Backyard Farmgals

To celebrate summer and because it's just too darn hot to really do any cooking (or even much farming), I whipped up this delightful and cooling tropical salad.  It is loaded with all kinds of fruit, nuts, peppers, and super nutritious quinoa, one of my favorite grains.  My kiddos have gobbled bowls of this over the summer, it's sweet but only because of the fruit.  Even my hubby keeps asking for more! This is great for parties or just a light dinner out on the patio.  Make sure that you use really ripe mangos, they are the key flavor, sour mangos just won't do the trick.  Also, make sure you rinse the quinoa really well before you cook it, otherwise it will be bitter.  This makes a huge amount of salad, but it is great stored in the fridge for lunch the next day, and the flavors get even better overnight. TROPICAL QUINOA SALAD backyard farmgals printer friendly version 1 cup (dry) quinoa (I used 1/2 cup black and 1/2 cup regular), coo...

I had beets on my mind today, and pickled seemed to be the preparation of choice.  I have a few jars of sweet pickled beets that I put up and tucked away earlier in the season.  I also whipped up a quick batch of raw pickled beets to keep in the refrigerator to tuck into sandwiches or make a quick snack of.  Think refrigerator pickles but red and extra crunchy.  YUM! With beets on the brain, I set out to make something fast, easy, and delicious for a quick weeknight meal.  What evolved was this creamy egg with a little quinoa and a fresh beet and tomato "relish".  Drizzled with a bit of really good olive oil and Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar, and sprinkled with sea salt, this hit the spot... I topped the whole thing with a little bacon from Clifford Family Farm.  Heaven, in pig form!!!  Sometimes a girl needs a little protein, and sometimes a girl needs just a little crumble of pig on her dinner... My little farmhands at...