Field Trip!

Apples waiting to be washed

It is fall and that means apple season. I purchase my apples from Debbe and Jay Noonkester of Windy Hill Orchards, at the farmers market.

Their orchards are actually in Ararat, Virginia. If you get a chance, go visit and pick your own fruit.

Debbe has participated in the Baby G.A.P (Good Agriculture Practices) Program and it is common for her to have home school groups visit for a field trip.  

The Noonkester family farm, is a Century Farm. The land has been in the family for over a hundred years and the orchard is a parcel of the original track of land.

Fitzhough Lee, the nephew of Robert E Lee, gave this land to Jay’s second great grandfather and two brothers for their service in the Civil War. The Noonkester's are active participants in J.E.B. Stuart Civil War Encampmentand Living History Weekend held in October.



Tomato now apple polisher



Windy Hill is an environmentally friendly, low spray and integrated pest management orchard. They cover eighteen acres with the same amount pesticide their competitors use to cover two acres. Along with the low spray, keep an eye out for the Ladybugs and Praying Mantis in the integrated pest management program.

Debbe and Jay told me they often sell their fruit to organic grocery outlets, because of being low spray and non-waxing of their fruit. To be honest they do not have to wax their fruit. Many years ago, they purchased a tomato polisher to polish the apples. The fruit comes out of the machine as shiny as a waxed apple you get from store.

Cleaned and polished

I was able to visit the farm on Wednesday.  I missed a turn, and roamed the countrysides of North Carolina and Virginia for almost an hour. So because of my mistake and time constraints, I was not able to venture into the orchards. Instead, I was given a personal tour of “The Shed.” The Shed is where the apples are washed, polished, and readied for either market or cider. You can also purchase award winning butters and jams made by Debbe. If you get a chance to visit, make sure to go on Thursdays when Debbe makes the apple cider.

Cider press

Besides apples, Windy Hill Orchards also have peaches and cherries.

You can find Windy Hill Orchards on the internet at http://windyhillorchards.com/home or
Windy Hill Orchards
176 Windy Hill Lane
Ararat, VA 24053
ph: 2762515222
alt: 2766928157
debbe@windyhillorchards.com

In the mood to try something different but surprisingly tasty?

Russian Apple with Eggs Salad:

4 apples peeled, cored and chopped into bite size pieces

2 chopped hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup of green peas

2 cups of chopped lettuce (variety of choice)

2 Tablespoons + of mayonnaise

Directions:

Mix apples, eggs, peas, and mayonnaise until well blended.

Serve over lettuce.

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Pot Roast Soup

 Have you ever noticed that pot roast and roast chicken are exactly perfect bases for soup? Think about a pot roast: meat, potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.

I make my pot roast in the crock-pot and it turns out perfect every time. If I cook pot roast in the oven well, I get boot leather. So what do you with boot leather? Make soup!

As I stated above, I make my pot roast in the crock-pot. It is simple, quick and the meat can go in frozen. I usually get a roast big enough to make a few meals out of. The kids and I don’t really care to eat roast as leftovers. So why get a big piece of meat? I will slice it for fajitas, enchiladas, smother it in barbeque sauce or make soup.

Pot Roast Soup:
If you know you are going to make soup with your leftovers, return everything to your crock-pot and place in the refrigerator. The next day, I will lift out the solid fat crust and discard. Remove the vegetables and roast, leaving a gelatin broth with onions and celery in your pot.

Chop your vegetables into bite size pieces, adding more carrots and potatoes as necessary. Slice the roast into bite size pieces, remove all fat. Return meat and vegetables to pot, add a bay leave, two cups of beef broth or 2 cups of water and two bouillon cubes. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.

Chicken Soup:

Fifteen years ago, I watched Emeril Lagasse make his chicken noodle soup. After he striped a roast chicken carcass of meat, Emeril took the entire carcass and placed in a soup pot. Emeril made soup with the bones and skin, stating it gave the broth wonderful flavor. It did! 

I made chicken soup that way a few times, but this is not exactly smart. Since Emeril did not remove the skin and bones when he served the soup, it is not exactly child friendly. The young ones do not understand the concept of don’t swallow the bones. I had to come up with a new way to make chicken noodle soup where you get flavor, but not the bones.

I usually find the largest roasting chicken I can find (between 7 to 9 pounds), so we only eat half the bird. I follow the same rules for the pot roast soup with a few exceptions. Do not remove the fat; pull the meat from the bone and chop into bite size pieces. If you do this right between the breast, leg and thigh there should be plenty for soup. (Pickoff the back and remaining rib meat from the bones and save for Chicken Potpie.) Chop carrots, onion, celery, and place in pot with chicken. I also will add frozen peas and corn… about ¼ to ½ cup of each. Add pepper and garlic to taste. If need be, add fat free, low sodium chicken broth and cook on low four to five hours. Add in approximately 2 cups of dry yoke free, egg noodles an hour before consuming.

Time saving and last minute meal fixes to eat within an hour or two:
Crock-pot:
 Turn the crock-pot on high, place raw vegetables in an 8-cup Pyrex measuring bowl with four cups of water and bouillon cube. Cook on high in your microwave for ten to fifteen minutes. Pour into crock-pot add noodles.

Stove top method:
Place two boneless skinless chicken breast cubed, chopped vegetables, chicken broth, and seasonings in stew pot and bring to a boil for five minutes then reduce to a simmer. 15 minutes before serving add in noodles.

Cleaning tip for the day: To clean you grill and oven racks and grates. On a warm day, place racks and grates in a black trash bag, pour in a bottle of ammonia, tie shut and set outside flat in the sun for three hours. Flip after three hours for another two hours.(You might have to move the bag to keep it in the sun.) Remove grates from bag and wash them off with soap and water. Most of all the stuck and burnt chard should just wipe off.

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