The Farmplate Blog

Butternut Squash Minestrone
FarmPlate Jan 13, 2010 Recipes 0 comments
from the FarmPlate Kitchen 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 links Vermont Smoke and Cure Turkey-Sun Dried Tomato Sausage or other low-fat sausage, sliced 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1 celery rib, thinly sliced 4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups diced butternut squash (about 10 ounces) One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes (with juice) One 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed 2 teaspoons dried oregano 6 ounces baby spinach or arugula leaves Salt and a generous grinding of black pepper Shaved Vermont sharp Cheddar (optional) Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage slices and cook until lightly browned....
Soup Up Your Recovery!
FarmPlate Jan 13, 2010 Real Food 0 comments
It's cold all across the country and half the people we know are under the weather. Grandmothers and other health experts tell us that the key to feeling better is to consume as much fluid as possible. A steaming hot, homemade minestrone certainly fits that prescription. Enjoy this easy, super healthy recipe tonight! Butternut Squash Minestrone from the FarmPlate Kitchen 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 links Vermont Smoke and Cure Turkey-Sun Dried Tomato Sausage or other low-fat sausage, sliced 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1 celery rib, thinly sliced 4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups diced butternut squash (about 10...
Farm Bureau Opposes Climate Change Bill
FarmPlate Jan 12, 2010 News 0 comments
The American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention kicked off in Seattle last Sunday with a heated keynote speech about climate change legislation from AFBF president Bob Stallman. Stallman called on members of the six million strong group--the largest farm group in the U.S.--to unite despite differences in farm size and ideology to aggressively oppose climate change legislation in Congress. The climate bill, which Stallman calls "misguided, activist-driven regulation," was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last summer and is currently being reviewed by the Senate. The bill calls for a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. In order to achieve this goal, a...
Honey Gardens' Raw, Sweet Sustainability
FarmPlate Jan 08, 2010 Artisan Beat 0 comments
Apiarist and botanical treasure-hunter Todd Hardie is passionate about bees and the plants that sustain them. He's also the man to consult on apitherapy, the medical use of honeybee products. Hardie started Honey Gardens Apiaries in Ferrisburgh more than 30 years ago and was among the first to introduce raw, farm-style honey to Vermont and Boston markets. "Our honey is raw -- never heated and not filtered -- which allows it to be a medicine and a sweetener," explains Hardie. "Raw honey contains more than 75 different compounds, including an exceptionally high enzyme content, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and organic acids. Our honey also has little flecks of pollen, which help build...
A Better Loaf
FarmPlate Jan 07, 2010 Event Beat 0 comments
In Vermont, the per capita ratio of artisan bread bakers is perhaps greater than anywhere else in the country--which means the bar is set dauntingly high for the typical homemade loaf. Fortunately there's hope for the home bread baker, and it's just off Route 5 in Norwich. The Baking Education Center at King Arthur Flour is offering the four-day class "Bread: Principles & Practice" this coming week. Lectures, given by several of the BEC's world-class instructors, will cover every aspect of bread baking for the home baker, including the function of ingredients, pre-ferments and how to facilitate maximum rise. There will be hands-on work in yeast breads, from basic bread through whole...