makes: About 10 ½ cup servings

Ingredients

 

3 cups whole milk
¾ cup Demerara sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup pureed strawberries

Prep

In a bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar and vanilla until the sugar has dissolved slightly. This takes longer with the coarsely grained Demerara.

Turn on your countertop ice cream maker and pour the mixture in. Let churn until it begins to firm up, about 15 minutes. Slowly pour in the strawberries as it churns. Continue to churn and freeze until firm, 5 to 10 more minutes. You can eat immediately for a softer ice cream, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for about an hour for a firmer ice cream.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe | Kentucky Milk and Garden Strawberries | Fake Food Free

Chaney’s Dairy Barn
9191 Nashville Road
Bowling Green, KY 42101
270-843-5567

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Thanks so much for reading!

Thanks so much for reading!

Hello! I'm Lori Rice, food photographer, writer, wanderer, pug-lover, and craft beer fan. This blog is my creative outlet for connecting with wonderful people like you! Have an interest in food styling and photography? Be sure to check out loririce.com

My New Cookbook published in 2020!

My New Cookbook published in 2020!

My new cookbook, Beer Bread, is now available for purchase at major and some independent book retailers!

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