The Farmer’s Wife Tips

1. Boil water
2. Line your sink with aluminum foil shiny side up and sprinkle liberally with same part baking sods and salt.
3. Place silverware on top of foil in a single layer
4. Pour boiling water over silverware to cover
5. Wait 5 minutes and flip utensils over with thongs and let sit for another 5 minute
6. WATCH THE TARNISH ATTACH TO THE FOIL!  
7. Brush gently with a dish brush, rinse, and set out to dry

FUN TIP  – let your kids hold the foil prior to see how it feels (very lite)….then after….heavy from all the tarnish!

Stop worrying about trying to listen for the hollow thump of a melon in a loud, large supermarket.

pick a watermelon that’s uniform in shape, dull in sheen yet smooth in texture, prominently features a yellow spot, (This yellow splotch also known as the field spot, and though it looks like a spot where a watermelon might’ve gone bad…..nope, the yellow skin undertones indicative of chlorophyll loss and thus ripeness! You also want to make sure there’s no stem on your watermelon; that indicates the watermelon was picked too early and didn’t have a chance to fall off the vine.

Don’t waste those amazing fresh herbs left on the end of the stems…Tie them together and make a Bouquet Garni!

 Make an herb sachet such as a classic bouquet garni to add flavor to simmering soups, stocks or braises. Tying the herbs in cheesecloth make fishing it out a breeze and no waist of that fresh herb goodness!

Fun Fact

The French word for a person who prepares charcuterie is charcutier, generally translated into English as “pork butcher”. This has led to the mistaken belief that charcuterie can only involve pork. The Food Lover’s Companion, however, says, “it refers to the products, particularly (but not limited to) pork specialties such as items sold in a delicatessen-style shop, also called a charcuterie.” The 1961 edition of Larousse Gastronomique defines it as: “The art of preparing various meats, in particular pork, cheeses, etc  in order to present them in the most diverse ways.”

Farmtastic Charcuterie Items

Mix of cured meats, such as salami, coppa, prosciutto and bresaola.  Surround meats with small bowls of garnishes, such as mustard, pickles, olives, nuts and marinated artichokes, for interesting, flavorful combinations. Arrange prosciutto-wrapped chunks of melon or figs around the edge of the platter. Offer an array of breads and crackers, making sure none of them are strongly flavored enough to overpower the meat. Crusty baguette slices, breadsticks and crackers that contain nuts and seeds are great choices..

 To make your platter over the top, use a natural wood platter board found in our gift shop and add a Manassero Farms honeycomb for both a beautiful and delish touch!