We are not looking back.....

Today is filled with so many emotions.  The past couple of months have surely been a whirlwind with bringing back our little family bakery, to today as the barn renovations begin.  I came back from the gym and just walked around the barn, looking at all of the little details.  It is truly amazing that this barn is still standing since it was built in the early 1800's.  I wish the walls could share all of the history with us.  We actually have a piece of old barn wood in our bedroom that has the date on it 98', with a bunch of initials carved in.  It must be 1898, because if it was 1998 it would have been my brother and I.  

I have so many memories of playing in the barn as a child.  All the laughter, the exploration of all of the junk in there always hoping to find a hidden treasure.  I cannot tell you how many times I climbed up this ladder as a child when we were playing hide-n-seek or just chasing kittens in the barn. 

Chris and I have been asking ourselves over the past couple of weeks, are we crazy for doing all of this? But somehow I keep hearing Gods voice of peace and comfort to keep taking that next step.  So today, its official, we have our permit and the renovation begins.  I cannot wait to watch the transformation and see how Chris our Amish friend, will work throughout this project.  His timeline is 4-6 weeks, WOW!!!  

We hope you will join us in our journey of the transformation of The Barn.  Our hope is it will be ready by the Spring of 2017 for Weddings and Special Events.  Be sure to join us for our Blog updates and let your friends know to join too.  We will be hosting a contest in the very near future to win a "Free" Wedding at The Barn!

Warmly,

Chris & Becca 

How to make the "Perfect" Omelette......

I have to say it helps when you live with an Omelette Chef, but my Dad makes the absolutely best "Kitchen-Sink" Omelettes.  The reason we like to call it a "Kitchen-Sink" Omelette is because whatever we have left in the fridge, goes in the Omelette.  In the summer we always have a ton of fresh veggies from our Farm Share at Good Work Farm, but we also always have a little bit of some sort of protein, like left over ground beef, some grilled chicken or anything else we can find.  The combination of all of these ingredients make the best and most creative Omelettes.  Since my Dad is not much of a blogger, I decided I would capture a few of his special techniques that he learned at the CIA and from several years of experience at the restaurant. 

We would love you all to share your favorite ingredients you use in your omelettes.

Enjoy!!

     - Becca

Tips for Making the Perfect Omelette:

Step 1:  Check your fridge to find out what left-overs you have to use in your omelette.  

Step 2:  Once you have all of your ingredients, dice up all of your veggies, cheeses and proteins ahead of time and leave them laid out on the cutting board until you are ready to use.  According to my Dad, this is called a "mise en place" which is a french culinary phrase, meaning putting everything in its place.

Step 3:  Whisk your eggs together until they are light and fluffy.  As a rule of thumb, use 3 eggs per person.

      *Tip:  The fluffier your eggs are after whisking, the fluffier omelette will be.

Step 4:  Use a well seasoned steel pan or a non-stick pan.  Pre-heat the pan over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes and then add in butter.

Step 5:  Lightly sauté all of your veggies and meats for about 2-3 minutes.  

     *Tip:  Never overload your omelette with too many ingredients, unless you plan on adding more eggs.

Step 6:  Add in your eggs and swirl the eggs in the pan so they are evenly distributed throughout the vegetables.  Let sit on heat until the omelette is no longer runny, but congealed.  

Step 7:  Flip the omelette to the other side.  

     *Tip:  Before you flip your omelette, using a rubber spatula run it around the rim of the      omelette just to loosen from pan so it does not stick when you go to flip it.  Using a front to back motion, flip the omelette towards you.  This will take some practice.  :-)

Step 8:  Once your omelette is flipped, remove from heat, add in your cheese and put back on the heat.  Using your rubber spatula, flip the omelette half way over so you now have a semicircle. Turn your heat to low, put a cover on it until the cheese melts.

Step 9:  Remove from heat and plate to serve.

The Best BBQ Sauce - Perfect for July 4th Weekend

This truly is one of the best BBQ sauce's we have ever tasted.  I made this for the first time last summer and we put this on everything and dipped everything in it as well.  This recipe is adapted from one of Bobby Flay's recipe's, I just modified and added a few additional ingredients.

Perfect for grilling this 4th of July weekend.  Enjoy!

-Chris

Our Favorite BBQ sauce

Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tbs. canola oil
• 1 large white or yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted adds another dimesion)
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c. dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. whole-grain mustard
• 1/2 c. molasses
• 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1 tbs. prepared horseradish, drained
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 tbs. chile powder
• 1 tbs. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. chipotle pepper
• 2 tbs. chipotle sauce

Instructions:

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium pot.  Add onion to cook until soft (about 3-4 mins.) Then add garlic and cook for another minute

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally

Drop to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes

Puree the sauce either with an immersion blender or food processer.

Plan Ahead Tip:

• The sauce will keep for 1 week in the fridge stored in a tightly sealed container

Salmon with Lemon-Shallot Relish and Prosciutto Chips

This is one of our all-time favorite salmon recipes.  The lemon-shallot sauce is great for so many different things.  You can use this for a salad dressing or any type of fish.  It adds a burst of citrus-herb flavors and is really easy to make.  Throughout the summer months we also love to skip the rice or quinoa and just make a bunch of fresh veggies from our farm share at Good Work Farm in Zionsville, PA.  The vegetables from the farm are amazing and its much better to eat what is growing locally in season. 

Lets us know what you think.  Enjoy!!

-Chris 

Salmon with Lemon-Shallot Relish and Prosciutto Chips

Ingredients:

·       4 thin slices of prosciutto (about 2 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips 

·       5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

·       4 – 6 oz Salmon Filets

·       Salt and freshly ground pepper 

·       Juice from 1 Lemon

·       2 tablespoons snipped chives 

·       2 small shallots, very finely chopped 

·       2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 

Instructions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 400°. Lay the prosciutto strips on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 8 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the prosciutto to a plate.

2.     Brush the baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and arrange the salmon fillets, skinned side down, on the sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast the salmon for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked through.

3.     Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice with the chives, shallots and lemon zest. Slowly whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the salmon is done, transfer the fillets to plates, top with the lemon-shallot relish and crisp prosciutto and serve at once with lemon wedges.

* Serve with Asparagus and Quinoa or Rice.

Plan Ahead Tip:  

• Make Lemon Shallot Dressing Ahead of time, it will last at least 3-5 days in refrigerator.  Just allow dressing to come to room temperature before serving.
• Make a batch of Quinoa or Rice on Sunday in a slow cooker and re-heat throughout the week with various meals.  Follow recipe on Quinoa Box or Rice Box, for added flavor cook rice and quinoa in Chicken Stock instead of water.  During the summer months when we have our farm share, we sauté up a bunch of seasonal vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and skip the carbs.
• Wash and prepare asparagus ahead of time, place in baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place asparagus in for the last 5 minutes while salmon is cooking.

Sunday Breakfast at "The Farm"

Sunday mornings are probably our favorite time of the week.  Its a time for us to disconnect, relax and enjoy some family time.  I love putting Sara Groves Radio Station on Pandora and we always make a big batch of pancakes.  Chris loves to cook and most of the time he is the one doing the cooking.  He is the Chef and I guess you would say I'm the baker.  I love to take recipes and put a healthy spin on them.  For our pancakes, we use an old recipe that we have had in our family for years, but I've modified it slightly to make our pancakes a little bit healthier.  We would love for you all to share how you spend your Sunday mornings, as well as any favorite family recipes.

God Bless and Enjoy!  

The Lynde's

"The Farm" Pancakes

• 2 Cups of Spelt Flour
• 2 T of Organic Sugar or 2 T of Raw Honey
• 2 t Baking Powder
• 1 t Baking Soda
• 1/2 t Sea Salt

Sift all dry ingredients to ensure your pancakes are light and fluffy.

• 2 Cups of Almond Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 2 t Vanilla Extract

Add above wet ingredients whisk until just combined.

• 4 T of Organic Butter or Coconut Oil - Melted

After wet and dry ingredients are combined add the melted butter or coconut oil or stir until combined.  Lets rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.

Heat to griddle to 350 degrees, grease griddle and wipe clean with a paper towel and then pour your pancakes onto the griddle.  

Serve with pure maple syrup and any toppings that you would enjoy.  We love to add seasonal fruit - peaches, strawberries and blueberries.  One of our favorites are bananas and walnuts.

Makes 18 pancakes.