Author: Cedar Oak Farms

Vendor Fair

1st Annual Vendor Fair

AUGUST 21, 2021 ~ 10 AM until 2 PM

The annual vendor fair is set for August 21, 2021 and will run along side our regular “Market on the Farm”. We are excited to bring more local Illinois talent onto the farm. Here is a partial list of the vendors that will be onsite:

221 Bee Honey – Honey, Lip Balm, Lotion Bars
Bamboo Truck (The) – Handmade Crocheted Items
Blossom’s Barn – Organic Skincare
Caroline Goldsmith Art – Hand Painted Artwork
Cedar Oak Farms – Gourmet Spices, Oils, Sauces
Chic N Threads Boutique – Effortless and Affordable Clothing Apparel
Color Street – nail polish strips
Cow Creek Organic Farm – Beef
J Russells Workshop – Lathe Turned Pens
Lularoe Clothing – Comfortable clothing in unique patterns
Ludwig Farmstead Creamery – Cheese
Mary Kay – Cosmetics, Skincare, Body Care
Miller Pork Farm – Pork
Munger Manor Farm – Farm Fresh Produce
Nettie’s Petals – Fresh Cut Flowers
Pasted Willow – Original & Printed Paper Mosaic Art
Point Pleasant Cattle Company – Ag Photos and Cards
Scentsy – Aromatic Home Scents & Décor
Uniquities by El. Denae – Jewelry
Wildflowers – Hand Painted Artwork

Other activities to enjoy:
Live music from: The Hood Family Band!
Artistic cupcakes and desserts!
Handmade Chocolate Mint & Vanilla Ice Cream!
All day Tacos!

PLEASE COME OUT AND HELP US SUPPORT ALL THESE

LOCAL PRODUCTS AND BUSINESSES!

Cedar Oak Farms

Beef & Noodles in a Spicy Juice

A mild spicy aromatic broth, tender homemade pasta, and savory sliced beef.

How about some market inspiration before the next market. The ingredients in this recipe can be found at the market and in your pantry. So come on out to the market and get cooking.

From the Market:

Shaved Beef – Our beef comes from Cow Creek Organic Farm. We asked the butcher to shave some of the top round.
Coffee Rub – Cedar Oak Farms very own spice blend. Robust and savory that provides a dark flavor this rub seals in the essences and juices of your meat.
Produce – Young green onion, radishes, garlic – Stop at Munger Manor Farm’s booth and pick up these farm fresh produces, but don’t stop there. They offer a wide variety of garden goodness.
Italian Flour – Janie’s Mill Italian flour is the perfect pasta flour. It offers a highly-sifted, high-protein, flavorful flour that works well for this pasta.
Eggs – we do not keep eggs in the market, but our farm is close to others that offer fresh farm eggs and milk. We will be glad to direct you to them.

Pasta by Hand vs. Mixer:

Whether by hand or mixer the choice is yours. I prefer to mix the dough by hand because it allows me to feel the texture of the pasta and adjust the flour accordingly. Then I bring out the stand-up mixer to roll and cut. I do not have the upper body strength or workout ethic needed to roll out a thin, transparent dough. The first thing to keep in mind is pasta is very forgiving, so relax. A few simple adjustments will get you to the dough you desire. Here is the basic rule of thumb. If the dough is too dry, it will not form a ball. To moisten the dough, add 1 teaspoon of water. If it is too sticky, add 1 teaspoon of flour. Continue to add more water or flour as needed to bring the pasta to the correct texture.

So let’s cook!

Beef & Noodles in a Spicy Juice

Cedar Oak Farms
A mild spicy aromatic broth, tender homemade pasta, and savory sliced beef.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Resting Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Pasta Roller & Cutter

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound *shaved beef
  • 1 tablespoon *Coffee Rub
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3-4 *sliced early green onion separate the greens from the bulb
  • 2 cloves *minced garlic
  • 8 ounces beef broth
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons horseradish sauce

Pasta:

  • 4 **eggs room temperature
  • 2½ cups *Italian flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • To get the meat well-seasoned take the beef out, sprinkle the coffee rub over the beef and toss to mix. Let the beef come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  • Next, start on the pasta. You may use your stand-up mixer, but I like to mix with my hands. That allows me to feel the texture and adjust the flour as needed. These directions following that method. Whisk together the flour and salt and place on a flat surface. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the oil.
  • Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy. Add some of the egg to the center and gradually begin to add flour to the center. I add the eggs slowly to avoid overspill. Make another well, add more egg, and bring in the flour. Repeat this step until all the egg has been incorporated into the flour and you have a nice dough.
  • Knead the dough until the pasta is smooth and silky. Wrap the pasta in plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes.
  • Cut the dough in half and shape into two balls. Working with one ball at a time roll the dough into a long oval strip. Pull in the sides as you work. You want the width to be just short of the width of your pasta roller.
  • Finish rolling the dough in a pasta roller starting at the widest thickness and working down to the smallest after each roll until the pasta is thin enough to see your hand through. This will produce a long strip of pasta. Now is where the stand-up mixer comes in handy. You can roll the dough into a spiral and cut by hand, but I like the uniformed cut that you get from a pasta cutter.
  • Attach the fettuccine pasta cutter to the mixer. Cut you pasta strip in thirds or half and slowly guide through the cutter. Lay one end of the pasta on a parchment lined baking sheet and begin to circle and lower until you have a nice round ball of cut pasta.
  • Repeat until all the pasta has been rolled out and cut. Set aside.
  • Start a pot of salted water bringing to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and sliced onion bulbs. Sauté 1-2 minutes or until fragrant and soft. Add the beef. Cook until all the meat is just brown. Do not overcook or the beef will be too tough. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
  • Using the same skillet add the broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes bringing the flavors together. Add the wine and continue to cook until reduced to about half. Stir in the horseradish sauce. Lower the heat to low and let simmer while you cook the pasta.
  • Place the pasta into the boiling salted water. Fresh pasta only needs 6 minutes in the water. Drain.
  • Divide the broth evenly between serving bowls. Top with a serving of pasta and shaved beef. Garnish with sliced radish and the sliced onion greens.

Notes

* Available at the “Market on the Farm” at Cedar Oak Farms.
** Available at a neighboring farm.
Keyword Beef, Coffee Rub, Pasta

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Peach German Pancake

Types of Pancakes:

Did you know there are about 15 types of pancakes from across the globe? Today I am going to concentrate on three of my favorites ranging from thinnest to thickest. All three start with the basics: flour, milk and eggs. It is the ratio of these three that determine the thickness and defines the type.

  • French Crepes:
    • The crepe is considered one of the quintessential foods of France. Tender, delicate, delicious it is easy to see why. The fillings are endless and often filled with savory traditional fillings of ham, egg, and cheese filling. Today you will find a a variety of other vegetables, meats, and cheeses filling crepes. Then there are the sweet versions which traditionally was a simple lemon and sugar version. I do not have to tell you all the amazing array of fillings used today. I’ll just say if you haven’t tried them with strawberries and a pecan praline sauce you haven’t lived yet.
  • American Pancakes:
    • Then there are the beautiful, thicker, fluffier pancakes popular in America. The main difference, the American pancake recipe uses a rising agent like baking powder to give it that puff. Like the French Crepe the variations are endless with savory and sweet version aplenty. However, and in my opinion, the American pancake is tasty enough on it’s own and does not need a lot of drama. Just a little maple syrup and bacon on the side, hello! But hey the Southern pecan pancake or blueberries added to the batter, Okay!
  • German Pancakes
    • Then there are the puffiest of all, the German pancake, or pannekoeken. These are the pinnacle of giant pancakes. Pannekoeken gets it height by decreasing the flour and increasing the eggs given it a pudding consistency. Unlike the French Crepe and American pancake, pannekoeken are mainly served sweet and loaded with fruit. The unique rounded shape comes from baking them in a cast iron skillet or casserole dish. The recipe below places the fruit in the bottom of the skillet and bakes up with the pancake, but if you want to achieve the highest, most dramatic pannekoeken add the fruit after baking.

    Peach German Pancake

    Cedar Oak Farms
    This pannekoeken is designed for an 11 to 12-inch cast iron skillet with rounded sides. This is a simple step recipe that really goes together quickly.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Dutch, Not German at All
    Servings 6

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
    • 4 fresh peaches
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • 3 eggs, room temperature
    • 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
    • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • Powdered sugar, for dusting

    Instructions
     

    • Position oven rack one position up from the bottom and preheat oven to 400°F.
    • Peel and slice the peaches add to a medium bowl.
    • In a small cup or bowl, blend 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over the peaches and gently toss to coat.
    • Place the butter into a large cast iron skillet and place in the oven to melt the butter. Remove from oven and swirl the butter to coat the pan.
    • Evenly spread the peaches over the bottom of the skillet and return to oven. Bake 10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, add the eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, and remaining sugar and cinnamon in a blender. Blend on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute.
    • Once the peaches are done baking, remove from oven and pour the batter over the peaches. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the pancake is golden brown and puffy.
    • Allow to cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before dusting with powdered sugar. Yes, it will deflate and that is okay.
    Keyword Bread

    Cedar Oak Farms1 Comment

    Picnic on the farm

    Picnic on the Farm

    Need a girl’s day out? Looking for that special spot to take an afternoon date? Need a safe, and fun place to share a day of family fun?

    Join us June 19, 2021 from Noon – 2:00 PM for a picnic on the farm.

    Summer and picnics, is there anything better? We offer a tranquil location that offers a quite afternoon with a large outdoor seating area under our cedar and oak trees. We have yard games and small play area for the kids to run off some steam (new feature that we plan to continue to add to as we grow). A beautiful shop and bakery in our barn for browsing. The beautiful and talented Kelli Bonomo will be providing the music for the event. The event will be held on the same day as our “Market on the Farm.”

    Basket options

    Come early and enjoy shopping the “Market on the Farm” filled with fresh produce, local meats, organic and small farm products, fresh flowers, and so much more! Afterwards, enjoy the area. Middlefork Reserve offers timber trails to explore. The town of Paxton offers some unique shopping. Our favorites: Ruby Jewel, Robin’s Country Crossroads Antiques, Vintage Market, and Mom & Pop’s Kettle Corn. Many people take advantage of the Spring rains and kayak “the big four.” There are many pull off spots around the water that allows access. But please note, the water is not always high enough to enjoy. Late Spring and early summer are your best bets.

    Lemonade, iced tea, and water come with the box. Canned soda can be purchased in the food shed. We do not serve alcohol, but you are welcome to bring along your own wine to compliment your box.

    Cedar Oak Farms

    Meat Pie

    Meat pies have been around since 9500 BC according to Wikipedia. Other sites have it making an entrance much earlier than that. Whenever it made an appearance it’s original purpose was to preserve the meat. Meat was wrapped in a hard flour pocket wrapped several inches thick and baked under hot coals until harden. Amazingly, the pastry was not meant to be eaten. Throwing away the pastry of today’s meat pie would be a travesty. It is that buttery flaky crust baked golden brown that defines today’s meat pie.

    Continue reading “Meat Pie” →

    Cedar Oak Farms