Fresh Jersey Cream Yogurt

"What is jersey cream?" you ask. Well, I will tell you. Jersey cream is cream produced by jersey cows of course! "Well then… what are jersey cows?" Jersey cows were originally bred on the island of Jersey located in the English Channel. They are much smaller than other breeds and their milk has a higher butterfat content, making it much more creamy and delicious than other cows' milk. The jersey cream gives this yogurt a rich, smooth texture. It is surprisingly easy to make and absolutely heavenly when served with fresh fruit or, my favorite, strawberry rosewater jam (keep your eye peeled for this post in July).

Where to find Jersey Milk:

There are many resources on the internet to help you find a store that sells jersey milk near you, however I have found the best website to use is the Jersey Cattle Association website. I have provided the link below:

Jersey Cattle Associaition

What You'll Need:

Half Gallon of Jersey Milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole will do)

½ cup plain starter yogurt*

Thermometer

Slow cooker

*For the starter yogurt, just buy plain yogurt at the grocery store. Whatever yogurt you purchase will dictate the type of yogurt you will make. We love greek yogurt, so that is the type that we bought. Just be sure it says "Active Live Cultures" in the ingredient list. Once you have made your first batch of yogurt, you can use ½ cup as a starter for your next batch.

1. Place a few paper towels in the bottom of the ceramic bowl of your slow cooker. Fill half way with water, cover, and switch it to the "warm" setting.
2. Next, in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat, heat the milk to 185^oF, stirring constantly to make sure it heats evenly.
3. Next, turn off the heat, remove the pot from the burner, and let the milk sit until it reaches 110 ^oF. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Once the milk has reached the right temperature, mix in the starter yogurt. Make sure the yogurt is fully incorporated. Make sure there are no clumps other wise the texture of your yogurt will suffer.
5. Next, pour the mixture into mason jars and loosely secure the lids. Place the jars in the water bath in the slow cooker for 12 hours.
6. When the 12 hours are up, refrigerate the yogurt for 12 hours.

And there you have it - delicious yogurt at a fraction of the cost!

Lavender Flower and Mint Old Fashioned with a Twist of Lemon

As I mentioned in the Lavender Flower and Mint Syrup post below, this syrup makes a great addition to any cocktail. This is a delightful take on my favorite cocktail. It is spring in a glass - the freshness of the mint and lemon pairs wonderfully with the floral bitterness of the lavender, and let us not forget that lovely bite of the whiskey that I love so much. (This recipe is for a double…what can I say? I like a stiff drink!)

What You'll Need:

3 oz of your favorite whiskey (I love Four Roses)

2 tablespoons Lavender Flower and Mint Syrup

2-3 mint leaves

splash of fresh lemon juice

ice

1. Add the lemon juice and mint to the bottom of a cocktail glass. Using a spoon or muddler, muddle the mint and lemon. (To muddle just means to crush fruits and herbs together to release their oils and juices.)
2. Add the ice to the glass.
3. Pour the whiskey and syrup into the glass. Using a spoon, gently mix all ingredients together.
4. Next, take the lemon wedge you squeezed the juice from and run it along the lip of the glass. Do not squeeze the lemon as you do this.
5. Garnish with a few mint leaves, sit on your front porch and enjoy.

Lavender Flower and Mint Challah Bread

Every Easter for the past few years, I have made a challah bread to share for Easter dinner. Even though I generally only make it once a year, challah bread is one of my most favorite breads because of its light texture and eggy flavor. This year I thought it would be lovely to add something different, something special to our Easter challah. I immediately thought flowers! The lavender gives the bread a delicate aroma and flavor and the sprinkled flowers on top look beautiful on the table.

What You'll Need:

• 2 packages of active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• ½ cup Lavender Flower and Mint Syrup, plus ¼ cup for the glaze
• 3 large eggs
• 5 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let is stand, untouched, until it is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the syrup, eggs, and 5 cups of flour, salt and butter.

2. BY HAND: Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. It will be VERY sticky. Pour the dough onto a floured work surface. Begin to knead the dough, adding the last ½ cup of flour as you go, until the dough is smooth and elastic. About 8 minutes

BY STANDMIXER: With the dough hook attached, knead on low speed. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour. Continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. About 8 minutes

This dough is VERY VERY sticky. Do not be tempted to add more flour, otherwise our challah will be tough. Trust me - I've made that mistake multiple times.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl with high sides. Cover with a damp, warm kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours until doubled in size.

4. Lightly oil a large, rimless cookie sheet, or cover it with parchment paper. Uncover the dough and gently punch it down. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form the dough into a ball. Now you have a choice - you can make one huge loaf of challah, or two smaller loaves. For this recipe, I will be making two loaves. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the ball in half. Place one half back into the bowl and cover with the towel. Take the other half and cut it into 4 equal pieces.

5. Roll each piece into a long strand as shown below:

6. Arrange the strands on the baking sheet as shown below. Pinch the 4 strands together at the top.

7. Now comes the fun part - the braiding. Instead of writing a bunch of confusing steps, I've decided to share a series of photos for you to follow. Don't feel too much pressure with this part - even if you mess up, your bread will still look beautiful and I bet no one will even notice!

8. Phew! Repeat this process until you run out of length. At the end, pinch the four strands together as you did with the other side.

9. Cover the loaf with a dry kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour. If you are making 2 loaves, then repeat this whole process with the second ball of dough.

10. Preheat the oven to 350.

11. When the loaf has risen and almost doubled in size, paint the remaining ¼ cup of syrup over the top of the bread. Wipe away any excess on the cookie sheet with a paper towel. Sprinkle the lavender flowers on top.

12. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon on the bottom.

Lavender Flower and Mint Simple Syrup

Spring is a great time to experiment with all the herbal flavors the earth has to offer. I especially love playing with flowers in the kitchen. I have always wanted to make something with lavender and this year I figured, what better way to use lavender than in a syrup? This wonderfully versatile syrup is super easy to prepare and adds a lovely refreshing and floral note to drinks, breads and desserts. Serve it over vanilla ice cream with a few lavender flowers and a mint sprig for a lovely treat.

What You'll Need:

2 cups water

2 cups white sugar

¼ cup dried lavender flowers

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Cheese cloth

Place 1 layer of the cheesecloth in a mesh strainer. You can either place the strainer over a bowl, or to make it easier to can, place the strainer over a funnel and place the whole contraption on top of a mason jar. (See below)

Next, combine all the ingredients in a large sauce pot.

Place the saucepot over medium high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved completely. Do not let the mixture boil. This process only takes about 2 minutes.

Next, strain the mixture through the cheesecloth and into the mason jar or bowl (depending on your set up).

There you have it! You're syrup is ready to use and will keep for at least 6 months. 

Raised Vegetable Beds

Spring is finally here! It's time to break out the trowels and shovels and get working in our gardens. Raised beds are an excellent choice for any urban garden or farm. Often times, soil in urban areas can be contaminated with toxins, trash, and who knows what else. These beds allow you to control the soil your veggies will call home for a few months before harvest, and they create a clean, nice looking gardening space where land is limited. The wonderful thing about raised beds, is you can make them fit to any size you have to work with and in any shape. There are many different ways to build beds, but I have found this to be one of the cheapest, most effective ways. 

What You'll Need:

2"x12" lumber*

3" Wood Screws (Avoid zinc screws as they strip easily)

Electric Drill

Shovel

Cardboard Boxes

Measuring Tape

½ top soil and ½ compost mix (read on for details)

*The amount of lumber you need depends on what size your beds will be.

1. First, you need to decide where to put your vegetable garden. Vegetables generally need 6 to 8 hours of sun per day, so be sure to place your beds in an area where they will receive enough sunlight.

2. Next, you need to measure your plot and decide what size beds you can make. If you can fit more than one, it is best to leave at least 1½' to 2' between each one to allow for workspace.

Then it's off to the hardware store to purchase the lumber! Cedar works best because it is less prone to rot than other woods such as pine. Be sure the boards are 2" thick and 12" wide. Most hardware stores have a guy that will cut the wood for you, so if you do not have a skill saw, no worries! Have them do it at the store for you. We made our beds 4' by 6', so we got 2 boards that were 4' long and 2 boards that were 6' long. For the rest of the instructions, I will use the measurements my husband and I did, just for simplicity's sake.

3. Next it is time to construct the actual bed. Line up one of the 4' boards with one of the 6' boards at a 90^o angle and screw the boards together to secure as shown below:

4. Repeat this step with each corner and there you have it - your bed is complete. It should look like this:

5. Next it's time to get this puppy into the ground. Place the bed on the ground where you would like it. Using the shovel, dig a small trench around the bed.

Once you have completed all four sides of the trench, remove the bed and dig the trench deeper - about 3 inches.

6. Place the bed into the trench. Make sure it is level and square. Next fill in the trench around the bed with the dug-up soil. Make sure the soil is packed pretty tightly around the bed so it does not move or shift.

7. Now we have to fill the raised bed. Place a layer of cardboard boxes on the bottom of you bed. This will keep weeds out and as it decomposes, turns to compost and helps nurture the plants inside the bed. Be sure to remove any tape or labels from the boxes before you use them.

8. Next, using a hose or buckets of water, wet the cardboard.

9. Time for the soil and compost. A few words on top soil - I go for the bagged top soil. One of the main reasons is because I live in the city and I would have nowhere for a delivery man to dump a yard of soil. The other reason is because the bagged top soil is screened which means there will be no surprise seedlings or contaminants mixed in with the soil. Now, the guy at the store may try to get you to purchase the bagged potting soil instead of just regular old top soil. Don't do it! This is not necessary and will be MUCH more expensive. All you need is some compost. A few words on compost - believe it or not, often you can find compost for free! Check your local municipality website as often towns and cities have local composting programs. Also, you can scour craigslist to find someone who will happily give you their composted horse manure. Now when it comes to compost, it is best to avoid compost with made with grass and leaves unless the compost is aged over 5 years. These bits often take many years to break down and if they are not fully composted when introduced to your plants, they can take away vital nutrients your veggies will need to be healthy. I like to stick with compost made from horse manure, chicken poop and kitchen scraps - charming I know. And remember compost is like a fine wine - the more aged, the better.

10. Now that we've sorted that out, we get to figure out just how much soil/compost we will need to fill one bed. I could tell you a complicated math equation to figure this out, but instead I have provided a link to a top soil calculator that can do the math for you. Simply enter in the width in feet, the length in feet and the height in inches (which is 8") of your beds and it will tell you how many cubic yards you will need. It will even calculate the cost!

Soil/Compost Yardage Calculator

11. Once you have that sorted out, fill your beds with the soil and compost mix. It is best to let the dirt settle for at least 1 week before planting.

Happy Spring!