My Country Kitchen is the Heart of my Home
My country kitchen is the room where all activity is planned,started and completed. When visitors drop in or guests arrive, they immediately go to the kitchen. Daily and weekly menus are planned and prepared here. Here I begin to preserve fresh garden vegetables for the winter.
Bread is baked weekly in the kitchen. At any large gathering people always congregate in this welcoming room. Country houses may have many rooms but this room,the heart of the home is the place to catch up, to be involved, to find out something new.
There should be a comfortable table for meals and conversation. At the peak of the summer gardening season and holidays the table will be used as overflow work space. A cosy chair in a nook or corner is important too. Visitors and family members enjoy the comfort of watching the hustle and bustle from a special chair. My favorite room has all of these attributes. My counters and cupboards are many. I have a chopping block in the center of my work space.It is the perfect height for chopping vegetables and
kneading bread
My round table works equally well for meals,homework and overflow food preparation. And my cosy chair is an heirloom upholstered rocking chair in one corner. Perfect for observing the kitchen bustle,reading to grand and great grandchildren,sipping tea or patting the dog. Enough talk! There's work to be done. Grab an apron...those flowers need arranging and I have to pop the bread in the oven!
Yeast Bread Baking When I first found out that it was possible to bake yeast bread in my kitchen I was excited! And when the bread that came from my oven was better than any I could buy, I was doubly excited. For years I have baked almost all the bread that has been eaten in my home. Bread Recipes These coolrise bread recipes are the ones I use most often in my country kitchen.They are easy and quick to make and taste delicious. I always double the recipe and put the extra loaves in the freezer. Sourdough Bread One of my daughter-in-laws makes the most delicious sourdough bread. She has kept her sourdough starter since 1971. Bread styles change with the fashion in food-her current sourdough breads are full of whole grain flours,seeds,and nuts. Mmmmm’ good. Baking Powder Biscuits Piping hot baking powder biscuits and freshly made wild black raspberry jam.What a summer treat! Homemade Jello Homemade jello is quick to make and very tasty! The extra fruit and berries in my garden provide juice for this easy and delicious dessert. Add a touch of whipped cream to make it even more special. Coffee Cake I have been using this coffee cake recipe since 1955 when a dear friend gave it to me. "No one who lives in the country should be without this recipe," she said. It is versatile and delicious! Homemade Dinner Rolls A good homemade dinner rolls recipe is priceless. I am not sure of the origin of mine, but it has served me well! It can be doubled and tripled. It freezes well. And never fails to get appreciative comments from guests. Hazelnut Recipes I make these hazelnut recipes with the harvest from my hazelnut bushes. They are delicious. Using Micro Greens This warm beet salad with chevre,fresh micro greens and a drizzle of balsamic reduction is perfect for a late summer lunch. Homemade Yogurt I like to make my own homemade yogurt.It is easy to do. It doesn't take time and is much more economical than store bought yogurt. Artisan Bread in Minutes I am a veteran bread maker and I make bread each week, but I was absolutely blown away after reading about "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" on Mother Earth News. Return to Country Life Home
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