Creative Gardens Programming

Creative Gardens Programming

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Well, it's here folks.. The all new Creative Gardens and Episode 7 and the Alfalfa Farms tour.. Click the Vimeo links here and take the tour with us as we meet with Rich and Trudi at the farm and taste their delightful libations. http://vimeo.com/54032424


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Here's some fun stuff from Mary's Kitchen of Creative Gardens with Chet Stentiford & Mary LeBlanc

Compliments of Mary's Kitchen of Creative Gardens .. This is what we enjoyed on our program yesterday.. Oh yeah folks :) Now should we really be letting these secrets out of the recipe box Mary? LOL
French Apple Pie



French Apple pie:
any pie crust you make or choose but no top needed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
says 6 cups paired, thinly sliced apples but I always do more like 8 cups so 6-10 apples.
prepare unbaked crust leaving enough over edges to flute and hold topping in place..... and preheat oven to 350'
mix together the dry ingredients and toss with the apples, stir them till well covered and pour into pie plate or dish. Don't worry about mounding the apples, they will shrink down.
Topping:
Toss 1 cup flour with one stick firm butter, cut into small pieces. Add 1/2 cup compressed brown sugar and mix till crumbly. I end up gently using my fingers to get it to the crumbly stage.
Pile the topping on the apples and flute the crust up to hold things in place.
350' preheated oven
Bake 1 hour and then cover with foil and bake another 30 minutes
I always put a pizza pan, cookie sheet or whatever, lined with foil under the pie, it always spills over a bit and hate cleaning that burnt surgery stuff off the oven floor.
PS Whenever I make Apple pies...I save the skins, put them in some water with cloves and cinnamom and simmer it all together on the stove.....smells up the house so nice and you can keep doing it for days.......I have a warming burner so just keep it going all of the time, just adding water every now and then.
With Hugs and Love........:-) Mary
 
Frosted Cranberry Salad
I can bear witness to how goooood this one is. I had three helpings of this tasty dish
Frosted Cranberry Salad.......big winner, more like a treat than a side to turkey......the guys loved this one and it's easily one of my favorites......way better than just the jellied ole' cranberry sauce I grew up on.
2 boxes of Cherry or Raspberry jello, any brand
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple, drain and keep the juice
1 16 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup chopped nuts, I always use more :-)
Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

dissolve jello in 2 cups boiling water add pineapple juice and chill till just getting thickened........add pineapple, nuts and cranberry sauce and mix together....pour into whatever you like and chill till firm.
Whip topping ingredients together, chill and frost whenever you like.
I normally do 2 different dishes one with and one without topping, both great :-)

Monday, November 19, 2012

From our family to yours. Creative Gardens wishes you and yours a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day with family and friends in the true spirit of giving thanks for all that we have in peace.

  Coming this week on Creative Gardens a special program at Alfalfa Farm in Topsfield, Massachusetts. A local vineyard and winery carrying on the tradition of wine making in the grandest style.