Tabla de contenidos para Summer 2018 en Capper's Farmer

Summer cookouts are some of my favorite memories from growing up on a farm. My family worked hard all week to earn time off on Saturday night. Where did we spend the evening? Not in a movie theater or at a restaurant, but gathered around a homemade barbecue grill with Grandma and Grandpa. Our jerry-rigged grill was as simple as Dad could build it. He’d be called an “upcycler” today, but back then he was just a frugal farmer who had an eye for useful materials no one else wanted. Besides being a great scrounger, he knew how to weld. He fashioned our grill box out of an old furnace heat exchanger that he cut in two, and then he connected the sides with angle iron and a sucker rod.…

Rugged Clothing When it comes to clothes for both work and play, our top priorities are comfort, durability, and design. Carhartt always comes through, whether we’re talking about T-shirts, bib overalls, or boots. • The Workwear Pocket T-Shirt is made of at least 60 percent cotton, has a left-side chest pocket, and is tagless. Its simple design makes it perfect for work or play. • The relaxed fit jersey knit Maddock Graphic Fishing 1889 Short-Sleeve T-Shirt is a great choice for men who love to fish. It’s made of 100 percent ringspun cotton, has a left chest pocket, is tagless, has a Carhartt label sewn on the front hem, and features a fishing graphic and Carhartt logo on the back (see photo). • The Rugged Flex Rigby Bib Overall is…

My aunt, who’s an expert gardener, shared a simple procedure she uses to encourage growth and prevent fruit drop. Her garden, full of healthy pumpkins and squash, was all the proof I needed. She says to take a bamboo stick or some other kind of hardened wooden stick – a barbecue skewer is fine – and cut it thinly, a little less than 1/4 inch wide and 4 to 5 inches long. Make sure the stick is very thin so as not to damage the vines. Insert the stick into the main vines of the pumpkins or squash. Be sure to insert it into the main vines, not the smaller vines, which are found near the flowers. The main vines are found near the roots, away from the flowers. Although…

Through the years, we’ve published tens of thousands of recipes, and we have most of them archived. This section highlights those recipes, which appeared in previous issues of the magazine. Elena Roberts and her sister-in-law, Gwen, both of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, requested a recipe for a dessert their mother-in-law used to make, featuring layers of cherry ice cream and cheesecake filling in a nut crust. CHERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM SQUARES Yields 9 servings. 1 cup flour 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 quart cherry ice cream, softened Whipped topping, optional 1 Preheat oven to 350 F.…

Europeans encountered many botanical treasures when they settled North America. Especially valuable were new foods they had never before experienced. But it didn’t take long for them to discover some less desirable plants as well. The first written mention of poison ivy is found in Captain John Smith’s 1624 The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles. Even back then, “leaves of three, leave it be” was a useful verse to remember when spending time outdoors. It’s even truer today. Poison ivy is benefiting from increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and the plants are more numerous, more vigorous, and more potent than they were even a few decades ago. Poison ivy and its cousins, poison oak and poison sumac, are known botanically as toxicodendrons. They…

The roots of modern grilling go back to prehistoric times, when our ancestors placed meat on a stick and held it in the fire. Judging by the number of people who love outdoor cooking today, there’s something in the way the intense heat crisps the meat’s surface that still appeals to our deeply rooted DNA. While we’ve refined the caveman’s cooking tools and techniques a bit over the ensuing eons, there are certain things that haven’t changed. The most important of these is the management of heat. This is probably the most basic skill required of any good cook, whether they’re preparing a meal in the kitchen or the backyard. But because this book is about outdoor cooking, let’s start with some basic facts about the heat we use to…

Americans savor an abiding love affair with trees. Favorites produce showy flowers that herald each spring with massive displays on leafless branches – think dogwood, redbud, flowering cherry, and fruit trees. However, these spring galleries of rooted bouquets are short-lived. It seems as though, in Mother Nature’s fervor to replenish her bounty, flower petals quickly fade and fall, only to be replaced with greenery. Not so with the crape (or crepe) myrtle. Technically, the crape myrtle is a small, upright, deciduous tree that hails from the warm regions of each species’ respective geographical homes. For example, Lagerstroemia indica is native to Southeast Asia, and L. fauriei is native to Japan. Although they don’t carry the same storybook aura as, say, Japanese flowering cherries, Lagerstroemia still put on a stunning show…

Right now, before you forget, put a rubber band around your wrist to remind you of one gardening task that cannot be postponed: planting seeds for your fall garden. As summer draws to a close, gardens everywhere morph into a tapestry of delicious greens, from tender lettuce to frost-proof spinach, with a sprinkling of red mustard added for spice. In North America’s southern half, as long as seeds germinate in late July or early August, fall gardens grow the best cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower you’ve ever tasted. In colder climates, it’s prime time to sow carrots, rutabagas, and turnips to harvest in the fall. Filling space vacated by spring crops with summer-sown vegetables will keep your garden productive well into fall and even winter. Granted, the height of summer is…

For many of us, yards mean trees, trees mean pruning, and pruning means wood – lots and lots of wood, as it seems to multiply once you start cutting those downed limbs into more manageable pieces. If, of course, we have a wood-burning fireplace or outdoor fire pit, we can put those fallen pieces to good use. We still have to store all that wood, however, which can be daunting. Sure, we can find an empty spot in the back of the yard and stack it in a pile, but rough piles of wood eventually fall over – they always do. Plus, firewood ideally should be stored off the ground to promote airflow. Otherwise, it may rot quickly and attract bugs, making it undesirable for use in an indoor fireplace.…

Whether you raise your own meat, hunt wild game, or track down bargains at the store, the list of reasons to add canning meat to your skill set starts with money and ends with time. When properly done, putting up meat with a pressure canner is safe and economical, and it yields excellent results. Yes, canning does take time, but the commitment will be less than you think if your canning project includes reserving some of the results for dinner that night. And picture yourself weeks or months later, popping open a jar of home-canned chili for your hungry family. Two minutes sounds mighty good for prep time! Can Meat Simply My advice is to can meat simply, without veggies and sauces (with a few exceptions) in the canning jar.…

• Always can in a clean kitchen. Sanitize by wiping down all surfaces and utensils with a diluted vinegar solution of1/4 cup white vinegar to 1 cup water. • Before the canning season starts, have your canner’s gauge tested by your local extension office. Always use new lids and glass jars in good condition. Ball (www.FreshPreserving.com) is a great resource. • Know where your meat comes from and how it’s been handled. Choose lean cuts, and trim off all visible fat. • Start with small batches. You can increase batch size after you know which pressure-canned meats your family likes, and whether you prefer the results of hot packing or raw packing. • Forgo adding vegetables when canning meat, as they will overcook and become mushy. • Stay in the…

Yields about 8 pints. Canned chili made from beef or pork is a great convenience food. Spoon it into taco shells for a quick meal, or layer it with corn tortillas, cheese, and enchilada sauce or salsa to create a speedy casserole. Because beans overcook easily in a pressure canner, I add them later, when I’m heating up the chili for a meal. 5 pounds lean ground beef 2 medium onions, finely chopped 2 bell peppers, finely chopped 4 cups crushed tomatoes 1/4 cup chili powder 2 tablespoons ground cumin 5 teaspoons salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon ground chipotle, or to taste 1 Fill a pressure canner with 2 to 3 inches of water. 2 Wash the jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water. Turn the jars upside…

The prices and information listed in the following articles and advertisements were accurate when printed in the magazine decades ago, but are no longer current. In addition, any plans, catalogs, brochures, and other offers advertised in this department are no longer available, so please do not send money and/or a request for them. – Editors The Chemist and Cotton THE chemist is the miracle worker of this age. What has been done with cotton is enough to convince the most dubious of skeptics that this is true. Today, we use a hundred products we little dream could come from cotton fiber. Camera films, automobile lacquer, spectacle rims, umbrella handles, combs, fountain pens – all are made from cotton. The cotton fiber contains cellulose, a starch-like substance found in the solid…

Many people mistakenly refer to any type of cooking on their grill as “barbecuing,” but that’s not entirely correct. Let’s compare the outdoor cooking techniques needed for the recipes in this book. • GRILLING Grilling involves quickly cooking individual portions of food at relatively high temperatures over a direct heat source. The first step in many grilling recipes is to sear the meat over high heat – between 350 F and 550 F. The higher heat browns the outside of smaller cuts of meat, sealing in juices that would be lost if the meat were cooked more slowly. My mother did this before placing a roast in the oven, and I do it every time I grill a steak. Cast-iron grates on a grill are also highly conductive, which significantly…

Crape myrtles are resilient trees that require little nurturing if planted in hot-summer regions – Zones 7 through 9, including the South, most of the East Coast, and much of the West Coast. Planted alone or in groupings, these ornamental trees make spectacular accents and provide limited shade. Since crape myrtles maintain relatively low, compact growth and are highly drought-resistant, they’re ideal choices for commercial and public urban venues where irrigation is difficult, such as housing developments, estate entranceways, shopping malls, parking lot islands, and street and highway medians. Here are some tips for caring for your trees. • Select a variety that’s appropriate for your landscape. Choose short cultivars for smaller spaces, and taller ones where there’s room to expand. Local nurseries can advise for your region and specific…

Most gardens contain at least one row of onions, usually planted in the spring. Less common are fall-planted onions, including multiplying onions, shallots, and bulbing leeks, which offer several advantages over their spring counterparts. Fall-planted onions need to go in the ground when few other garden chores demand to be done. They also tend to be more reliable and productive, less day-length sensitive, and less subject to pests and diseases than the more familiar onions of spring. Other than garlic, these autumn onions mostly fall into the Allium cepa var. aggregatum group, although notable exceptions include bulbing leeks (A. ampeloprasum) and the perennial Rakkyo (A. chinense). By and large, all multiply primarily through the formation of new bulbs, called vegetative propagation. Most alliums don’t produce seed. Identifying autumn onions can…

Start with high-quality, chilled meat. Remove excess fat. Cut the meat into strips, cubes, or chunks of nearly equal size. The hot-pack method is preferred for best liquid cover and quality during storage. The natural amount of fat and juices in today’s leaner meat cuts are usually not enough to cover most of the meat in raw packs. 1 Pack your jars. • Hot Pack: Partially cook meat until rare by roasting, stewing, or browning in a small amount of fat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill the jars with meat pieces, and add boiling broth, meat drippings, water, or tomato juice, leaving 1 inch headspace. • Cold Pack: Add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars…

• ANNUAL FLOWERS: bachelor’s button, cosmos, cuphea, larkspur, poppy, sunflower, zinnia • PERENNIAL FLOWERS: achillea (yarrow), agastache (hyssop), black-eyed Susan, caryopteris (blue mist shrub), coreopsis, echinacea (coneflower), foxglove, hollyhock (single-flowered), lamb’s ear, monarda (bee balm), ornamental alliums, penstemon, Russian sage • VEGETABLES: artichoke and cardoon, beans, cucumber, peas, squash • HERBS: basil, borage, catnip, comfrey, coriander, dandelion, dill, fennel, lavender, low-growing clover, mint, oregano, rosemary • FRUITS: apple, blackberry, blueberry, currant, melon, raspberry, strawberry…

The simple lines of this concrete planter work beautifully with an ornate, Indian-inspired motif stencil. There’s something particularly satisfying about stenciling onto concrete, because the smooth surface is perfect for achieving a crisp, clean stenciled image. Step 1 If using a template for the stencil, cut and prepare it according to the instructions. If using a purchased stencil, there’s no cutting or preparation needed. Step 2 Lightly coat the back of the stencil with spray adhesive, and place the stencil roughly in the center of the planter. Or, if preferred, tape it in position with low tack tape. Step 3 Hold the tape measure across the width of the planter, and, if necessary, adjust the position of the stencil so it’s as close to centered as possible. Step 4 Dip…

Raising broiler chickens can put meat on your table quicker, and with less effort, than raising any other livestock. In just a handful of weeks, your chicks will reach target weight, and your larder can be stocked with meat that’s tastier and healthier than anything you could buy at the grocery store. Plus, raising meat chickens lets you opt out of the profoundly inhumane industrial food-production system. The choices between hybrid or heritage breeds, confinement or free-range, and conventional or organic feed are entirely up to you. Best Broiler Breeds Growing broilers – young chickens with pliable skin and tender meat – involves making several choices. Your first decision is whether to raise hybrid or heritage poultry breeds. The fundamental differences are the amount of time they need to grow…

2 tablespoons cream cheese 4 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese 4 teaspoons plain yogurt 2 teaspoons minced onion Dash of ground white pepper 2 tenderloin steaks, approximately 1/2 pound each 1 large clove garlic, halved 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley Yields 2 servings. Prep: 10 minutes Grill: 8 to 11 minutes 1 Combine cream cheese, blue cheese, yogurt, minced onion, and white pepper in a small bowl. Mix well to blend. Set aside. 2 Rub steaks with garlic halves. 3 Place steaks on hot grill. Cook for 8 to 11 minutes, turning occasionally. A couple minutes before steaks are cooked to desired doneness, season with salt. Top each with half the blue cheese mixture. 4 Remove steaks from grill, and sprinkle with parsley. 5 Serve immediately.…

For the Capper’s Farmer Winter 2019 issue, we’re looking for stories about favorite comfort foods. • What are your family’s favorite comfort foods? • Where did the recipe for these dishes originate? Who first made the dish? What was the occasion? • How often is the dish served? Is it something that’s saved for special occasions, or is it on the menu weekly? Email your stories and photographs (jpegs, at least 300 dpi) to tsmith@cappersfarmer.com, or mail them via the USPS to Cap-per’s Farmer Editorial, Heart of the Home, 1503 S.W. 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. We’ll pay for each story we print. Submissions must be received by September 1.…

• MUSKOGEE: light lavender flowers, decorative mottled cinnamon trunks, 20 to 30 feet • NATCHEZ WHITE: white flowers, decorative mottled mahogany trunks, 20 to 30 feet • MIAMI: dark pink flowers, decorative mottled brown trunks, 20 to 25 feet • ACOMA: white flowers, decorative mottled tan trunks, 20 feet • CATAWBA: purple flowers, decorative mottled brown trunks, reddish spring foliage, 15 to 20 feet • TUSCARORA: rosy pink flowers, decorative mottled cinnamon trunks, 15 to 20 feet • SIOUX: bright pink flowers, dark green foliage, outstanding fall color, 12 to 15 feet • TONTO: red to fuchsia flowers, decorative mottled cream/ gray trunks, reddish spring foliage, 10 to 12 feet • NEAR EAST: pale pink flowers, open/spreading form, slow growing, 6 to 18 feet • EARLY BIRD: lavender, purple, or…

Heirloom onion grower David Cavagnaro says a few small bulblets from walking onions or other autumn alliums can be easily potted and kept on a windowsill for a steady supply of tender green onion tops in winter. Most of the multipliers grow better indoors than chives during the cold months of the year. To make peeling small onions and shallots easier, some restaurant chefs cut off one tip, drop the bulb into hot oil briefly, drain and cool it, and then squeeze out the softened insides. Home cooks, on the other hand, often prefer baking the bulbs like garlic, which works well, too.…