’Tis the season to fill the house with the delectable Christmas smells of cinnamon, roasted nuts and brown sugar. For Sara Bobinis, the aromas of baking are what lure her into the kitchen every week for cooking initiatives. A banker by day, Sara and her husband, John, have operated their 14-acre Golden Harvest Acres farm in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, since 1998. They develop acres of garlic and quite a lot of greens. The couple promote garlic and create value-added merchandise from their farm produce, corresponding to jams, spreads and vinaigrettes, which they promote to eating places and shops.
Sara says her affection for cooking and baking is rooted in childhood nostalgia.
“It began after I was younger, with my mother baking. It was a time while you didn’t have processed desserts like Hostess or Tastykakes out there,” she stated. “I really like the odor, particularly of things with yeast corresponding to breads and cinnamon rolls. Once I wish to bake one thing, I like to start out within the morning and hopefully it is going to final the week.”
She continued, “At Christmastime, my mother would at all times make bar cookies, so we had been at all times serving to with that. I really like the odor of a home that has one thing baking.”
Whereas she may have gone to culinary college for baking, her brother is the one who went to high school to turn into a chef, and he or she by no means took that route.
Sara Bobinis, of Golden Harvest Acres, Mifflinburg, Pa., enjoys culinary initiatives corresponding to these pies, which can go on her meals weblog.
Nevertheless, Sara’s aptitude within the kitchen, paired together with her husband’s web site design abilities, finally led them to create a meals weblog on their farm’s web site. The recipes characteristic tried-and-true, old style recipes with a brand new twist — a novel spice or one thing from their gluten-free product traces corresponding to pumpkin butter, roasted garlic unfold, vinaigrettes or jams.
“That spoonful or two simply provides your (entrée) or dessert that additional ‘wow.’ If you begin with a great seasoning or spice, you don’t have to make use of as a lot and it makes an enormous distinction,” she stated.
That rule is very true with garlic in savory recipes corresponding to mashed potatoes, Sara stated.
Golden Harvest Acres focuses on Japanese European garlics, that are a lot stronger than the store-bought business garlic varieties that usually originate in California, she stated.
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“My favourite recipes for the vacations begin with butterhorns. They’re (manufactured from) a yeast-based dough, like a crescent, with vanilla frosting and nuts on the highest,” Sara stated. “I make pumpkin rolls or a German streusel cake with a few of our pumpkin butter added into the batter. I wish to make shortbread, however it isn’t like what you’ll purchase. It’s executed in cake pans and the longer it sits round in your counter, the flavour will get higher. Jam stick cookies are a problem, however they’re so good with our rhubarb jam.”
Sara’s rhubarb double decker bars.
She stated her purpose is to assist prospects create one thing distinctive and memorable at dwelling, somewhat than buying store-bought objects.
“When John and I received married, I taught the children how one can make the recipes, particularly the butterhorns. I’d simply roll my fingers collectively and so they knew that we had been going to make butterhorns that day,” she stated, smiling.
Sara’s frosted butterhorn crescents.
Her weekly culinary creations are supplemented with buyer suggestions and recommendations. Actually, she stated the concept to marinate beef for 72 hours within the Golden Harvest Acres black raspberry French dressing originated with a buyer.
“After we began our enterprise, I needed to include our merchandise into my cooking. I needed to do extra with our vinaigrettes than simply have it as a salad dressing,” she stated. “It provides just a little additional ingredient to make dinner much more tasty. Our peach basil (taste) pairs exceptionally properly with rooster. Roasted garlic French dressing is sweet as a stir-fry for each rooster and pork.”
After years of experimenting with flavors, Sara is aware of what goes properly in a recipe. Her recipes embody baked items in addition to casseroles, roasts, greens and desserts like muffins, cookies and muffins.
“I make loads of salads with cabbage, corresponding to a three-day salad and coleslaw. I even put the cabbage in a pot of our stewed tomatoes, which has meatballs with rice. Most individuals understand it as ‘pigs in a blanket.’ I simply reduce my cabbage up in items to save lots of time. I take advantage of the identical combination and stuff peppers. We’ve got a sizzling pepper jam that’s nice with whipped cream cheese to make use of as a snack or so as to add a couple of spoonfuls when you find yourself pan-frying rooster or pork. You let the juices scale back slowly and it creates a fantastic savory sauce or glaze that’s good with rice or pasta.”
Every month, John and Sara ship out a food-related e-newsletter. It goes to an inventory of roughly 1,000 prospects that they’ve curated through the years from gala’s, festivals and on-line orders.
To view Sara’s dozens of candy and savory recipes best for the vacation season, go to the couple’s web site at GoldenHarvestAcres.com/Recipes.
