In the part of the country where the Farm calls home, the trees wake up some time in March and start singing. And you can tell when they’re about to begin because everywhere you look there will be buckets hanging around their waists in anticipation. And then one day they will start. The buckets will fill with something that looks like water, but really is so much more. Sap, some people call it. And this sap, when boiled down, makes the most delicious liquor in the world: Maple Syrup. And this syrup may be used in all kinds and ways but is best enjoyed as it was meant; with lots…

At the House in the Village there was a woodstove, which meant long, slow-cooked meals were enjoyed all the Winter long. There were soups and stews, roasts and scrapples, and This. But most often, This. Because, quite simply, this is the epitome of slow cooking. Simple ingredients readily available melting together to form something completely delicious. We still have it here at the Farm, but it’s not nearly as good. It needs just what it was: a slow spot on the back of a woodstove to simmer the day away. And I promise, as soon as a woodstove graces these halls, it will be the very first thing that’s made.…

Now, there are many kinds and ways bread is made on the Farm—some sweet, but mostly not. We save that for all the toppings we slather on in the way of Jams and Jellies, Butters and Creams of the Whipped Varieties—more on that next week. But for now, no loaf is made or enjoyed more often than this simple sourdough. But, to make it yourself, you’ll need some Starter. On the Farm, they have their jar in the fridge. Once a week, some of that Starter is taken out to make a Good Loaf of Bread, and some fresh water and flour is added in its place as a way…

Scones have been a bit-of-a-challenge for the Farmer’s Wife. For many a year she would try something new, something different. When she thought she’d gotten it just right, she’d make the call. “Hello, Mother,” she would say. “I’d like to have you over for tea. I think I’ve finally done it.” Later that day her Mother would arrive to a table laden with cups and saucers, cream-stirrers and sugar-dippers, cloth napkins and a steaming pot of just-perked-tea. But none of those matter. What does is the platter gracing the center of the table: the platter of Scones. Next to them lies the whipped cream and sweetened butter, the jams and…

What and When is Shrove Tuesday? Simply put, it is the day before Ash Wednesday (making it today) and as for what–no one really knows for sure. Well, at least that’s the story I’m going with. Here’s the Farmer’s Wife’s take on it (from the Farmer and his Wife, to be released 3/16/21) Shrove Tuesday Spring brings with it more than Robins and tulips, planting and plans. At the Farm. they celebrate Easter, and by that, I mean really celebrate it. It begins some forty days before when they make pancakes. Yes, pancakes. The Farmer’s Wife flips another onto a plate. “I don’t think I can do it,” whimpers one.…