Thursday, May 14, 2026

Rhubarb Crisp with Vanilla Custard!

Okay, John made this the other day and we are both obsessed!! Our new favorite crisp recipe!

I will be enjoying this with fresh rhubarb AND chopping and freezing rhubarb in 6 cup quantities for making this recipe all winter!!


Rhubarb Crisp

  • 6 cups diced rhubarb , fresh or frozen (if frozen let thaw and drain first)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract
  • For the Topping:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup almond meal (highly recommended but if you don't have any simply omit it)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter , cubed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat to 350 F.   

Stir the rhubarb, sugar, flour and vanilla extract together in a bowl to evenly coat and then spread the mixture out in a buttered 13×9 inch baking dish. 
In a large bowl add the flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt and work it until combined and crumbly (use your hands, a fork or a pastry cutter).  Sprinkle evenly over the rhubarb.

Bake on middle rack for about 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the rhubarb is bubbling.  Let cool about 10 minutes before serving to allow the rhubarb filling to soak up excess juices. 

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade vanilla sauce.

From Daring Gourment


German Vanilla Sauce (Vanillesoße)

  • 1 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped OR 1 tablespoon quality pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt.

In a medium saucepan bring the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour this egg mixture into the saucepan, constantly whisking it into the hot milk to prevent clumping. Heat the mixture over medium heat until thickened. Do not let it boil.

Strain the vanilla sauce through a fine mesh sieve.

Serve immediately or let it cool and store covered in the fridge. Will keep for up to 3 days. Can be served cold or reheated to serve warm.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of Vanillesoße.

Good warm or cold! Not overly sweet, made to compliment already sweet desserts.

From Daring Gourmet

Farm Store Update Mid-May!

What's at the Farm Store?

Time for early summer bounty!! It's asparagus and rhubarb season!! Garden plants are ready!

HOT ITEMS: Bug Bite Salve, Knitbone Salve (pain), Lotion Bars (dry gardening hands) and heirloom Organic tomato plants!


Canned Goods:

-Applesauce
-Apple Butter
-Jam/Jelly - fresh batch back in stock soon!

Eggs

The ladies are laying in ABUNDANCE! Please come buy some. :)

Fresh Produce

-Organic Asparagus $7/bunch
-Organic Rhubarb $5/bunch
*All of our produce is Certified Organic!

Herbal Wellness & More:

-Tick Away Spray - A blend of essential oils that help to repel and deter ticks; spray on pant legs, shoes, on your dog between the shoulder blades.
-Herbal Bug Spray - catnip and yarrow tinctures, blended with vanilla and citronella EO
-Elderberry Syrup Kits - DIY kits with ginger and cinnamon

-Digestive Bitters NEW - herbal tincture blend that stimulates digestion, helps sluggish digestion, balance blood sugar and so much more.
-Herbal Sore Throat Spray - use for sore and dry throats, as well as when you get that little tickle in the back of your throat
-Herbal Tinctures - Willow Bark, Stinging Nettles, Holy Basil, Astragalus, Ashwaganda, Elderberry
-Calendula Lotion Bar - solid lotion bar, lightly scented with lavender EO
-Knitbone Salve - sprains, strains, broken bones, pain and soreness, tendonitis/artritis, external use only
-Bruise Salve - prevent or treat bruises, good for small wounds also
-Cottonwood Wound Relief Salve - all your cuts, burns, hangnails, general wounds, big and small, a natural neosporin + pain relief
-Bug Bite Salve - rub as needed on bug bites for relief and healing; plantain is a drawing herb that helps pull out what shouldn't be there - also great for splinters.


Greenhouse are Stocked!!

It's time to snap on your garden gloves, grab your local Organic garden plants and get into the garden!!

Plants ARE available at the farm store, The Greenhouse at Total Landscape (Madelia), and Bluestem Garden Works (Comfrey).


Here's the FULL list of what we're be growing this season! **Scroll down for full plant details!
(Plants availability may vary by location.)

Early Jalapeno
Celery, Ventura
Cabbage, Copenhagen
Kohlrabi, Terek
Cauliflower, Snow Crown
Broccoli, DeCicco 
Jalapeno, Early

Tomatoes:

Amish Paste
San Marzano (Paste)
German Johnson (Slicer, BLT fav)
Sun Gold (yellow cherry, prolific)
Hungarian Heart *NEW from Ribilzi Seed Co, New Ulm
Weavers Black Brandywine (slicer, BLT fav)
Brandywine (slicer)
Amish Paste

Cucumbers:

M-76 Cucumber (green slicer)
Common Wealth Pickling
Silver Slicer Cucumber (white slicer, personal fav)

Squash:

Zucchini, Cocozelle
Butternut, Block Party 
Acorn, Thelma Sanders
Delicata Bush

Full plant details have been posted on Facebook!























Monday, April 27, 2026

Cool Crops on Delivery!

I've seen plenty of planting going on and my garlic is looking great!! I would have liked to get my peas in, but plan to get into the garden this week!! This good dose of rain will be good for things, but I'll hope for a few drying days.

Time to get some cool season crops in the ground!

The following Organic brassica bedding plants are headed from the farm to greenhouses this week!!
  • Terek Kohlrabi
  • DeCicco Broccoli
  • Snow Crown Cauliflower
  • Copenhagen Cabbage

See more details below!

Find all of these at both --> The Greenhouse at Total Landscape Supply (Madelia)
                                            --> Bluestem Garden Works (Comfrey)

Watch the social for what will be available at the farm store!






Happy planting!!

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Eggs Are Back!!

Eggs are back on the shelf in the farm store. I am grateful for spring abundance, for this winters pullets really coming into production and our brand new chicken coop/pasture setup!!

Our free-range hens are fed Organic feed and kitchen/garden/orchard scraps and fallen fruit. (They have been helping clean out the last apples in the cooler.) 

Eggs are only available at the Farm Store - $7 per dozen.

When our egg selection is lean we fill our regular weekly customers orders first. This fall and winter our egg numbers were lower, and we had predator loss in the fall. For months all we could fill was regulars orders (and feed ourselves!). Abundance has returned!

Some Egg-citing News:

Eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

1/3 less cholesterol

1/4 less saturated fat

2/3 more vitamin A

2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

3 times more vitamin E

7 times more beta carotene

4 to 6 times as much vitamin D


Mother Earth News Article

Thursday, March 12, 2026

What are Digestive Bitters?

Digestive Bitters have had a place on my kitchen counter for years now. I always travel with it and it's my first go to item when I have an upset tummy! We added our new Digestive Bitters to our tincture line up this winter and it has been extremely popular; even more importantly I hear how it is benefitting people.

Are you familiar with bitters for digestion? Is this a part of your routine? Here is a little more about one of our newest herbal offerings!








Monday, March 9, 2026

Organic Garden Plants Line Up!

 We will be growing our Organic bedding plants for your gardens again this year!! (I can hear my celery lovers cheering. :) Plants will be available at the farm store, The Greenhouse at Total Landscape (Madelia, and Bluestem Garden Works (Comfrey).


Here's the final list of what we'll be growing this season. (Plants may vary by location.)


German Johnson
Celery, Ventura

Cabbage, Copenhagen

Kohlrabi, Terek

Cauliflower, Snow Crown

Broccoli, DeCicco

Jalapeno, Early


Tomatoes:

Amish Paste

San Marzano (Paste)

German Johnson (Slicer, BLT fav)

Sun Gold (yellow cherry, prolific)

Hungarian Heart *NEW from Ribilzi Seed Co, New Ulm

Weavers Black Brandywine (slicer, BLT fav)

Brandywine (slicer)


Cucumbers:

M-76 Cucumber (green slicer)

Common Wealth Pickling

Silver Slicer Cucumber (white slicer, personal fav)

Amish Paste

Squash:

Zucchini, Cocozelle

Butternut, Block Party 

Acorn, Thelma Sanders

Delicata Bush


Watch for delivery dates and greenhouse opening dates!!