The Kitchen Table meets Turnip Greens

Looking for inspiration for our inagural class at The Kitchen Table we had several important priorities to meet. Our goal is to celebrate the art of cooking while learning new skills or new ways of preparing familiar foods. Keeping our selections seasonal and fresh actually makes the above priorities easier to reach.

The friends who will gather at The Kitchen Table tomorrow will work with one of the lowliest yet most nutrious foods in season now, turnip greens. Turnip greens like thier cousins, mustard greens and kale are nutrient dense and are an extremely healthy food to add to your diet. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, phosphate, iron, calcium and folate.

To really celebrate the goodness of turnip greens we wanted to provide the class with the freshest possible produce. We went to Tracy Hansen's wonderful farm and picked our greens. Though Tracy can not advertise her produce as organic (too many governmental hoops to jump) she does not spray or use harmful artifical fertilizer in her garden. The greens in Tracy's garden are lovely. She has four different varieties all grown from heirloom seeds. If the only winter greens you have eaten have come from a large plastic bag in the produce section of WalMart or a restaurant offering you are going to wonder what you have been eating and calling it 'greens'. Freshly picked winter greens are amazingly good. Tracy sells her greens at the Bean's Creek Farmer's Market held every Thursday afternoon from 3-6pm) and  believe me they are worth the trip.

We prefer to  prepare  turnip greens simply in order to fully appreciate their taste. After the greens are washed we saute them for just a couple of minutes in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil until they are wilted down. The color is fantastic and the taste is wonderful. The greens are tender with a slight bite. Yummy.
The class will also work with plums, broccali and quinoa.


*Please call for information about upcoming weekly classes at The Kitchen Table. Tomorrow night's class is filled  but we will be cooking next week as well. Call early to make a reservation (728-5043). We would love to have you at our Kitchen Table.

The Kitchen Table is a culinary experience that celebrates  seasonal foods. We meet each Thursday evening from 7-9pm at the Munn house. Class space is limited to 5 students. The cost for class is $10. We are happy to arrange a special occasion class for you and your friends.

Good Night Kitchen

Protect us, Lord, as we awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

The Kitchen Table Where Life's Lessons Begin

Doorstep Bakery is so happy to announce the start of a new venture, The Kitchen Table.  Over the past few months we have received many requests from customers who are interested in learning to bake bread.In our desire to help those who are interested  in learning  our methods for baking sourdough breads we are offering culinary classes. Though we will focus on delicious breads we hope to teach other recipes as well. Of course our recipes will feature seasonal and local produce. We will incorporate organic foods when available locally and feature those food producers who are striving to bring the very best food products to the consumer. We will use simple techniques  that can be easily mastered in your own kitchen without the use of fancy, expensive gadgets or tools.

The Kitchen Table will be meeting at the Noah Community Center near Manchester each Thursday evening from 7pm-9pm, beginning October27th. We are immensely grateful for the generous use of this fine old building and feel very privileged to be situated within its walls teaching the art we love. 

It is our hope that The Kitchen Table will be a place of fellowship and discovery inspiring those who share  their time with us to recreate the recipes for their own families.

The Kitchen Table embodies the belief that cooking for our family and friends should be a worthy effort that feeds the body as well as the soul.

For more information or to register for a class please call Rita or Megan at 931-728-5043

Please visit our blog to view upcoming classes and details about

The Kitchen Table

October 27th at The Kitchen Table

Bread Making Primer

Here are some pictures of our Kitchen Table.  We would love to see pictures of your kitchen table, please send them to us.

  

The Kitchen Table where life's lessons begin.

It Is Good To Be Here

After a long car trip (actually we were only on the road a little better than two hours but with babies and children any car trip seems like forever) we arrived at Grandma and Poppa's house. The children were eager to escape the confines of the car and get to the serious  business of visiting with beloved great grandparents. With great delight Grandma and Poppa were surrounded by two generations of grandchildren and three of their 6 children. We were all there in each stage of life from breastfeeding to elderly. Beautiful. Is this a foretaste of Heaven? Yes most certainly and we praise the good Jesus for allowing such a wonderful gift.

It is amazing to me the immediate connection that small children have to the elderly. Poppa was busy keeping count of the children and listening to chatter from every corner of the room. At one point Elizabeth, age 6, gave Poppa a detailed explanation of how one becomes 'electrified'. :-) She of course was relating the latest information she had gathered from a recent program on the dangers of staying out of doors during a thunderstorm. Poppa listened with intent, as though he had no idea that such dangers were present in the world. 

Little people were fascinated with all things elderly from the wheelchair to the cane. Poppa was patient with each one of them and insisted that they were never in the way or underfoot. 

Grandma was an inspiration as she displayed an energetic and purposefulness in making certain everyone was fed and cared for. She has always been the first one to arrive to her daughter's homes when births or crisis happen. I have often said that she can 'work me into the ground'. 

In the end we ate pizza and all enjoyed the fancy fixin's that Grandma added to the pizza meal. 

The car ride home was very, very quiet. All were asleep except the driver. Thank you Megan.

The month of October is the time when the Catholic church takes the time to draw attention to the overwhelming gift of Life by celebrating conception to natural death. I can say that we did our part and feel completely grateful and equally overwhelmed by the Lord's great mercy and goodness.

 

Gone to see the Old Folks

For the remainder of the week, Doorstep Bakery is visiting grandparents and great grandparents. Margaret the oldest of the Doorstep Bakery daughters is coming our way and bringing her 3 children and then the vans are traveling in caravan to Bowling Green, Kentucky to spend time with the old folks. It will be a wonderful time and I am certain that there will be occasions for baking as the backdrop to lots of visiting and spending time together in one place. We will see you on Monday.

Alphabets and Pumpkins

Alphabears by Kathleen Hague and illustrated by Michael Hague is one of the sweetest little books.  I have loved it for years.  When Megan was little she had the book memorized.  How amazing and precocious she seemed when visitors to our house would see a 3 year old with a book perched on her lap reading out loud.  It wasn't until they might notice that she had the book upside down or that she wasn't turning pages to match the words that her secret discovered.  Just the same I was mighty impressed that such a tiny thing could memorize an entire book.

'A is for Amanda a good teddy bear, she carries sweet apples everywhere.'  Naturally raw apple cake is the best pairing for Alphabears.  Don't forget the hot chocolate.

Mousekin's Golden House by Edna Miller is a must read for fall.  The story of Mousekin scurrying to find shelter for the winter is a classic and one that all children will enjoy.  When Laura was little she told me that one day when she grew up she was going to have a white footed mouse for a pet.  I think of this wonderful book every October when the huge golden pumpkins are piled up waiting to be sold.  I have even thrown our left over Jack O Lanterns in the woods across the street just in case Mousekin needs a golden house.  Pumpkin Pie is yummy and the perfect compliment to this seasonal book.  A dollop of whip cream and some hot chai will make for a fantastic tea time.

Please share with us your special children's books and the foods that you think go well with the book.  It is so much fun learning what each of you like.  Children's books that our children have enjoyed create wonderful memories, don't you think?

Good Night Kitchen

Children's Books

Honestly who doesn't love curling up in a cozy spot, when the weather is chilly?  Sounds wonderful doesn't it?  Don't forget the cup of tea or hot chocolate perched just so, making it is easy to reach for leisurely sipping.  Add a favorite book and there is no reason to want for anything more unless it is a sweet cookie or bread toasted to perfection.

Reading is a passion in our household.  Our shelves are filled with cookbooks, children's books, history books, mysteries, novels and more.

This week Doorstep Bakery thought it would be delightful to feature some of our favorite children's books paired with wonderful recipes.

It would be so nice if you could share with us and all who will read your own favorite children's books and the foods that seem to go so well with the theme of the particular title.

We all need a little inspiration to jump start the creativity as we hunker down and prepare for the best cozy reading months ahead.

The End of Our Autumn Week

Good Night Kitchen

Keep the Children Busy

When we are baking for one of our farmer's markets it is a hectic day to say the least.  We usually begin the day between 4:30 am and 5:00am.  The little girls are up and ready for the day by at least 7:00 am.

Baking days mean that we will have to keep the children occupied so that we can concentrate on the oven, breads, cookies and packing for farmer's market.  I am sure that anyone with children reading this entry can appreciate the juggling and compromise that has to take place in order to get all tasks finished and ready for delivery.

Thank the Lord for the beautiful weather.  Blessed, glorious days of sunshine and cool even temperatures.  Everyone takes turns, helping their mom watch the girls outside.  We call it 'tag team babysitting.'  While one bakes another is with the girls.

All the work gets done, the van is loaded on time and the little girls have had someone's undivided attention the entire day.  Though market days are hectic we love going and seeing our familiar customers and meeting new ones as well.

In a family it is the working together to accomplish a common goal that provides the highest satisfaction.  At the end of the day we can relax and prepare for tomorrow's agenda.  The famous last words in our household have always been, "What are we doing tomorrow?"

Good Night Kitchen

Yard Work

When the weather turns cool, I am energetic about the yard.  I love to put the garden to bed for the winter.  We will rake and pile up sticks and debris left over from our garden spot.

But the best part of the clean up effort will be the bonfire that evening to burn up the remains of summer.  There will be a trip to the woods across the street from our house to gather dead limbs to ensure that our bonfire is spectacular.

Several years ago when our circle of friends included musicians our autumn bonfires always included music. Tony and Jenny Reosti would sing while Chip Stepanek and my husband played their guitars.  Tony's favorite song was 'Blue Moon of Kentucky.'  What a voice!  Beautiful.  I can still hear him sing when I close my eyes and remember those wonderful times.

A Forest Cathedral

Those friends have all moved away from Manchester and it makes our annual bonfire a little bitter sweet.  Perhaps this weekend when we light the first of many fall bonfires, I will find a recording of 'Blue Moon of Kentucky,' close my eyes and remember dear friends and good times.

Good Night Kitchen

A Ham Hock?

Recently I have been inspired to try to prepare at least two recipes a week from my newest cookbook, Cooking School Provence by Gui Gedda and Marie- Pierre Moine.  The cookbook has stunning pictures and a wonderful narrative which leads the reader/cook through each recipe of this book shopping, cooking and eating like a local.  So nice is the reading of this book that it has been on my bedside table for nighttime reading for at least a month.  But now is the time to try my hand at some of the easier recipes.

Tonight we feasted on Soupe Au Postou.  The recipe was perfect for the crock pot as the dried cannelloni and red beans would do wonderfully well with the slow cooking method.  I put the beans in the crock pit with suggested spices, root vegetables and water.  However there was one ingredient that I was not absolutely sure we needed, a fresh ham hock. I decided that in the name of cooking science I would prepare the recipe as close to written as feasible so I sent Laura to Spring Street Market.  Spring Street Market is a small grocery store that would surely have a ham hock.  They certainly did and am I ever glad.

The taste of this soup was amazing.  Just perfect for a chilly fall evening.  Oh my goodness. Yummy.

I understand that eating ham hock flavored soups and beans can be addictive and probably not as healthy for one's heart but once in a while and in moderation it surely can't be that bad.

Good Night Kitchen

Cool Mornings and Hot Breakfast

When the weather turns cooler, naturally we are ready for a breakfast that warms us and fuels us for the work of the day.  We are partial to Doorstep Bakery French Sourdough bread and find that it toasts so golden and crispy that all it begs for is a hot cup of tea or coffee and sweet jam.  We toast our breads in a black iron skillet.  It may be old fashioned but it suits our style and we like the result.

Oatmeal is always a favorite.  Somehow in the heat of the summer oatmeal just seems ridiculous but on a chilly Autumn morning it is perfect.

The coziest spot this fall morning is mom's lap.  The baby is cuddly soft and still warm from the bed and ready to curl up and enjoy a quiet morning while sharing mom's toast and jam.

*Our favorite oatmeal is Irish oats.  We like John McCann steel cut oats.  It may take a little longer to prepare but we're not in a hurry today. 

*Our best black skillet is a Lodge brand.  Our smallest skillet is approximately 30 years old.  It just gets better with each use.  I wouldn't dream of toasting bread without it.