Foraging Floyd: Peaches and Chanterelles

Our sweet little patio peach tree was loaded with little gems this year.

They were just this >< close to being ripe

Eating Floyd: Classes, Harvesting, Preserving, and the 2013 New River Valley Fair

July has been busy, busy, busy.  Not so much in the garden because for the first time ever since I've lived here we've had too much ongoing rain.  When the warm weather crops flowered it rained and the bees were unable to pollinate as well as they should have so a lot of people are noting that the small green fruits and veg are dropping from the plants.  As it kept raining blights, molds, and mildews came on.  But of course even though the veg and fruit are stunted from the rain, the weeds love it.  When don't the weeds love it?  And since it was difficult to not sink over the tops of your boots in the muddy beds the weeds have had a hey-day.  But all-in-all people are still managing to bring crops in, the farmers markets have some good looking stuff, and I've been buying in, supporting growers who do it better than I do.

Here's what I reaped this month:

Braggin' Rights.

The individual winners from the New River Valley Fair 2013 can be seen on the Canning Competition Winners page.

And then there were classes taught...

Teaching Floyd: Two Upcoming Classes

There are two classes coming up in the next week starting with:

July 13: Small Vegetable Fermentations

Make your own sauerkraut, kimchi, crock pickle, hot sauce or other fermented delight. Learn the basics of this age-old method of food preservation. Class is hands-on and participants will make and take home their own two quart fermentation jar.  Please wear comfortable closed toe shoes.  An apron is suggested but optional.  There are two spaces left in this class.

Location: Farm Bureau, 335 E. Oxford St., Floyd, VA  24091

Time: 1pm-5pm

Fee: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, space providing.

To register contact: Rebecca Shannon at 540-745-8514 or hfpcac at swva.net. Please make checks payable to Rebecca Shannon.  Payment may be mailed to 153 Gracie Lane NW, Floyd, VA, 24091

Please remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.


                                                                           And

July 17: Nut Butters and Bean Dips

What! You’re still buying that overpriced peanut butter and hummus from the grocery store?
Come learn how to make tasty and nutritious homemade nut butters and bean dips at home for a fraction of the price. Create flavors with the additions you chose and none of the additives you don’t want. We will make classic peanut butter and hummus and then take them to the next level! These dips and spreads make great sandwich spreads as well as appetizers and light meals.
Class is hands-on. Please wear comfortable closed toe shoes. An apron is suggested but optional. Class size is limited so please register early.
Date: Wednesday, July 17
Location: Farm Bureau, 335 E. Oxford St., Floyd, VA 24091
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Fee: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, space providing.
To register contact: Rebecca Shannon at 540-745-8514 or hfpcac at swva.net. Please make checks payable to Rebecca Shannon.  Payment may be mailed to 153 Gracie Lane NW, Floyd, VA, 24091.

Please remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.

Cooking Floyd: It's Ice Cream Season!!!

Into late fall and through the winter I forget how wonderful homemade ice cream is.  I suppose it has something to do with the chilly weather although I love ice cream year round.  I did make pumpkin ice cream and cinnamon ice cream for Thanksgiving but mostly I'm happy with a double chocolate caramel Magnum bar.

But summer's in full swing and the fruits and berries are rolling in so I thought I'd kick off with an ice cream that has no summer fruit in it at all - Thai Ice Cream!

Preserving Floyd: Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Spreads

Join me this Saturday, June 29, for

Jams, Jellies

& Other Sweet Spreads

 

Jams and Jellies capture the essence of fruit for winter enjoyment. Find out how you can put summer’s fleeting flavors in a jar! Topics will cover various pectins and sweeteners, definitions of various kinds of sweet spreads, different methods of cooking a sweet spread, safely customizing tested recipes to make a spread uniquely yours, and troubleshooting. Class is hands-on and participants will take home a jar of jam. Please wear comfortable closed toe shoes. An apron is suggested but optional. Class size is limited so please register early.
Date: June 29, 2013
Location: Farm Bureau, 335 E. Oxford St., Floyd, VA 24091
Time: 1pm-5pm
Fee: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, space providing.
To register contact: Rebecca Shannon at 540-745-8514 or morwenatswva.net. Please make checks payable to Rebecca Shannon.  Payment may be mailed to 153 Gracie Lane NW, Floyd, VA, 24091
Please remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.

Eating Floyd: New Class Schedule Is Posted!

The series of preservation and cooking classes hosted by the Home Food Preservation Center and "Eating Floyd..." have been a rousing success!  Classes have been full and participation has been lively.  Already there's been demand for repeats of some of the classes and those will be scheduled again in the future.

Today the new schedule with more exciting classes has been posted!  Just click on the HFPCAC Classes tab at the top of the page. 

Cooking Floyd: I Need A Gyro

We like gyro sandwiches: spicy seasoned ground lamb strips, fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce, tangy tzatziki sauce, all piled on a soft pillowy pita.   Unfortunately what we mostly get is greasy mystery meat, wilted veggies, some kind of runny white liquid on a dried out flatbread that cracks into pieces when you pick it up.  So I've been on a quest for a few years to make what we know a gyro can be at home.  I think I finally did it!