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Food For Life Garden Update!

Inspiration “Autumn glows upon us like a splendid evening; it is the very sunset of the year,” – Mary Russell Mitford, “Our Village”

I can't believe how fast the time went since my last newsletter. I try to not let this much time pass, but I got a bit behind with so much going on and the result is a long list of new articles and recipes that you'll find at the end of this newsletter.

If you're new to my newsletters, welcome! I'm so glad to connect with you! Here you'll find lots of tips for your garden, harvest, and new blog posts to check out.

We're still having summer temperatures during the day here in Southern Missouri, it feels like a never-ending summer. But I know the cold is coming. We've had a small glimpse of it a few weeks ago and it shows how quickly things can change. But for now, it's back to hot, hot, and hot with beautifully sunny days.

That short spell of autumn in the air prompted me to turn my attentions to fall cooking though. Suddenly pumpkin and warm fall spices popped up on my mind as well as baked apple goodies and comforting fall dinners, more about that below!

And I did some end of season preserving as well. Here are some highlights and some tips for your own food preservation:

Tomatoes are easy to freeze. You can chop them into small pieces, bag them and freeze them and then just toss them into your pot of soup when you want to cook with them or make sauce.

I made some Fermented Salsa last week and a jar of delicious Fermented Cherry Tomato Bursts. I did not have a good tomato year and was using up the few nice ones I found. Consequently I'm really glad that I preserved plenty of canned tomatoes the last few years and won't run out this winter. That goes to show that it's best to prepare food for more than one year when you have plenty!

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes: It's time to dig up the storage potatoes and sweet potatoes. They will need to be cured before storing. Potatoes need to cure in a dark place to harden their skin and prevent greening. Sweet potatoes need a very warm and humid environment to develop their sweetness. If you're wondering how to do that, check out my article about Growing, Harvesting And Curing Sweet Potatoes. And here is a delicious recipe for using sweet potatoes in a delicious Sweet Potato Bread.​

Sun chokes: I have yet to write about sun chokes and need to do that soon. They are a great survival crop to grow. They grow easily and could become a bit invasive in your garden, but I love growing and eating them. They do not need to be put in storage, you can dig them as you need them as long as the ground isn't frozen, all winter long. In fact, they can be harvested all the way until spring, even from under a snow cover. My plants were 15 feet tall and got blown over in a bad storm about a month ago and so unfortunately I won't have as big of a harvest as I expected, but there will be enough for me and probably a few buckets full for the pigs.

Peppers: As I have mentioned in my last newsletter, I've had a great pepper year and I'll be posting more pepper recipes to come such as a roasted pepper dip and my Oma's Bessarabian 'Pfeffersosse', but it might not be in time for this years harvest. However, you can save these delicious recipes for next year once I get a chance to post them. Stay tuned! For now check out a new recipe for easy Stuffed Peppers with a delicious vegetable sauce. Scroll down for more information.

If you need a few more recipes for using your garden harvest, check out my delicious Bessarabian Zucchini Ikra Vegetable Spread and Fermented Coleslaw With Root Vegetables.

Homemade Preserved Mayo: And for fall salads and sandwiches, you can make your own Homemade No-Fail Mayonnaise from scratch. It's super easy and quick and I'll tell you how to preserve it to last at least a month for convenience and extra health benefits. It's awesome on a piece of toasted sourdough bread and topped with sun-ripened tomatoes!

Cheesemaking: Coming soon are more cheesemaking recipes. I'll be posting recipes for making Mozzarella Cheese, Farmhouse Cheddar (pictured), Alpine Cheese, and an aged Italico, an awesome melty cheese that can be used like Mozzarella. Plus I've got a great recipe to share on making your own starter cultures without raw milk and a Soft Feta Cheese recipe. You'll love that one!! For now, you can try your hand at some super easy beginner cheeses such as Chevre, German Quark Cheese, and Bulgarian Sirene Feta Cheese.

Whey: And if you're making cheese, you'll have whey. Lots of it!! I've collected over 30 Ways To Use Whey over the years. It's so nutritious and versatile and it can benefit you, your garden, your pets or livestock, and much more.

A Few More Tips For Preserving Your End Of Season Harvest:

Jalapenos & Hot Peppers: Make some Sliced Fermented Jalapenos that will keep in your refrigerator or root cellar for a year or more. Great to put on sandwiches, nachos, and burgers. Or try making a Hot Chili Paste with green or red hot peppers.

You can also just toss the peppers in the freezer, whole or sliced. No prep neccessary.

And I've got two delicious new recipes for using your jalapeños. Both are great snacks, appetizers, party food or lunches. Scroll down to find more info about Jalapeno Pie and Jalapeño Popper Mini Quiches.

Cucumbers And Zucchini: If you still have cucumbers try my Cucumber Salad.

And if you have extra cucumbers or zucchini, try to make some Fermented Dill Pickles. This recipe is written for cucumbers but it works for both, cucumbers and zucchini. So delicious and so good for your gut, and they stay preserved for at least a year in your fridge or cellar!

Garlic: Make the ultimate convenience garlic. Prep once and be done for the year. Keep a jar of convenient Fermented Garlic Paste in your refrigerator, ready to use any time.

Prepare for cold and flu season by fermenting some of your garlic with honey. Find out the benefits, how it can help you, and get the recipe for Fermented Garlic Honey here.

And It's time to plant Garlic! Garlic is planted in the fall after the first frost, but before the ground will freeze. This can be in October and in some places all the way to December. Read more about Growing Garlic and be prepared to plant your own this fall. If you'll be planting from your homegrown garlic, set aside the largest ones for replanting and eat the smaller ones.

Here are my favorite stores that sell seed garlic. They carry beautiful big, healthy garlic which is so important. Keene Garlic and Baker Creek.

Herbs: Don't forget to dry some herbs for winter teas before it's too late, such as lemon balm, peppermint, or other mints. And dry some of your sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary and other herbs for cooking during winter. Preserve basil, parsley, dill and other delicate pot herbs by freezing or salting them.

Onions: If your onions aren't storage onions, or are compromised, you can just dice them, bag them and freeze them. No blanching neccessary. You can also dry them on racks to make onion powder, or Ferment The Onions for easy year round use. And before you put away all those onions, you must try making a Southern German fall favorite: onion and bacon pie, or Zwiebelkuchen. It's just plain awesome and perfect for fall potlucks, wine-tastings, and Octoberfest!

Mushrooms: Now is a great time to plant mushroom spawn so you can harvest beautiful winecap mushrooms next spring. I've got a whole article for you on how to plant and Grow Your Own Mushrooms. And if you love mushrooms, you need to try my delicious mushroom risotto and mushroom chowder this fall!

Fall Flavored Baking: I posted a few brand-new recipes for baking with fall harvested pumpkins and apples that are super delicious. There is more information below, but do check out my Ginger & Cranberry Apple Crisp, an Apple Streusel Pumpkin Cake, and try some delicious Apple Pie Cheesecake. I'll also be posting some Favorite Christmas cookie recipes soon too, so stay tuned for that.

And, just as a reminder, and if you got my previous newsletters, you already know this, but...

Don't forget to Make Compost to nourish your soil this fall! You can make great compost in just 3 weeks, and use it in your garden this fall to promote healthy soil life and to keep your garden beds covered. It does not need to be finished if you add it in the fall. In fact you can layer materials right on your garden bed to compost there over winter and have your soil ready to plant in in the spring. And learn about many different Ways To Compost!

By the way, if you have massive amounts of comfrey, it will greatly enrich your compost if you toss some in there. I'm going to give mine another haircut and make some nutrient rich compost with it. You can also use it to mulch your garden this fall.

​GET YOUR SEEDS HERE! True Leaf Market has many vegetable varieties, as well as a big selection on herbs! Plus, they offer Free Shipping over $75.-. So get your seeds before they sell out or it's too late to plant!

Your source for information about gardening, planting a food forest, permaculture, farming with animals, growing meat, and milking goats. Learn about making cheese and sourdough bread, preserving your harvest, traditional homestead recipes, off-grid living and more! Visit foodforlifegarden.com​

New On The Blog

Sourdough Pumpkin Cake With Ginger & Apple Streusel

Tis the season for pumpkin and apple harvesting. Here is a cozy and delicious fall recipe for you. Pumpkin and apples are such perfect partners. I wanted to create a recipe that features both together. So here it is, sourdough pumpkin cake with apple streusel, a perfect fall, holiday, or any day breakfast cake, coffee cake, or teatime cake that’s brimming with fall spices with an extra dose of ginger and turmeric.

And by choosing the right ingredients, this cake can support your health as well as taste fantastic. I used fresh milled ancient grains and sourdough, but you can use regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose, and replace the sourdough with sour cream. It's adaptable. Grab the recipe and make this delicious Apple Streusel Pumpkin Bread today!

Sourdough Pumpkin Cake With Ginger & Apple Streusel

Jalapeño Popper Quiche Cups, Easy Party Appetizer Or Snack

​Jalapeño Popper Quiche Cups are delicious little snack treats or appetizers. They are a tasty addition on a cheese board and a perfect snack for game day and holiday parties, potlucks, BBQs, and picnics. But they also make a nice lunch with a salad. Creamy, cheesy, and spicy, baked in a flaky pie pastry, there is nothing not to love about jalapeño popper mini quiches.

Wholesome, high in protein and healthy fats, these are much better for you than a bag of chips and dip. And they taste fantastic! Make these easy Jalapeno Popper Mini Pies today, or prep, freeze, and cook them up later.

Grab This Jalapeño Popper Quiche Cups Recipe

The Best Jalapeño Pie, A Zesty Party Favorite

​Jalapeño Pie is a delicious and popular appetizer that’s super quick and easy to make. Pair it with my flaky pie crust and you’ll get lots of raves about this simple dish. It’s great for potlucks, as a holiday appetizer, for parties, and football game day gatherings. It makes a tasty snack and even makes a lovely lunch when paired with a salad.

I find it a great little recipe that fills lots of holes when planning your meals, party, and holiday menus. Take advantage of the end of season jalapeño harvest and make this jalapeño pie with fresh jalapeños, or make it anytime with frozen, canned, pickled, or fermented jalapeños.

Take Me To The Best Jalapeño Pie Recipe!

Last Ditch Flaky Pie Crust, Final Attempt: Viral Worthy

Here is a clean eating Flaky Pie Crust Recipe that uses no shortening (yes!) and is easy to make by hand. It’s based on my mom’s recipe. I made a little tweak to it and used some techniques which I learned way back before food processors were common.

And guess what! It makes the awesomest flaky crust that you would be proud to fill with your best ingredients for your most delicious pies. After trying many recipes with claims of a super-flaky crust, I only found they didn’t work for me. But I finally can say that I’ve found my perfect flaky pie crust recipe. And I am certain that it will work for you too!

So come and explore the secret to a buttery, Flaky Pie Crust for the best garden harvest pies ever!

Yes Please, I Want This Flaky Pie Crust Recipe Straight Away!

Best Ever Healthy Apple Crisp With Ginger & Cranberries

If you love apple crisp and ginger like I do, you’ve got to give this dessert a try. A perfect combination of flavors and textures with warming spices, this Delicious Apple Crisp With Ginger And Cranberries will feel like a big comforting hug on a blustery day. The aroma alone will make you want to curl up with a blanket and get cozy in anticipation of this fantastic healthy and delicious treat. And did I mention that it’s super quick and easy and comes together in a hurry?

This clean eating treat is not too sweet and filled with wholesome ingredients, it’s great to eat anytime, even for breakfast. And you’ll support your health.

Now’s the perfect time to bake up this awesome Apple Crisp and savor the scents that will fill your home and the flavors that will elicit delighted smiles from your loved ones!

Click For The Best Ever Healthy Apple Crisp With Ginger & Cranberries!

Best Healthy Maple Walnut Cranberry Apple Cheesecake

When you need a special cake that comes together easily, looks spectacular and tastes fantastic, you’ll want to reach for this Cranberry Apple Cheesecake Recipe! It’s just so amazing! You’ll discover a little bit of apple pie, some apple crisp, and some cheesecake in this dessert. Start with a buttery ginger crust made with fresh milled flour and finish with a delicious streusel topping!

And if you’re trying to eat healthier, you won’t have to pass on this one! It is made with wholesome ingredients, and you’ll get a nutrient-dense treat that can work for your health, not against it. This makes a wonderful holiday dessert that can feed a crowd but you can make it and freeze some if you don’t have a crowd to feed. And did I mention that this Cranberry Apple Cheesecake tastes ridiculously delicious? Let’s head into the kitchen and whip it up, shall we?!

Maple Walnut Cranberry Apple Cheesecake!

Healthy Stuffed Peppers With A Terrific Garden Vegetable Sauce

You must try these awesome Stuffed Peppers with a simple but incredibly tasty vegetable sauce. A great harvest time recipe for using your fresh garden vegetables!

This is an heirloom family recipe that has been my favorite since I was a kid and it still hangs out at the top of my favorite list.

My mom always made a special sauce for her stuffed peppers, that really made this dish outstanding. Just a perfect combination of flavors to produce the ultimate comfort food.

Now I’m sharing it with you all to keep it alive and thriving! I hope you give these delicious Stuffed Peppers With Garden Vegetable Sauce a try and I’m certain that it will become a new favorite of yours as well.

Yumm! Stuffed Peppers With Garden Vegetable Sauce!

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