Celebration Baked Beans

Good morning! See what happens when you procastinate? You end up writing your blog before you go to work at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. That’s ok. We had an exciting week. This week was The Butcher’s 50th High School reunion. A shout out to everyone who worked to make the celebration of Norton High School’s class of ’63 reunion such a success. Brookside was a very gracious host, and fun was had by all. I am not the only one who can’t fathom that The Butcher has reached this milestone. His classmates were all commenting that he didn’t look old enough to be in their class. I have my own theory. I have told The Butcher for years that his youthful looks are the result of being in the cooler for many hours of the day. I think it actually “preserves” him. I always felt we should market these walk in coolers in people’s homes. Who doesn’t want to look younger? Oh well, I had better get back to the blog or I will be late for work and we don’t want that to happen.

I really like making food from scratch. My baked beans are no exception. If you follow my instructions, you can make the best baked beans ever and you will want to celebrate.

Baked Beans
1 pound dried baby lima beans
8 oz. cooked smoked ham (in large chunks or diced–whichever you prefer)
1/2 onion diced
1/2 green pepper or red pepper diced
2 teaspoons Ham flavored soup base and food seasoning
2 Cups ketchup
2 Tablespoons Mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar (or more to taste)

Put the baby lima beans in a pan and cover with water. It is best to soak these overnight; However, if you get in the mood for baked beans and you can’t soak overnight, soak for about an hour. Note: you will need to cook these beans longer than the presoaked beans. Whenever I have leftover ham I put it in the freezer for such a time as this. I pull the ham out of the freezer. It is perfect for the baked beans. After soaking the beans, drain them in a strainer and rinse the beans. Return the beans to a 4 to 5 quart roasting pan. Cover the beans with water. You will use approximately 3 cups of water. Add the ham to the beans and the chopped onions. Put the pan on a burner and set the burner settng to high. Bring the beans to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and put a lid on the pan. The beans should cook for 2 to 3 hours with a gentle boil. Test the beans. You want them to be fork tender before you continue with the next step. You may want to take the lid off of the pan for the last hour to help thicken the broth. When the beans are completely cooked, add 2 teaspoons of the Ham flavored soup base to the pot of beans. At this point you want some liquid but not a lot of liquid. If you need to, continue to boil the beans until the broth is thickened. Add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and the diced pepper to the beans. Stir thoroughly. At this point, I put my beans in a bean crock and place in the oven which has been heated to 300 degrees. Let them cook for an additional 2 hours.

These will be the best beans ever!

Remember, the Farmers Market will start Thursday, June 13th from 2:30 to 5:30. If we have customers we will stay open later. Help me get the word out. No charge for vendors. You set up in our parking lot. Hope to see you on Thursday.

Until next time, From our Butcher Block to your Table.

Potato Salad–German Style

I make a very unique potato salad. Since I am giving up my recipe for my famous potato salad (probably only in my mind), for the first time ever, you have to humor me as I tell you the history of this dish. When I was in the 8th grade the Einsendel family moved in next door to us. This was a really big deal because Frank Einsendel was my age. We had seen enough movies that we knew all about “the boy next door”. I waited for romance to bloom. Alas, it was not to be; However, we were very good friends. When I graduated from high school in 1972 Gerda Einsendel, Frank’s mother, made potato salad for my graduation party. I remembered the delicious potato salad. In the late 70’s I recreated this dish from memory as I thought about the taste and what was in the potato salad. I have no idea if this is the way Gerda made her potato salad; However, I have used my version over the years. I have gotten many compliments on this dish. I pass it on to you in time for you to make it for Memorial Day.

Potato Salad
8 all purpose potatoes
1 pound of smoked cottage ham, diced
8 green onions
1/2 cup diced dill pickles

Dressing
2 cups of mayonaise
1/4 cup of dill pickle juice
1 Tablespoon of yellow mustard

Boil the potatoes for 45 minutes (until done), remove the potatoes and allow to cool. Peel the potatoes and use the side of a grater to thinly slice the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the diced ham. Wash the green onions and trim off the roots. Dice up the green onions, stems and all. Add to the potatoes. Add the diced dill pickles to the Potatoes. Mix the dressing ingredients together with a whisk, and pour over the potato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate overnight. You now have my famous potato salad.  I used Farmer Brown’s green onions in this batch.  I think it was my best ever.  He will be at Sherman Provision on Saturday May 25th at 12:00 noon.  Stop out for information on container gardening.

Have a safe Memorial Day. Remember those who sacrificed that we have the freedom to celebrate this day.

Until next time, From our Butcher Block to your Table.

Container Gardening

We are now in the middle of May.  Today was absolutely beautiful.  It feels like summer is right around the corner.  I told you about Farmer Brown in my last blog.  Last Saturday Farmer Brown and Joyce stopped at Sherman Provision and they did not come empty handed.  They brought me a beautiful bushy tomato plant.  Tom said it would produce yellow tomatoes in between the size of a cherry tomato and a regular tomato.  I can’t wait.  There is something incredible about the smell of a tomato plant.  Am I the only one that thinks so?  Also, Tom and Joyce brought me fresh baby spinach just picked that morning.  The roots were still on the plants.  They also brought me green onions that had just been pulled that day.  Joyce also supplied me pictures of their lettuce that is already being harvested.  I can’t wait until I can go out on my deck and make my own salad with the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, spinach, and peppers growing in my own container garden.

Farmer Brown is going to be selling exotic herbs and plants. In addition, he is going to give us tips on how to produce our own vegetables from April through November. I have asked Tom and Joyce if they can set up in our parking lot on Saturday May 25th. I am waiting for confirmation, and will let you know as soon as the date is set.

Also, we are planning on launching the Farmers Market on Thursday, June 13th.  Please have interested vendors contact me at 330.825.2711.

Now to let you know what I did with the spinach.

Spinach Salad
3 cups of fresh baby spinach washed and dried
2 hard boiled eggs peeled and diced
1/2 cup of bacon fried crisp and crumbled
1 small red onion peeled and sliced
1/3 cup of Marzetti California French Dressing

I mixed all of the above ingredients. I had never had a more delicious Spinach Salad. I have never had spinach that fresh before. I can not wait until I am growing my own spinach.  Please let me know if you are interested in getting additional information from Farmer Tom Brown and Joyce.

Until next time, From our Butcher Block to your Table.

Wilkins Run Farm

When I was a child we had a garden every year. It wasn’t an option.   It was a major source of our food.  We had fresh produce all summer.  Mom canned and froze everything we didn’t eat.  For a family of 6 it was a necessity.  I can remember going out with my dad to check our garden. I loved those times with my dad. What I wouldn’t give to be able to walk out one more time with him to inspect the work of his hands. I haven’t had a garden for well over 30 years. Our yard at home has so much shade that it isn’t practical to have a garden. Still, there is nothing like going out to the garden to pick a fresh, sun warmed tomato and eat it. Alright, sometimes you have to fight off tomato worms, and they are really ugly, but it is so worth it.

I am so excited.  I feel just like a young girl again.  One of our vendors at this year’s Farmers Market will be Tom Brown.   According to Farmer Brown, “If you’ve got a deck, you’ve got a garden.”  I have a deck, and now I have hope about having a garden!  I thought I would share some of his products along with some of his tips.  He has rare vegetable plants from all over the globe that he and Joyce are making available to us. He has over 75 types of Cherry Tomatoes from around the world. They are in 5 different colors. I can’t wait to see them. He has strains that range from 50 to 100 days to maturity. He also has hanging baskets with 3 tomato plants per basket. I am starting to get excited. I can see myself picking cherry tomatoes from my hanging basket. Everyone has room for a hanging basket. He has full size beaver lodge tomatoes. He told me they are an extremely early variety. You can set the fruit in temperatures down to 45 degrees. That’s a very good thing, because in Ohio we can get 45 degree temperatures in June. He has late heirloom tomatoes. He has Mountain fresh tomatoes. He has yellow Roma tomatoes for clear tomato sauce. He said this is a gourmet delight. He also has cucumbers from around the world–miniature and Japanese to name two.

He also has melons from France, Africa, Southeast Asia and Brazil. We will have an International Farmers Market for sure.  Also he has over 40 types of sweet peppers from every corner of the globe–orange, red and yellow. They are all different shapes. He has over 30 types of lettuce. He also has herbs. The herbs he uses are the right variety for container gardening.   I can’t wait. I can see my deck garden already bringing in a bountiful harvest!

A tip from Farmer Brown about planting.  Since it has been extremely cold and wet this spring, there has been very little corn planted. Farmer Brown will not start offering plants until the middle of May, at the earliest. He said the tropical varieties do not tolerate the conditions we have been having so far this year. He said don’t jump the gun this year. Let the ground warm up and dry out before planting the rare varieties. You will have a greater chance for success.  My dad always said, “Don’t put anything into the ground until after Memorial Day.”  There were times that I planted before Memorial Day, and I regretted my decision.

For information on container gardening or a plan for a garden on your deck, contact Farmer Tom Brown or Joyce at jars1968@yahoo.com.  Can’t wait to show off the produce from my deck garden.  Until next time…From our Butcher Block to your Table.

Farmer’s Market

I have wanted to have a Farmer’s Market at Sherman Provision for at least 10 years.  I was never sure if there would be enough room to host the Market.  I wasn’t really sure how to get started.  In March 2012 I was talking to Ty Stewart, a great customer and supporter.  I mentioned I would like to have a Farmer’s Market at Sherman Provision.  That was all it took.  Ty was engaged.  He made things happen…fast!  He filled out all the paperwork necessary to make us legal with the state.  He researched other successful Farmer’s Market.  He came up with rules and regulations for the Market.  He got printable forms on the website.  I just basically had to open up my parking lot for the vendors and customers.  We had a great time.

Now, we are approaching our second season for the Farmer’s Market.  I have already been fielding a lot of questions about the upcoming season.  I would really love to get feedback on different options for the Farmer’s Market.  I still like Thursday as the day for the Farmer’s Market.  One thing I want to do this year is make the Market earlier in the day.  Instead of 3:30 to 6:30, I would like to make the time 2:30 to 5:30 or 2:00 to 5:00.  Please let me know your opinion.  Also, what vendors would you like to see at the Farmer’s Market?  If you have a cottage industry in your home, please let me know if you would like to participate in the Market.  There is no charge for our vendors.  Also, if you are a farmer growing produce, please let me know you would like to be a part of the Market.  Tom is one vendor that has already secured his spot in the Market.  He is growing heirloom tomatoes.  He brought me a plant.  It is growing big and strong.  I can’t wait until I can start harvesting tomatoes from it.  I have a feeling I will still be buying a lot of tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market.

The Farmer’s Market will not officially open until June.  If you want to set up before that time to sell plants or other seasonable items, let me know and I will be glad to work out a time for you to set up in my parking lot.  I really want to be a blessing to the farmers and home based business owners in the area.

I am counting on all of my readers to help me get the word out about the Farmer’s Market.  Please have any potential vendors contact me either through e-mail at info@shermanprovsion.com, by telephone at 330.825.2711 or respond to this post.  There is additional information on our website, www.shermanprovision.com, in the Farmer’s Market section.

Until next time…From our Butcher Block to your Table.  Or should I say, From your garden to our Table?

 

 

 

Farmers Market Thursday at Sherman Provision

The Farmers Market will once again be in the Sherman Provision parking lot from 3:30 to 6:30 Thursday afternoon.  We have some wonderful vendors.  We have a man from Wadsworth who makes exquisite jewelry.  I would love to get one of his creations.  Someone remind the Butcher that the Butcher’s wife’s birthday is this month.  Also, Bobbi is there every week with her lotions, soaps, and lip balms.  This is a great way to get some of your Christmas shopping done, and support the local economy.

I hope to see all of you tomorrow afternoon.

Until next time…From our Butcher Block to your table.

 

 

It’s all about our customers

Today as I was checking out Sarah, one of our faithful customers.  She told me what

Sherman Provision Mild Italian Sausage, peppers, onions, pizza sauce

she was going to do with the Mild Italian Sausage she was purchasing.  When she described how she took onions and green peppers, cut them up, added the sausage, and topped with a spaghetti sauce and cooked in her crock pot on low I knew I had to try this.

I took 2 green peppers and cut them in chunks.  I also took one onion and cut it in chunks.  I then added about 2 1/2 pounds of the Mild Italian sausage, and topped with 2 cans of Pizza sauce available at Sherman Provision.  I have it in the crock pot right now, and it smells delicious.  You can’t get a home-cooked dinner much easier than that.  Tomorrow night, I will boil a pound of Angel Hair pasta (also available at Sherman Provision), and dinner is served.

Another tried and true recipe I got from a customer is Roast Beef Roosevelt style.  One day Roosevelt was in my store buying a beef roast.  I asked him how he was going to cook it.  He told me he was going to cut up an onion and put it in his crockpot.  He would then put the roast beef sprinkled with seasoning salt on top of the onion.  He would start the crockpot on high for a couple of hours, and then turn it to low and let it cook until the beef roast was fork tender.  I took home everything I needed and cooked the beef roast in my crock pot just like Roosevelt said.  It was delicious.  You don’t add any water.  Let the onions and the beef roast make the juice.  It is delicious.

I thank my faithful customers that helped me write this edition of “From our Butcher Block to your table.”  Remember the Farmers Market on Thursday, get some great deals on produce, and try one of these recipes.

Lemley’s will be at the Farmers Market on August 2nd

Last week’s stormy weather prevented Lemley’s from participating at Sherman Provision’s Farmers Market.  Lemley’s will be loaded with produce and will be at the Farmers Market on Thursday August 2nd from 3:30 to 6:30.  Be sure to stop by for

Lemley’s Farm Wagon at Sherman Provision Farmer’s Market

greatbuys on corn on the cob, tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, onions, etc.

Ezsti will be there with her baked items.  She has an Olive Oil Rosemary bread that is delicious.  She also had apricot cookies along with other surprises.

Todd Gilbreath will be grilling with his Sidney’s Steak Rub.

Stop at the Farmers Market and support the local commerce.

Lemley’s Farm Wagon at Farmers Market

We are looking forward to the Farmers Market at Sherman Provision this Thursday

Fresh Produce at reasonabe prices

from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Last week we were surprised and thrilled with the addition of the Lemley Farm Market Wagon at our Farmers Market.  It was loaded with produce at very reasonable prices.  I bought canteloupes for $1.00 each, and they were the best canteloupes I have had for a very long time.  I also bought tomatoes.  They had fresh corn on the cob, zucchini, squash, and so much more produce.  It would be impossible to list everything.

They will be back at the Farmers Market this Thursday, so be sure to stop out.  You will be glad you did.  Local farmers are starting to harvest their bounty, and everyone wins.  The farmers are able to sell their products, and our customers are able to get fresh, delicious produce at reasonable prices.  It is a win/win for everyone.

We also have vendors with home made bread, all natural soaps, lip balms, lotions, plants, herbs, jewelry, etc.  If you know someone who would benefit by being a part of our Farmers Market, please have them call me at 330.825.2711.  We would love to have them be a part of the offerings on Thursday afternoon at the Sherman Provision Farmers Market.

Enjoy your week, and please introduce yourself when you stop in at Sherman Provision.