Last weekend was the final event on the farm for the year 2015.  I think it was the best Pumpkin Day we have had so far.  Emily worked very hard to bring a lot of different activities to an event that in years past had simply been pumpkin picking.  The kids obviously loved the face painting, and a place to carve or paint their pumpkins.   We have always loved opening the farm and sharing this very special place with our members and friends, but I think, with Emily’s attention and dedication, the events have really become very special. It takes a lot of people to make this all happen.  Emily’s crew is here early setting up, they work all day, and after you all have headed back home, they stick around to clean up.  So I would like to say thank you to all the people who have come and worked so hard at all of the events we have held on the farm this year. Truly we could not have done it without you.

This year I decided to sell lunches at the Strawberry Day and the Pumpkin Day. When I cook for these events it is my goal to not only give you a really tasty meal, but to do so using as close to 100% Eatwell Farm ingredients as I possibly can.  I have to say I have come amazingly close.  This Sunday we did lunch for over 160 people!  Using our farm bred, hatched and raised chickens we made smoked chicken served with biscuits, collards and butternut squash, and the vegetarian option was a very simple ratatouille.  With the exception of things like buttermilk, butter, baking powder, and salt, all of the ingredients came from the farm.  Over 10 gallons of smoked chicken saucey stuff and 360 biscuits, 30 bunches of collards, 10 butternuts, pounds of tomatoes, lunchbox peppers, eggplant, multiple bunches of parsley and basil, were boiled, baked, roasted, sauteed, cooked, cleaned chopped.  I had great co-creators working with me in the kitchen, (CSA members no less!) Kelly, Cole and Steph who came up Saturday afternoon and worked into the night, and then we started up again at 6 am.  We had a lot of fun making lunch for so many people, particularly knowing how fantastic the ingredients were, and everything was made from scratch.  Quite a day and I couldn’t have done it with out their help, so again, thanks guys, I really can’t thank you enough!

With such a busy weekend, I am repeating most of last week’s recipes.  In addition to Pumpkin Day we also had our first guests stay last night in The Nest!  Bonnie, her husband and two children spent the night out in the orchard in our brand new tent, and came up to the house this morning for a fresh farmhouse breakfast.  The kids came out with me to feed the cows and Stella, kind of an unusual chore for most City kids, but they were so excited!  Needless to say, it has been a really long few days, so I do apologize for the repeats if you got the box last week!