Think Outside the Barn

Friday Fixin's - Stringbean Coffee Smoke & Fire Cookies

If you're thinking about what you could do with your three month Stringbean Coffee Company subscription that you found on the AgriMissouri May Gift Guide, here's a great recipe to try. Sweet and spicy, these cookies will make a great after-dinner treat with a hot cup of coffee. Stringbean Coffee has been in business since 2011 and got its start doing live roasts at farmers' markets. Today they are collaborating with several local businesses to incorporate Stringbean Coffee into things like Kakao chocolate, The Caramel House caramels and O'Fallon Brewery Cocoa Latte Stout. With nine different beans and blends, you can definitely find the flavor and intensity that you want for drinking, baking or both. Enjoy!

Yield - 20 cookies

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 oz 60 percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp finely ground Stringbean Sumatra coffee
• 1 Tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2½ cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 10 oz 80 percent bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp puréed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350ºF
• Place butter, bittersweet chocolate chunks and unsweetened chocolate chunks in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, until chocolate is almost melted, then stir until smooth
• Combine ground coffee with hot water and stir until dissolved
• Stir coffee and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside
• In a separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 6 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale
• Gently stir ¼ of the egg mixture into the melted-chocolate mixture
• Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining egg mixture
• Stir in dry ingredients, chocolate chips and chipotle purée
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper
• Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets
• Bake for 15 minutes or until set
• Let cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets, and then remove to wire racks to cool completely

Recipe from Feast Saint Louis and image from Food Gal.

Welcome to Westphalia Trading Company

You might come for the colorful hanging baskets. From petunias ready for potting,to tomatoes ready for planting; the greenhouse is full of beautiful garden starts and bedding plants that would be a temptation for gardeners at any level.

Or maybe it's the antiques and collectibles that catch your fancy, or the lovely yard ornaments or garden accessories.

But what Westphalia Trading Company is known for are its bright and beautiful chicken coops. You may have noticed them sitting along Highway 63, just outside of Westphalia, Mo. Looking like small barns and out buildings, these chicken coops are designed to optimize use of the elements for temperature control and ventilation while still keeping your chickens warm and dry. The building seen here, the small barn coop, sells for $650 and features an elevated interior and an access door for easy egg retrieval, all the while protecting your chickens from the weather and predators.

Westphalia Trading Company offers a number of different models at different prices. They also sell a variety of different playhouses and other shelters.

Check out their website for all the possibilities, or stop by their business for a visit. Call 573.680.0426 to learn more or even find them on Facebook.

Friday Fixin's - Wrapped Brie with Pepper Jelly

For a fancier twist on your traditional pepper jelly and cream cheese served with crackers, try this wrapped brie with pepper jelly recipe. AgriMissouri member, Pappy's Gourmet, is featured in our May Gift Guide and has four varieties of pepper jellies: Sweet Green Pepper Jelly, Raspberry Jalapeno Jelly, Strawberry Jalapeno Jelly and Blackberry Habanero Jelly. Pappy's Gourmet suggests this recipe on their website and any of these varieties would work well with this recipe.

If you want to get a Missouri cheese to go with this recipe, try Green Dirt Farm's Wooly Rind sheep's milk cheese or Baetje Farms' Sainte Genevieve. Serve with fresh fruit for a delicious Mother's Day appetizer.

Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed according to package
directions
1 (8-ounce) Brie cheese round (or another soft rind cheese of your choice)
4 oz Pappy’s Gourmet Pepper Jelly
1 egg
1 tbsp. water

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pour Pepper Jelly
onto pastry. Place the cheese in the center over the jelly. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to
cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal.

Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Brush the seam of the pastry with the egg
mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush with the egg mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe from pappysgourmet.com and image from pillsbury.com.

Friday Fixin's - Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Asparagus is in season, so why not add a little bacon to them for a great appetizer? Buy fresh asparagus from your local Missouri Farmers' Market and try adding Stonie's Sausage Shop Specialty Bacon - as featured in our AgriMissouri May Gift Guide.

This is the perfect starter or side dish to a perfect meal, fresh and local!

Ingredients

• 10 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 5 bacon strips, halved lengthwise


Directions

• Place asparagus on a sheet of waxed paper; coat with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each
• spear; secure ends with toothpicks.
• Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp.
  
• Discard toothpicks. Yield: 2-3 servings.

Recipe and image from tasteofhome.com.

Friday Fixin's - Boneless Pork Loin with Apple Cider

Looking for a great weekend dinner? Look no further. Here's a great take on a classic pork loin from Circle B Ranch. Circle B is featured in our Spring Gift Guide and this is one of the recipes they share on their website.

Serve it with brussel sprouts and apple sauce (Circle B has a couple of great recipes for those too). If you dry your own herbs or purchase them from your favorite Missouri farmers' market, this is the perfect recipe to use them. The herb paste adds great flavor to the pork. 

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 lb Berkshire Boneless Pork Loin
• 2 Large Onions (sliced)
• 1 Sprig Thyme
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 Quart Apple Cider
• 4 Sprigs Rosemary (roughly chopped)
• 9 Sage Leaves (roughly chopped)
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic (roughly chopped)
• Salt and Pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In your food processor, combine the rosemary, sage, garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil to make a paste.  Put the paste on the outside of the boneless roast.
3. Put the onions into the roasting pan and toss with olive oil. Add the thyme, bay leaves and 2 cups of the apple cider.  Roast the pork at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until a beautiful brown crust has formed. Stir the onion and check that the cider has not evaporated.  Add more apple cider if necessary.
4. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and roast for 30 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads at least 150 degrees.  Let the pork roast rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. When ready cut the loin into thin slices.

Recipe and photo from Circle B Ranch.

Tips to Get Your Gardens Growing #GardenMo

April is Garden Month in Missouri, and while the cool, rainy weather has kept many of us from getting out into the garden as much as we would have liked, it hasn't stopped us from thinking about garden plans.  In recognition of Garden Month, our team has been sharing some of their favorite gardening tips on Twitter and Facebook.

Here are 12 of our top tips:

1.)    Make sure to get your peas, radish, cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and other cold crops in as soon as possible. They can take temperatures as low as 25 degrees.

2.)    Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses before April 15 to avoid cutting off new growth later in the month and causing brown tips on the leaves.

3.)    Compost and manure should be added to beds now, and incorporated before planting. This will prevent it from getting on leaves you may want to harvest later.

4.)    When selecting annual plants for the garden, it is better to start with low bushy ones that have fewer flowers. This will allow them to focus on rooting instead of maintaining top growth.

5.)    When planting, even in wet ground, water immediately to remove air pockets from the root zones.

6.)    Vegetable plants started inside can get flimsy if not exposed to the elements. Setting an oscillating fan on low over your plants will help them establish stem strength.

7.)    April 21 is the traditional frost free date for Missouri. If you try to plant warm season crops early, be prepared to cover them or bring them in.

8.)    A tomato’s biggest threat is fungus. Waiting to plant them after the spring rains and when temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees is the easiest way to avoid problems.

9.)    If mulching, be sure to keep the mulch off the barks for trees and shrubs. It can rot through the bark and provide an entry point for undesirable insects.

10.) The best time to prune is when the pruners are in your hands. It may not be the “ideal” time, but the sooner the correction is made, the sooner the plant can grow in the right direction.

11.) Ten pounds of grass clippings can provide the same amount of nitrogen as 1 pound of most chemical fertilizers.

12.) Corn and beans require warmer soil temperatures for the best germination. Planting early won’t necessarily mean earlier harvests.

Want even more gardening tips and information? Click over to AgriMissouri.com and visit the Garden Month page!

Friday Fixin's - Spinach Lasagna

Thinking of incorporating a little extra green into your meals?  Earth Day is coming up April 22 and is one more reason to try this yummy looking Spinach Lasagna. You can even customize it to your taste with your own favorite sauce (red, white or pink). With so many shapes of pasta and varieties of sauce, you can start in the spring incorporating fresh greens (spinach, chard or kale) and move right into summer and incorporate tomatoes, eggplants and squashes.

Ingredients

• 1 jar tomato, Alfredo, marinara, or vodka pasta sauce
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 15 ounce(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 6 ounce(s) baby spinach
• 8 ounce(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper
• 6 tablespoon(s) Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat the bottom of a 13"x9"x2" baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of dish. Top with 3 noodles. Spread with half of the ricotta. Top with half of the spinach, pressing it down into the cheese. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Drizzle with another 1/2 cup sauce.
2. Repeat with a second layer of 3 noodles, remaining ricotta cheese and spinach, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp of the pepper, and 1/2 cup sauce. Top with remaining 3 noodles; spread remaining sauce over noodles to cover completely. Scatter remaining mozzarella and Romano cheeses over sauce. Cover dish tightly with foil.
3. Bake 45 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe and image from Delish.com.

Friday Fixin's - Sisters Garden Gate Sweet & Sour Chicken Cole Slaw

AgriMissouri member Sisters Garden Gate dressings have a family history. Barb Brewer and her daughter Erin Brewer-Moore are co-owners of the business, which started with a family owned restaurant called Chicken King in 1984. Every customer received a side of cole slaw (made with their sweet and sour dressing) with their chicken order. The tradition continues today with different variations of the original cole slaw recipe and salads that incorporate the tasty dressing.

Their Sweet and Sour Dressing is featured in our AgriMissouri Spring Gift Guide. Sisters Garden Gate shares seven recipes - including this one - on their web page, giving plenty of ideas for incorporating their family's history into your special meals. To make this recipe even more local, visit your favorite Missouri farmers' market this spring to incorporate local cabbage and chicken.   

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. Bag pre-cut slaw (cabbage or broccoli)
1 pkg. Chicken Ramen Noodles (uncooked) with seasoning packet
1 12 oz. Bottle of Sisters Sweet & Sour Dressing
4 - 4oz. Cooked boneless chicken breasts (skinless/cubed)

Instructions:
Combine ingredients / use seasoning packet to your taste
Mix well, breaking up noodles
Refrigerate several hours, stir occasionally
Serve Cold

Recipe from Sisters Garden Gate and image from Recipe.com

Friday Fixin's - Marinated Grilled Strip Steak

Thinking of firing up the grill this weekend? Here's a great recipe for strip steaks bursting with Missouri goodness to share with friends and family. AgriMissouri member Sugarcreek Piedmontese is featured in our Spring Gift Guide with four of their strip steaks. Use Uncle Bob's Beef and Burger seasoning and Caldarello's Italian Spice seasoning and add a little of your own garlic and basil. If you're using fresh basil from your indoor planting, remember to use more. 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil is the equivalent to 1/2 tablespoon of fresh basil.

Serve your marinated strip steak with a salad or side of mixed root vegetables and green beans for a delicious dinner. Enjoy the warmer weather - get out and grill this weekend!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 smashed garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 2 lbs strip steaks, 8oz ea (4)

Directions:

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together in a shallow glass baking dish.
2. Pierce steaks on all sides with a fork and place in marinade.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Grill over high heat and cook to desired doneness.

Recipe from Food.com and picture from About.com.

Friday Fixin's - Chocolate Pavlova

When you're hard boiling and dyeing eggs this weekend, keep a few fresh ones back to use in this delicious dessert. It looks like spring with it's fresh fruit topping and has a light texture perfect for wrapping up a holiday meal. 

We've tried this dessert. The Missouri Egg Council typically makes this for our Taste of AgriMissouri reception at the Missouri Governor's Conference on Agriculture. For farm fresh Missouri egg producers visit AgriMissouri.com.

Fun Fact - Pavlova is named after the Russian ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova, from one of her trips to New Zealand or Australia in the 1920s.  There is an ongoing dispute between the two countries as to which one it should have the credit for this treat.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cups fresh fruit, such as fresh raspberries, peeled and cut up kiwi fruit, and/or seeded, peeled and sliced mango

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Use a pencil to draw or trace an 8-inch circle on the paper. Turn paper pencil-side down; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, salt and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until egg whites are foamy. In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Continue to beat the egg white mixture on medium to high speed while gradually adding the sugar mixture. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form (tips stand straight).
3. Spoon egg white mixture onto prepared baking sheet, spreading to fill the circle, and smoothing with a spatula to make a flat top.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degree F. Bake for 30 minutes more or until meringue is cracked on top. Turn oven off. Let stand in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream and 1 tablespoon sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed or with a whisk until stiff peaks form. Place meringue on a serving platter. Top with the whipped cream, spreading evenly to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Arrange fruit on top of cream. Cover loosely and chill 30 to 60 minutes. To serve, slice into wedges. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Nutrition Facts

(Chocolate Pavlova)

Servings Per Recipe 8, chol. (mg) 41, Fat, total (g) 12, sat. fat (g) 7, fiber (g) 2, calcium (mg) 71, iron (mg) 1, cal. (kcal) 265, vit. C (mg) 37, vit. A (IU) 632, carb. (g) 38, sodium (mg) 70, pro. (g) 3

Recipe and image from midwestliving.com and information from wikipedia.org.