Maple Pumpkin Custard

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

Pumpkin pie has always been one of my favorite treats at Thanksgiving time, or any other time for that matter. I don’t know if it’s the spices I like most, or the smooth consistency of the filling, or maybe the aroma that fills the house when it’s baking – I just know that I like it! So it’s only natural that I would love this pumpkin custard too, because it has all the flavors of pumpkin pie, but without the crust. And without the crust, pumpkin custard has less calories than pumpkin pie, so I can eat it more often without feeling too guilty!

pumpkin custard

Maple Pumpkin Custard

If you have your own homegrown pumpkin puree, this is a great way to use it. Butternut squash puree works well too. Lately I have been fascinated with growing all kinds of winter squashes, so we usually have an assortment of squash/pumpkin puree in the freezer. They all work in this custard. So does canned pumpkin puree, if you don’t happen to have any homegrown.

pumpkin custard baking in the oven

pumpkin custard baking in the oven

I use almond milk in this recipe, but soy or cows milk would work just as well. I can’t think of a good substitute for the maple syrup though. You certainly don’t have to use the most expensive type here. I usually cook with a Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup, which has lots of flavor and isn’t quite as expensive as the lighter grades. But please use real maple syrup, the kind that comes from the cooked-down sap of a maple tree, and not some artificially flavored high-fructose corn syrup. Your taste buds will thank you, and so will the maple syrup farmers and producers.

Maple Pumpkin Custard topped with whipped cream

Maple Pumpkin Custard topped with whipped cream

Maple Pumpkin Custard Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
adapted from an Eating Well recipe

1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp  ground ginger
dash ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Place six 6-ounce (3/4-cup) custard cups in roasting pan.
2. Heat milk over low heat in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling, or use microwave to warm.
3. Whisk eggs and syrup in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Gently whisk in the warm milk (a little bit at a time so the eggs don’t cook). Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger. nutmeg, vanilla and salt; stir until well-combined.
4. Pour the mixture evenly among custard cups in roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
5. Bake uncovered until custards are just set but still quiver in the center when shaken, 45 to 50 minutes. Custard should register at least 160°F in the center.
6. Carefully transfer custards to a wire rack and let cool for 30-45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until chilled.

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 142 calories, 36 calories from fat, 4g total fat, 141mg cholesterol, 277.9mg sodium, 194.6mg potassium, 22.1g carbohydrates, 1.5g fiber, 16.3g sugar, 4.9g protein, 144.9mg calcium, 1.1g saturated fat.

 

Posted in Recipes | 9 Comments

Holding Pattern

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

April has arrived, and with it we finally have a break in the weather. Old man winter wasn’t quite ready to leave us last week as we got a quick dusting of snow. Thankfully it didn’t last long.

late March snow coming down

late March snow coming down

This week we have daffodils blooming.

April daffodils

April daffodils

And we have bluebirds nesting. Our friend Carla reports hers have 5 eggs already. Ours haven’t laid any eggs yet, but the nest is ready.

bluebird nest is ready for eggs

bluebird nest is ready for eggs

I took advantage of nice weather yesterday to plant kohlrabi and lettuce in one of the cold frame beds. The green pellets in the below photo are Sluggo Plus, which I spread to help control the slugs.

cold frame with lettuce and kohlrabi

cold frame with lettuce and kohlrabi

These plants were started back in February. The kohlrabi variety is Kossak, and it makes nice large edible stems about 90 days after setting out plants. It’s a good keeper too. I did a Saturday Spotlight on it last year, and you can read it here. I spaced these about 10 inches apart to let them get nice and large. I alternated the Kossak between the lettuce plants (Oakleaf, Radichetta and Simpson Elite). I also set out plants for Kolibri and Winner kohlrabi in another bed, which should be ready in about 60 days.

young kohlrabi plant

young kohlrabi plant

Inside the greenhouse, I planted some Asian greens in one of the beds. That’s mizuna in the below photo, and I also set out komatsuna and Yukina Savoy (a tatsoi relative). These quick growers should be ready to start eating in a few weeks.

young Kyoto mizuna plant

young Kyoto mizuna plant

The rest of my planting activities are in a holding pattern, as I wait for the weather and soil temperatures to warm. I have beds prepared for potatoes, cabbage and broccoli, but the soil is still a bit too cold. It was about 45°F yesterday, which is just warm enough to plant potatoes. However I’m still waiting on the arrival of the potatoes I ordered. Last year I planted potatoes on April 6th, so we are not really running behind schedule this year.

soil temperature

soil temperature

The soil needs to be at least 50°F before I set out the broccoli and cabbage, so those plants are hanging out in the greenhouse. Once the soil warms up they will be ready to go in the ground. I rely on soil temperature as well as the calendar when I decide on planting times. Much of the growing activity is going on underground, so it makes sense to keep an eye on the temperature there. You can read more about my planting schedule here.

flat of broccoli plants in greenhouse

flat of broccoli plants in greenhouse

The plants for peppers, tomatoes and eggplant are still inside under fluorescent lights. It will be another month before it’s time to set out any of them. I think they are best left inside for the time being, until they are a bit bigger. I do have a few early types that are sizing up nicely already. I’ll pot them up in larger containers soon, so they can get a nice root system before setting out.

early tomatoes

early tomatoes

That’s a look at what’s happening in the gardening world here at Happy Acres. I hope you enjoyed the update!

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Saturday Spotlight: Kumi Kumi Squash

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

Lately I have become fascinated with heirloom vegetables, especially the winter squashes. There is such diversity in sizes, shapes and colors, and I find myself wanting to grow them all. These long-keeping vegetables are a mainstay of our winter diet here at HA, in part because many of them keep so well and also because they are so versatile in the kitchen. It doesn’t hurt that they are nutritious and tasty too.

Kumi Kumi squash from August 2013

Kumi Kumi squash from August 2013

Today’s Spotlight is on a Cucurbita pepo squash called Kumi Kumi (or Kamo Kamo by some). This variety is an heirloom Maori pumpkin and is reported to be quite popular in New Zealand. I grew Kumi Kumi for the first time last year. Before that I was not familiar with it. The fast-growing vines rambled all over the metal fence around our vegetable garden. The fencing did a good job of supporting the heavy fruits, as you can see in the above photo, and I plan on growing them the same way this year.

young Kumi Kumi squash hanging out with 7 pound mature one

young Kumi Kumi squash hanging out with 7 pound mature one

Kumi Kumi is somewhat unusual because it can be used at both the green and mature stages. When young, it can be used like a summer squash. It has a mild flavor and texture like zucchini, though I think it has a sweeter taste and a bit drier flesh. I love it sliced fairly thin and then grilled, brushed with a little olive oil and simply seasoned with some salt and pepper. Grilling seems to bring out the sweetness, and the firm flesh holds up well this way. The round shape also makes it a good candidate for stuffing, though I haven’t yet tried them prepared that way. According to the Baker Creek catalog ‘the young fruit can be boiled, fried or baked’.

young Kumi Kumi squash

young Kumi Kumi squash

As they mature, the outside starts turning orange, usually with a few streaks of green remaining. The ridged rind is hard and tough, and can be a bit difficult to pierce with a knife. The thick flesh inside has a rich flavor when baked, but it is a bit stringy when compared to other popular winter squashes like the butternut. The texture is quite smooth when pureed though, so it does well for soups, breads and other similar uses. They are also quite decorative at this stage, though the hard rind would be difficult to carve into a jack-o’-lantern unless you have a power carving tool. The tough exterior makes it a good keeper, and after 6 months in storage ours are all still doing fine, and we haven’t lost one yet.

mature Kumi Kumi has a tough rind

mature Kumi Kumi has a tough rind

After baking I usually use an immersion blender to puree the flesh after scooping it out of the shell. A food processor can also be used. I like to freeze the puree in pint size containers for later use. The puree then finds its way into cakes, muffins, pumpkin bread and soups throughout the year. One of my new favorite things to make is Maple Pumpkin Custard. I’ll try and share that recipe here soon. Of course we also use it to make my wife’s Whiskey Pumpkin Pie, which features a little Kentucky bourbon for extra flavor.

thick orange flesh of Kumi Kumi

thick orange flesh of Kumi Kumi

In the U.S., seeds for Kumi Kumi are available from Nichols Garden Nursery and Baker Creek heirloom seeds (where it is listed as Kamo Kamo). I have not saved seeds from mine because we grow so many other squashes that cross-pollination is almost a certainty.

pureed Kumi Kumi squash

pureed Kumi Kumi squash

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Spotlight on a lovely heirloom squash variety. I’ll be back soon with more adventures.

To see my other Saturday Spotlights, visit the Variety Spotlights page. 

 

Posted in Saturday Spotlight | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Monday Recap: Hooray For Spinach!

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

After a dry spell that lasted a couple of months, we are harvesting here again. Spinach from the cold frame made its way into our salad bowls this week. There will be more to come, and from the greenhouse as well. I love fresh spinach, what more can I say! It’s mostly the Giant Winter variety in the below photo, which is one of our reliable and tasty favorites.

March spinach harvest

March spinach harvest

Some of the spinach also found its way onto a pita pizza, along with some arugula. We used some of our roasted Roma tomatoes (from the freezer) on one pizza for a chunky sauce, while the other one had some garlic and herb infused olive oil for a base. We used our Whole Grain Spelt Pita Bread for the crust.

pizza with arugula and spinach on Spelt pita bread

pizza with arugula and spinach on Spelt pita bread

There’s no sign of asparagus yet, but we have plenty left in the freezer from 2013 that needs to be eaten. I made a frittata with some of it, adding some dehydrated tomatoes after soaking them in water to rehydrate. I thawed the asparagus first, and then added it and the tomatoes to the pan with onions and mushrooms and cooked for a bit before before adding the eggs and a little Parmesan cheese. It will likely be a couple of weeks before the first spears of 2014 make their way up from the ground, and that will be cause for celebration here too.

frittata with frozen asparagus

frittata with frozen asparagus

I also grilled some sweet potatoes for dinner one night. Grilling is one of my favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes, and the mix of purple and orange made for a tasty and colorful treat. I tossed them with a little olive oil and ground cumin before cooking.

grilled sweet potatoes

grilled sweet potatoes

I cooked up some of last year’s Rattlesnake beans, and then refried them to go with a meal of turkey tacos. The beans were great tasting fixed this way. Rattlesnake is a dual-purpose pole bean that is good as both a snap bean and a dry bean. It’s also known for doing well in areas with hot and humid summers, which pretty well describes the southern Ohio Valley that we live in. I did a Saturday Spotlight on it last year which has more photos and information.

Rattlesnake beans after soaking

Rattlesnake beans after soaking

We’re getting ready for the return of bees here at HA. We have a nuc ordered, which we should be able to pickup sometime next month. Bees are in short supply this year, due to high losses last winter, so we were lucky to locate some. My wife has lent her artistic talents to the hive painting. I think it looks great, and with those pastel colors it’s already decorated for Easter! We will start with only one of the deep boxes (blue), and add the others as the colony grows. It will be nice to have honeybees around again, and I am excited about my wife getting into beekeeping along with me.

my wife showing off the new beehive

my wife showing off the new beehive

I found time to do some transplanting in the last few days. Saturday I worked on petunias and peppers. The Wave petunias were started about 3 weeks ago, and they have made great progress in that time. Starting them yourself is an economical way to get lots of them, and not all that difficult. I wrote a piece called Do The Wave back in 2010 that outlines how I grow them from seed. The red petunias are a hummingbird magnet, and I always plant some in the Wild Garden for that very reason. The Wild Garden is an area where we plant things of interest to bees and pollinators, butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds.

petunia seedlings ready for transplanting

petunia seedlings ready for transplanting

My little widger comes in handy at transplanting time. I use it to prick out the seedlings and put them in their new quarters. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply also calls them a nitpicker, but whatever you call it, I use mine all the time, especially this time of year. These little petunias will take off now that they have a little more room. In a couple of weeks I will pot them up one more time into individual 3.5″ or 4″ pots.

using widger to transplant petunias

using widger to transplant petunias

That’s a recap of what’s happening here, and a look at what we are doing with some of our harvests both new and old. To see what others are harvesting or cooking up, visit Daphne’s Dandelions where Daphne hosts the Harvest Monday series.

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Deep Purple Lavender Goat’s Milk Soap

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

If there’s one thing I have learned about making soap, it’s that things don’t always turn out according to plan. Lately we’ve been experimenting with using natural colorants for our soaps, and I am doing the R&D work, with a little help from my wife. I have been infusing olive oil with natural ingredients like annatto seed (orange), madder root (pink/red) and alkanet root (pinkish red to purple). After infusing, we use the oil to replace some or all of the olive oil in our soap recipe. This soap uses the alkanet infused olive oil for color.

Deep Purple Lavender Goat

Deep Purple Lavender Goat’s Milk Soap

Alkanet powder is made from the roots of the Alkanna tinctoria plant, and has been used as a dye since ancient times. To infuse the oil, I mixed two tablespoons of alkanet root powder into one cup of olive oil. I did this in a pint size glass jar, which I then put in a crock pot half-filled with water. I turned the slow cooker on low and let the jars sit for about eight hours. Then I strained the oil through a paper coffee filter. The oil wound up the color of blackberry juice, or a merlot wine.

infusing oils using crock-pot

infusing oils using crock-pot

After gleaning what information I could from my favorite online soap making resources, I decided we would use the alkanet infused oil to replace 15% of the total oil weight of the recipe. Since our recipe called for 450 grams of oils, that meant about 67 grams of the alkanet infused olive oil. So far, so good, right?

madder root(L) and Deep Purple Lavender(R) soaps

madder root(L) and Deep Purple Lavender(R) soaps

We used a base recipe we had used before, so the only real unknown in the soap was using the alkanet for coloring. I was aiming for a light to moderate shade of purple, not that it really mattered. That same day we also made a soap colored with madder root. Both were poured into our PVC molds that we lined with freezer paper. In the above photo you can see how the two soaps looked right after pouring.

uncut logs of Deep Purple Lavender(L) and madder root(R) colored soaps

uncut logs of Deep Purple Lavender(L) and madder root(R) colored soaps

After two days, we got the soaps out of the mold and cut them into slices. At this point, the alkanet soap was what I would call a medium shade of purple, as you can see in the above photo. We let the slices dry and cure for about four weeks before using. I was anxious to try them out, and waiting was not easy. During the curing, the alkanet soap kept getting darker and darker until finally it was almost black. So much for a light to medium colored soap!

Deep Purple Lavender Goat

Deep Purple Lavender Goat’s Milk Soap after curing

I was initially concerned that the color would bleed out and stain the washcloth, or make purple lather. I am happy to report that neither happened. The soap lathers up nicely, with fluffy and creamy white lather. So even though this soap didn’t turn out exactly as we planned, it is still a great smelling and looking soap. For the next batch I think we will cut the amount of alkanet infused oil to perhaps 5% of the total oil weight, or about 22.5 grams. In the meantime we have other soap projects in the works involving naturals colors, so stay tuned.

testing the lather

testing the lather

This soap features a blend of olive, coconut, palm, and castor oil, with cocoa butter and avocado oil added for their skin nourishing qualities. Goat’s milk is used for its moisturizing and emollient properties as well as for the smooth and creamy lather. The primary scent comes from lavender essential oil, with base notes from patchouli. Tea tree essential oil is added for its beneficial properties.

Please refer to the cold process instructions here if you are new to making soap. Always take the proper safety precautions (we wear rubber gloves and goggles when mixing and making the soap).

Deep Purple Lavender Goat’s Milk Soap Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
(A Happy Acres original)

Olive Oil – 135 grams (30%) including 67 grams of alkanet infused oil and 68 grams of plain olive oil

Coconut Oil – 112.5 grams (25%)

Palm Oil – 121.5 grams (27%)

Cocoa Butter – 45 grams (10%)

Castor Oil – 22.5 grams (5%)

Avocado Oil – 13.5 grams (3%)

Frozen Goat’s Milk – 171 grams

Lye – 62 grams  (7% superfat)

Added at light trace:

1 tsp finely ground lavender buds

2 tsp lavender essential oil

1 tsp patchouli essential oil

1 tsp tea tree essential oil

This recipe is for a 1 lb/450g batch (oil weight) of soap. We ran this recipe through a soap/lye calculator, and you should always run your recipes too before making them. This one at SoapCalc is our favorite.

NOTE: This soap is superfatted/discounted at 7%

For more recipes and soap information, check out my wife’s Soap Recipe page. I’ll be back soon with more adventures. Until then, Happy Growing (and soaping) from Happy Acres!

 

 

Posted in Homemade, Soap | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments