Passing on Heritage Skills, Tomatoes Abound

Deb D (Aunt Eunice) — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 23:58:00 +0000

Preserving & Teaching Heritage Skills

Hello Folks, Aunt Eunice here. Well, in my last message I said August would be as busy as July and so far I am right on the money! Besides the historic tour last week, we have had bake oven highlights, a pottery highlight, a visit from the beekeeper with some of his bees and Saturday was Heritage Craft Day. Heritage Craft Day is a summer event that offers a close up look at a number of the traditional craft and trade skills of the 19th century. As part of our farm museum’s mission, we are tasked with preserving this kind of knowledge. There were rye straw basket and hat makers here, spinning and weaving was demonstrated, and the bobbin lace and tatting ladies shared their versions of lace making. The potter was at her wheel, there was quilling which is a paper craft and quilting as well. There was puppet making for the children, the men folk were making rope and the bake oven was busy turning out loaves of whole wheat bread. Aunt Eunice even had a chance to sit a spell and do some whittling. All in all a lovely day both entertainment and weather-wise.

Tomatoes in Abundance

Our tomato plants seem to be loving the hot, humid weather and we are harvesting many different varieties. One of my favorites is the Juliet, a small, plum shaped one that is firm and has a sweet flavor. According to Bonnieplants.com – Juliet tomatoes are slightly larger than the well-known Santa grape tomato, it bears delicious, sweet fruit on indeterminate vines. Some gardeners refer to it as a mini Roma because of the shape. The wonderfully sweet fruit are crack resistant and remain in good condition on the vine longer than most cherry tomatoes. The fruit are as soft and juicy as cherry tomatoes, they hold up well in salads, and they have a longer shelf life so you can keep them on hand without picking every day. Here is an old time recipe using squash and tomatoes from Quiet Valley’s bake oven cookbook. It may help you use up some of the many you will be harvesting in the month of August!

Scalloped Tomatoes and Squash

Dice 3 cups of summer squash
Brown squash in 3 tbsp. of butter
Cube 2 cups of tomatoes
Add salt & pepper
Layer squash & tomatoes in casserole
Pour on 1 ½ cup of white sauce (recipe below)
Sprinkle with ⅔ cup of buttered crumbs
Sprinkle with ½ cup of grated cheese

White Sauce Ingredients & Directions

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the flour and whisk until combined.
Slowly stir in 1 cup of cream (or milk) and whisk until smooth.
Stir in the remaining cream, salt and pepper. Whisk constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. This will take 3-5 minutes.
Remove the white sauce from the stove.

Cucumbers, squash, carrots, beets, bell peppers, and kohlrabi are just some of the other vegetables that we have been harvesting. Last Thursday, we picked the sweet corn. It was immediately blanched, cut off the cob and frozen. All the staff received one ear each for lunch. It was delicious and certainly couldn’t have been fresher! I hope your gardens are producing as well as our Quiet Valley kitchen garden. Otherwise, remember to check out your CSA or farmer’s markets. Your local farmers will appreciate the support.

That’s all for now folks. Hopefully, we will see you on the farm before summer ends. Remember to check our Calendar of Events as we are planning several moderately-sized fall events to supplement our non-profit organization’s income. Take care. Aunt Eunice

Pies Galore, Pottery of the Past, Heritage Craft Skills

Deb D (Aunt Eunice) — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:27:00 +0000

Backyard Treasure Hunt

Hello Folks, Aunt Eunice here! In our neck of the woods and many other parts of the country, we are just coming out of a particularly nasty hot spell. High temperatures are not something for which anyone wants to hold a record! This week is starting off a little more reasonably. This is the time of year to head down to the swimming hole and cool off. If you don’t have a pond, walking in the creek can be a nice alternative. My grandchildren and I were in the creek a few weeks ago wading and splashing around. I told them to look for light colored stones in the creek bed because sometimes they are pieces of old pottery. It turned into a treasure hunt after the first piece we picked up was a lovely chunk of a white plate with little blue flowers on it. Our house was built in the 1860s and the stream is only about 100 feet behind it. These are remnants from the folks who started my farm. At this point we have a basket full of pottery and china shards. What fun! Remember to have someone with you if you are playing near or in the water.

Heritage Craft Day

With August on the horizon I am beginning to make plans for Quiet Valley’s Heritage Craft Day on August 10th. Various heritage craftspeople will be out to demonstrate their specialties, things such as spinning, weaving, paper crafts, hay fork making and more. This event offers a chance for visitors to try some crafts out for themselves. There is also an area for children to try out some crafts. I am also thinking ahead to the Pocono State Craft Festival which is August 24th and 25th. This is the time to come if you like shopping for fine art and craft pieces, watching demonstrations, listening to live music and enjoying open house tours of the historic buildings. There will also be an artisanal bread sale, one room school presentations and wagon rides. There will also be baked goods to buy. All funds raised support three fine non-profits, the Pocono Arts Council, the Pocono Chapter of PA Guild of Craftsmen and Quiet Valley.

Pie, Pie, Me Oh My!

I am planning what pies I will make for the bake sale. Cherry crumb pie and fresh peach pie with a lattice top crust always do well. Lemon sponge is old fashioned and yet still a favorite as is buttermilk pie. There is a saying “Easy as pie” which means something is simple to do. I am not sure folks today think making a pie is easy, but in the past all young ladies learned how to make a good pie and a tasty cake. Today, it should be a “piece of cake” to make a pie as you can buy a ready-made crust to speed things along. Making pie can be very satisfying and gifting people with a homemade one is a sure way to make a friend. Try our recipe below and you may become a pie making fanatic!

Heritage Craft Day – Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm