Chicken Scratch Acres

Egg Sales today! Starts at 11, ends at 5. Prices for 2014 are as follows: ... Chicken -- $4 a dozen Duck -- $3 for a half dozen, $5 for a dozen Goose -- $2 each (each is equivalent to 2-3 chicken's eggs) **All subject to availability** Please bring exact change, if at all possible. We rarely have change available, especially at the beginning of the day. Thanks and see you all later!

Good Morning everyone! I was made aware on Tuesday that the Sweet Retreat Cafe in Pine Bush has gone out of business. Those of you in the area know that this is the store where my soaps were available for sale. Until I establish relations with another retail outlet, sales will be online only. So...coming soon...a Pre-Christmas sale filled with the scents of the season! Stay tuned!

Tomatoes come in many different colors! One type that deserves a place in your garden is the white tomato. Sweet and slightly acidic, varieties can hint at citrus flavors, depending on which you grow. They are very nice for fresh eating, but in my opinion, they truly shine in a sauce. Cook them down, add a little thyme and white wine, and the flavor is exquisite. Even people who don't like tomato sauce tend to like this! When growing, I have found that they tend to ripen later than others, and usually take on a yellow-ish white hue when they're ready. My personal favorite and go-to here is White Queen, but there are quite a few others available. No matter which you choose, a white tomato deserves a place at your table. Try one next growing season and enjoy!

You can use any type of tomato to make a delicious sauce just by roasting them! If you have globe tomatoes or cherry tomatoes in abundance and you'd like to turn them into sauce, try this easy tip: Cut up the tomatoes into chunks and pile them into a well-oiled pan. Add an onion and some garlic. Put it all in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour (depending on your oven and the tomatoes you've used). After that time, the tomatoes will have released all the extra water into the pan. Pour it out, and put the tomatoes and onions into a food processor or blender to puree. Add spices to taste, and you have a wonderful roasted tomato sauce that you didn't have to watch, but tastes every bit as delicious. Enjoy!

Got a little fresh fruit? Another way to enjoy it and save it for later is to make a cordial! Put the fruit in the bottom of a clean jar or wide bottle. Add vodka, and let sit for at least 3 weeks on the counter. In three weeks the fruit will have infused it's flavor into the vodka, but yes, you can leave it longer for a stronger flavor. Remove the fruit (and yes, you can eat it!), and either leave the vodka as is, or add a simple syrup to it to sweeten. Either way, store it in your freezer for when you need a little summer pick me up in the middle of winter. So easy to do, and it captures the fruit's essence so well. Enjoy!!