Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Fresh From the Farmstand Review & Giveaway!


Lots of us know how great Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are! And, this new one is so fun especially entering Farmer's Market season! Our local farmers have a new idea that I'm trying - they all list their produce in one spot online and we can go in and place our order by Wednesday and then pick it up on Friday!



This past week I picked up milk, eggs, beef, carrots, lettuce, blueberries, pizza dough and basil butter so I wanted to pick out a recipe that used mostly ingredients I got from local farmers!

Savory Monkey Bread

2 c. finely shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
2 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
2-1/2 t. garlic, minced
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 12-oz. tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (I don't really like refrigerated biscuits unless I'm making donuts, so I substituted 1 lb. of bread dough which is what I do for sweet monkey bread as well)

In a bowl, mix together cheese, herbs and garlic. Place melted butter in a separate bowl. Cut dough or biscuits into pieces; dip into butter and coat with cheese mixture. Arrange biscuits in a prepared loaf pan overlapping slightly. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, until golden.



In place of the butter and herbs, I had some garlic basil butter that I got at the Farmer's Market and I substituted that!

I made a salad with some of local lettuce and put some grilled chicken in it with this yummy bread on the side.


Would you like a chance to win a copy of Fresh From the Farmstand? I have an extra copy provided by kind friends at Gooseberry Patch that I will be pleased to send to one of you!

To enter the giveaway - leave a comment sharing what you look forward to about the Farmer's Market! Comments will be accepted until  Friday, April 27 at 10pm EST. Winner will be announced next week.


Disclosure: I received two copies of this cookbook from Gooseberry Patch to review and then give one away here. All above opinions are my own.

51 comments:

Linda said...

I love fresh tomatoes. They speak summer! lindastoltzfus at gmail dot com

Bevy @ Treasured Up and Pondered said...

Since i don't room for a full-fledged garden here...the Farmer's Market is the next best thing!

Can't wait.

Sally said...

Ok, girl, when it comes to real-life farm stands in my town, it's really just a pretty face on Kroger veggies. It's not grandad's and grandma's hauling out their produce, pies, cinnamon rolls (Ok, there is one German Baptist lady who is always there with handground-wheat cinnamon rolls that are so good they'll make you want to slap yo' mama, but that's it.), crocheted mini-Barbie-esgue toilet paper roll hiders thoat I remember from my youth. They are hauling in boxes of supermarket "quality" produce in bulk. We have to drive to the big city to get those grown-in-your-backyard goodies. ROanoke is that big city for us, and Farmer's Market is huge!
BUt I have friends who grow and sell, and I.Love. local honey!! And goat cheese! And funky tomatoes! And weird colored melons!!

Grace said...

I don't get to visit the farmers market regularly but if i did it would be great to know I was supporting local farmers and fresh food.

Anonymous said...

Farmer's Market has taken on a whole new concept for me recently ... last year my husband built a beautiful, 100% girly Vegetable Stand for our property and the neighbors Quiet Corner Tea Room. It was extremely rewarding and encouraging to sell our vegetables and meet so many delightful individuals. My favorite thing about Farmer's Market is the caring for the plants as they grow in the garden, someting about the crisp morning air, the sound of the birds and chickens ... the smell of dirt and that one on one time with the Lord. I imagine that Eve might have enjoyed such things too. :)
~Melissa of Churubusco, IN

Mom said...

A new Gooseberry Patch cookbook!! :) (Do you have a recipe in this one?) I was interested to read about how you used what you got at your farmer's market. You got a variety of items!

Our farmers market won't begin for another couple of months, but I like being able to buy locally grown foods from the people who grew them. :) Love you, Mom

Jennifer said...

I love getting fresh tomatoes from the farmer's market! They smell so good and taste delicious!

*carrie* said...

Monica,

Let's make this while you're here!! I actually have some shredded Parm to use up. Perfect.

We don't buy much at the farmer's market anymore, because we grow much of our summer produce. Woo-hoo! Sometimes I get honey or sweet corn, though.

Michele said...

I'm looking forward to some good local honey.

I'm curious as to where you found the milk. Was it raw? If so, I'd like the source info.

Crystal said...

I look forward to our local upick farm being ready. Lots of fresh tomatoes and bell peppers! YUM!

Amy O'Quinn said...

I love GP, and this is a wonderful give-away! I live in a farming community...on the family farm. We grow a lot of our own produce, but I also enjoy visiting our small, local farmer's market from time to time to see what is there, plus we enjoy visiting a nearby fruit farm to pick extra strawberries and blueberries. I love making homemade jam, so that is always a treat and something I look forward to each year.
I'd love to be entered. Thanks for sharing about your farmer's market experience and hosting such a neat give-away!
Blessings to you and yours!
Amy O'Quinn

Lisa @ Simply Things Family said...

I love looking at everything and purchasing something new. The children are always amazed at everything.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

How sweet of you! I buy fruits and veggies in season and would love more recipes what I get things in bulk! I'm getting strawberries today. I would love recipes on drinks or smoothies I could make with them! Thanks!

Sheila said...

The farmer's market here is outrageously priced. My husband is growing some things himself, but other than that, I'll still be at the grocery store. :(

Anonymous said...

I love the farmer's market -- ours starts in May and I can't wait! Right now I'm most excited about strawberries and herbs!

Erin
erinb1 at aol dot com

Wendi said...

I am looking forward to fresh corn and local honey. Hmmmm!

Julie Ball said...

Fresh tomatoes and Vidalia onions. I live off of them in the summer!

Christy said...

I can't wait or fresh fruits and veggies...especially the watermelons!

Carrie said...

TOMATOES! (That's what I look forward to the most every summer.) Yum!

This book sounds right up my alley. Thank you for the opportunity to win it!

readingtoknow (at) gmail (dot) com

Heather said...

I love our farmer's market! They are required to actually grow the things they sell and I love buying things by the half or full bushel and filling my canning jars and freezers!

Heather

Denise said...

My granddaughter's corner "farmers market" stand! She's 10. Loves to garden. Is an entreprenuer! And is kind & considerate! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

Charity said...

I don't get to our local farmer's market often. But I LOVE farm fresh veggies and eggs. :)

angie said...

I love the idea of farmers working together to provide the comsumer as many products as possible. I think more people would shop at farmer's markets if they had to make fewer stops to get everything on their list.
I head to the "salvage" section at one of our local markets (we have so many in the Garden State), and see what I can make to use these produce steals. ($1 per basket). I love the colors at a market--gorgeous!

Unknown said...

I love all the tree fruits that the farmers bring over from Eastern Washington and the local berries and veggies. I'm amazed at what you got at your Farmers Market! Our FM is good sized, but I don't think we have all those things. =)

Kelly said...

I love the warm morning air, chatting with the farmers, & sampling all the yumminess they're selling. The fresh berries & corn are my favorite!!!!

Holly said...

We don't shop at the farmers market much because we grow most of our own now. What we don't grow or what doesn't do well we usually do a swap with our neighbors and friends. What we have an abundance of they may need and vice-versa! We like to help each other out. I do love to go get our melons and fresh honey from the market though!!

And I love, love, love Gooseberry Patch Books! I so hope there are lots of new decorating tips in this one! I decorate from them as much as I cook from them!

Thank you for this chance to win it!

Mrs. Tucker

Jeanette R. said...

Our Farmers Market starts this Saturday.I love the fact that everything is so fresh.

Anonymous said...

The peace! And the fresh air doesn't hurt, either.

Anna
fatdogfarm@sbcglobal.net

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

The savory monkey breads sounds yummy. I'm more of a "savory" girl in terms of food, anyways. I love the farmer's market because of all the fresh produce...AND I can talk directly with the person who grows the food that I eat :) :) Thanks for hosting the giveaway :) Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)

Nancy Jacobs said...

I love visiting the farmer's market and try to grow my own farmer's market right in my backyard. Nothing better than stepping outside and picking produce grown from my hands.
Right now I have rhubarb in season and have made a strawberry rhubarb crisp a couple days ago.

Mrs. K said...

I love all the fresh produce but what I really go to the market for is fresh flowers. I love developing a relationship with the vendors - "my" flower lady would always give me extra blooms if I went towards the end of the day. She knows my favorite colors and gives the best and most beautiful blooms.

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy the familiar country roads while driving to the farmer's market...looking at the horses, my neighbor's yards to see how things have grown and what new flowers they've planted...and the green of the fields of hay and peas this Spring to the corn and soybean after fear of frost. Of course, I especially like to see all the familiar faces of vendors and neighbors and catch up on the goings-on down here in southern New Jersey in our little county called Salem.

Jenny's Heart said...

What pleases me most is supporting the local growers and small businesses in my community and of course the yummy goodness that is made and grown here

Trish said...

Our Farmers' Market just opened 2 Saturdays ago. It's still small, but I love to stop when I can. One of my favorite finds is a local gal that makes homemade grainola. I don't know how she does it, but it's fabulous.

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing about going to the market is going with my youngest daughter, Emma. It is one of the highlights of our summers together and one of her favorite things for us to do together. It is nostalgic and priceless. We laugh, look at different vendors products from art to food, and of course love the fresh produce:)Emma enjoys the fresh kettle corn and freshly squeezed lemonade. Can't wait:)Thanks for sharing Monica! Many Blessings, Hope Clark

Lisa B. said...

I love that i can take my goodies right home and make a fresh and tasty treat right away...

Stephanie said...

My Favorite thing at the farmers market each year is the yummy Pumpkin Pecan Butter a local lady makes. It's super delish.
After that, my favorite thing is the people. So nice and friendly.

Casey said...

I look forward to all the fresh veggies and honey!!

TamaraP. said...

I love all the fresh veggies!!! Love Gooseberry Patch cookbooks, too!

Anonymous said...

The farmers market is really out east for us here on Long Island. It is about an hour from our home. We take a family trip every two weeks in the summer for a weekly fruit and vegetable load up. I love buying a large batch of tomatoes for my homemade sauce.

This year I am excited to help my local church plant a garden for local families in need.

Mariakalina@ymail.com

ChellsenClan said...

We use to have some awesome famrmers markets that I loved but they are no longer open. The newer ones are more trendy so expensive. Miss the ones we had.
I love the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. They are like treasured books to me.
Kathey

Annabanana said...

I know it's not until later in the harvest season but I am so, so looking forward to heirloom apples ! The flavors and textures are incredible, especially compared to grocery store red delicious apples !

A Holy Privilege said...

would love this cookbook, Monica, thanks for the chance!

A Holy Privilege said...

would love this cookbook, thanks for the chance Monica.

Elise @A Path Made Straight said...

I love the live music, for one thing- and the fresh, steaming pastries! But most of all, I adore the camaraderie between vendors as they send you off to others to find the best blend of ingredients. The freshness of an organic, homegrown tomato? Priceless!!! Thank you for the opportunity to win one of Gooseberry Patch's fabulous cookbooks!

Anonymous said...

I left the comment about the beauty,freshness and atmosphere but didn't get a chance to leave my info.

~Tina

angelhomemaker at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

I love all the in season veggies.
I did not think I could grow my own
veggies this year because we had to move out of our house,But God is so good my lovely neibors when they moved gave me their potted plants and I have baby bell peppers and tomatoes. What a fun surprise. Thank you for doing the give away. Your blog is such a blessing.
Patti B

Wendy said...

I look forward to all the fresh vegetables and fruits and especially to discovering new ones. My kids get most excited about the samples.
Somehow I feel like a better Mom as we stroll through the Farmer's Market.

Wendy B

Danielle said...

Gooseberry Patch is such a wonderful company!! I'm so excited about this giveaway! We have a garden in our backyard with a lot of the vegetables we need, along with an indoor herb garden. However, I go to the farmer's market regularly during the season for fresh fruits, eggs, and homemade baked and canned goods! I absolutely love the atmosphere of being at the farmers market and the sense of community that's found there! Thank you!!!

Softie said...

My favorite at the farmer's market are blueberries! Expensive but worth it. I love blueberries in everything but my favorite is my Grandma's blueberry buckle, mmmmmm.

Thanks for the chance to enter.

Jthemilker said...

I would so love this cookbook. I'm a farm-market lover, especially having worked at a farm market regularly for more than 15 years. These days I only work there sporadically, but I'm still a big supporter of the local farmers. Love your blog Monica!