We have made all our own baby food for our kids, this time around Baby Garrett who is now 6 months is starting on solid food. We make all types: apples, bananas, peaches, peas, rice cereal, squash, avocado etc.. It's very easy and this way we can get local organic foods (when available) into the little man.

This video just gives a few pointers.

Enjoy!

Keith

Keith

My breakfast

Making pizza at home is not only easy but also very fun. The pie above has mushrooms, roasted red peppers and rosemary-olive oil & garlic poached onions. It's topped with fresh mozzarella too..pretty sweet. I make pizza at least once per week and all components are made from scratch. This may sound daunting to some, but trust me, it's a snap. I make a triple batch of dough in my stand mixer then form it into balls, let them rise in the refrigerator then either use them that day or freeze for later use.

This is pretty much how the pizza shops do it. Each time I form freshly made dough into balls it brings me back to when I was 14-15 years old and working in a Italian restaurant in NJ. At 11pm we would make a BIG batch of dough for the next day's pizzas.

I really see no reason to order pizza for take in, however I have no problem with going out for pizza as the dining experience makes it pleasurable...that is assuming the pizza is good.

Recently while in NYC for a tv event I ate a pizza from Lombardis, the famous coal-fired pizza joint in the SOHO area. Honestly, I was so excited to actually have their pizza after hearing so much about them on Food Network and in magazines etc...boy was I disappointed....it was average at best. Crust was not good, sauce was way too sweet..just a big let down. My pizza at home blows it away....I will readily admit that many of you may not believe that..and of course this is "my opinion".... Lombardis has many happy customers and has for generations, they do not need my seal of approval.

In the near future, I plan on shooting a series of new videos that will comprise Harvest Eating Pizza University..admission is for all.....this series will demonstrate everything from equipment (stones, pizza peel, cutters etc..) to sauce, to dough, to toppings....stay tuned for an update..better yet..subscribe to RSS for an automatic update...

~Keith

As I continue my jihad (no offense meant) against fake food products, non-dairy whipped topping is squarely on my radar. This is a bad product and people should stop eating such garbage. If you want cream, buy real cream ans spend 3 minutes whipping it into a nutritious cream topping which is free of chemicals, fillers, gums, preservatives etc.

Way to many people eat these phony butter spreads that are made up of oils that are whipped up into a
 spread able mess.  Give me a break, real butter, used in moderation (like anything else) is just fine for the overwhelming majority of us. Reasonable exceptions might include lactose intolerant people.

I am really amazed how many "convenience" products exist that are supposedly healthier than the real product they offer an alternative for.  These spreads have plenty of fat as well, so in my opinion, if your going to eat fat, eat fat from a quality source like real butter instead of lab-created "frankenfoods" like spread able oil.

~Keith

Even though it' s November we still have colorful leaves on the farm. They will still be up on the trees even the last week of November. Of course being "past peak" the colors are not as vibrant as a few weeks ago. I have been spending time collecting as many leaves as possible to "over-winter" in our west-facing garden and row garden. I also stuff my Mantis Compost Twin with as many leaves as humanly possible. Leaves make rich compost.

Many of you are familiar with the term "no knead bread" which has gained much notoriety recently due to coverage in the New York times and being featured in several bakeries also in New York City who offer several types of this bread.

For some reason, baking bread frightens many people. I believe that making bread at home is simple, more healthful and becoming a requirement due to lack of good baked bread and to low quality breads that are filled with science.  This new fangled no-knead method really takes the fear out of it and makes it so easy literally anybody who can mix a few ingredients together and who can operate the stove, can make killer home-baked bread.

I developed my own recipe that is a combo of bread flour and whole wheat flour that is started with a sponge, which is to say a slightly sour pre-mix that goes into the final dough. This bread requires no kneading and hardly any shaping, it's just dropped into a pre-heated Dutch oven (I like ceramic, more about that soon!) and baked with the cover on for 30 minutes, then with cover off for an additional 30 minutes. The oven is pre-heated to 400 degrees.

The results are awesome to say the least, all the qualities you'd be willing to pay a fancy bakery for; crisp exterior, large round boulle shape, interesting crumb interior and slightly sour flavor. Pretty much perfect. We usually make a double batch then freeze one so we always have it on hand.  It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months if stored properly.

By using this method, your always ready to have incredible toast with eggs, bread to make garlic bread, bread for a pb&j and perfect, I'm talking PERFECT bread for a grilled cheese sandwich.

I will be sharing a recipe on this site soon to go along with a video that way you will have no excuses!

Check back soon.

~Keith

Made a short trip to Saluda North Carolina to visit the Apple Mill where they sell local apples and press their own cider. These Gold Rush apples are delicious, slightly tart, very firm and juicy. Fairly close to a Granny Smith but better. This is the perfect apple for pie and apple sauce. It's tartness really stands out.

Even though it's Halloween, apples are still perfectly fresh until the end of the year. I buy local apples in pecks and bushels then store them in the garage where it's in the 50's or cooler. Apples love cool temperatures and can last a few months.

If you get to the western NC region, look for Gold Rush..you'll love em.

Keith

This video illustrates why I love Western North Carolina so much.  These mountains are so beautiful, so accessible and so magical. I love hiking in the mountains, especially in the months of September, October and November when the leaves are incredible. We have many nice spots to walk or hike that are a short drive from Asheville and Hendersonville North Carolina.

With plenty of local independant restuarants to grab a great picnic lunch a day spent in the woods can't be beat. I recommend taking a trip here, even if for only a weekend.

Enjoy!

Keith