Parties, Presents, and Pastries!

written by

Sandra Ressler

posted on

December 15, 2019

Do you ever struggle to come up with a creative idea for food to take to a party? 

It seems like no matter what dinner or party I go to, there are people on both sides of the clean, healthy food issue...those who won't eat anything but clean and those who couldn't care less what they eat as long as it tastes good - and usually those somewhere in the middle!  

I like to have something quick and easy, that most everyone will like...but also healthy and without all the sugar, preservatives, and
chemical junk.  But that's a tall order!!

Here's what I did for the last party I went to:  Elm Run Farms sliced summer sausage roll-ups with cream cheese filling. I added several shakes of Real Salt, powdered onion and garlic, dried dill and basil to the softened cream cheese and spread the mixture on the sausage slices and rolled them up.  I arranged them on a platter with an assortment of fresh veggies and some dip...and had a colorful, festive-looking party tray! 

This is a relatively easy finger food, although you need to remember to thaw the sausage (best done in the fridge overnight) and soften the cream cheese.  Use whatever herbs/seasonings you like.  Return to fridge for at least an hour to firm up the cream cheese again.  You can purchase prepped veggies to make it even easier, or cut your own.  Happy partying!
 

We still have some nitrate-free hams available.  Easiest Christmas dinner you'll ever make!! 
Remove from freezer, plop in crockpot - fat side up (on low) or oven (250-275) 8-10 hours.
When done, slice and serve.  That's it!!
You can dress it up a bit by adding whole cloves or peppercorns on top, or a couple slices of pineapple, or a drizzle of maple syrup, etc.  But these hams are very tasty as-is.

May peace be present in your partying!
Sandy

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Maple Syrup in October?!

Maple Syrup in October?!

You know how some people do "Christmas in July" events?  How about maple syrup in October?!  Actually, I'm told it IS possible to make syrup in the fall...any time the weather fluctuates between freezing and thawing, sap is drawn up into the tree and can be harvested.  Apparently the yield (amount of sap/number of gallons of syrup) is not as good, and also the flavor is not quite as good, but we don't have experience with that. Obviously we aren't there yet weather-wise...it's still too warm.  And no, we aren't tapping trees in the fall!  But last spring, we saved bottling time during the busiest sugaring days by filling a 40-gallon barrel to use later.  A few days ago we opened that barrel and bottled the syrup.  So it felt a bit like sugaring season.  And that maple aroma when you walk into the sugar house...I never get tired of that!! Grade B Maple Syrup This past spring we ended up with a bunch of end-of-the-season syrup that we felt was not up to our flavor standards (we have a reputation to protect!) so we weren't planning to sell it.  However, we have since realized that we can make it available as "Grade B" syrup. A few years ago the USDA changed the grading system for maple syrup.  The new system has four Grade A syrups: Grade A Golden:  Delicate taste Grade A Amber:  Rich taste Grade A Dark:  Robust taste Grade A Very Dark:  Strong taste This was done because many people were confused by "Grade A" and "Grade B", thinking that Grade A was a superior quality.  In reality there is no difference in quality, only in texture and taste.  So it's more a matter of personal preference. While the official grading system has changed, many people still refer to "Grade A" and "Grade B" syrup.  Grade B syrup, typically produced later in the season (when sap has a lower sugar content and more microbial activity), has a darker color, bolder flavor, thicker viscosity, and increased minerals.  It is often used in cooking and baking.  Grade B syrup is hard to find as a retail product because much of it goes to bakeries and such.  We now have it available while supplies last.  You can order it here.

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Elm Run Farms

  • 16808 Burkhart Road
    Orrville OH 44667
  • 330-317-7283