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During the winter we get to experiment in the kitchen a lot more than in the busy summers. Plus cooking is one our favorite ways to spend time together as a family. Whether it’s a meal for two or 10, spending time in the kitchen means valuable time. A couple weeks ago we hosted a going away dinner for a close family friend of ours, Justin, who actually left today for basic training for the United States Army. When planning this special dinner, I wanted to make something familiar yet special and this recipe certainly did the trick! Plus there comes a point in time during the winter months that you just can’t handle cooking ANOTHER pot of soup. We like it but there is such a thing of too much of a good thing.

Being the “foodie’s” that we tend to be, I saw this recipe being prepared on the Food Network by none other than the super dreamy, bongo playing Matthew McConaughey. Yes, someone that has a more complicated last name than Fahrmeier! It’s called JKL Pork Loin- JKL standing for Just Keep Livin’. I made a few amendments to suit our taste buds and it turned out really tasty! Check it out below and make it for a special dinner soon. It truly was a snap to make and the lack of leftovers was a sure sign of a new family favorite too.

Thanks to Justin and the all of the other service men and women for making the choice to defend our freedoms! Also, here's a pic of the loin heading into the oven. We were so eager to eat it when it came out that we forgot to take and after photo too.

JKL Pork Loin… Fahrmeier Style

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic (or a little more… I did)
• 3 teaspoons coarse sea salt, divided
• 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I added a ½ teaspoon-we like spice!)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (add this to the rub mixture)
• 1 (3-pound) pork loin roast, trussed
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 zucchini, cut into 8 half-moon pieces
• 2 summer squash, cut into 8 half-moon pieces
• 2 carrots, washed and cut into 8 pieces
• 3 tomatoes, quartered (we aren’t fans of roasted tomatoes and they aren’t very tasty this time of year so I added ¼ cup tomato paste to the pesto to mix in with the veggies)
• 2 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup store-bought pesto
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (olive oil is king in our home)
• 1/2 cup white wine, plus more if needed (make sure it’s dry white)
• 3/4 cup chicken stock, plus more if needed
• 3 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a mortar and pestle or a small food processor, combine the garlic, 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cayenne, rosemary, olive oil and sugar and pound together until a thick paste forms. Rub evenly over the pork roast.
Remove the V-rack from a large roasting pan and fill the pan with the prepared vegetables. Add in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, pesto, oil, wine, and chicken stock. Toss together with your hands to combine evenly.
Return the V-rack to the roasting pan, centered over the vegetables, place the pork roast on top, and place in the oven.
Cook for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F, and then lower to 325 degrees F for 1 hour, turning the pork roast over after 30 minutes to brown the other side. Baste with the juices from the roasting pan 2 to 3 times throughout the hour. Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Place on a cutting board, tent lightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the vegetables to a large serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the pan juices to a boil, whisking. Add more wine and chicken stock, if needed, and reduce until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter and adjust seasoning, to taste.
Slice the pork thinly on a slight bias and serve with the jus and vegetables.

Everything was going according to plan until...

It wouldn't be life on the farm if we didn't have a few setbacks every once in a while. After all, it is just like I said- LIFE ON THE FARM! We can only plan so much.
For example, we laid field tile back in early December to help us increase our growing abilities in our tunnels, we cleaned up in and around our packing shed, replaced a water line, ordered seeds and planted them in the greenhouse too.
All was going as planned until yesterday when the hot water heater in our greenhouse decided to hibernate...for the rest of its life. Without the heater our seedlings won't grow which in turn won't allow us to have an early crop of fresh vegetables or a crop at all for that matter.
The cool thing about being farmers is that we are used to ever changing situations and making the best of what we have at hand. After trying to bring the old heater back to life, we made the decision to replace the heater so we could get back on track.
With that, tonight the seedlings are tucked away in warmer conditions so they can continue to grow into healthy vegetables to enjoy and sell to our customers. If you're interested in trying our vegetables I might suggest that you purchase a CSA share from our farm. Its a great way to try the variety of crops we grow. Here's a link to the information.

Baby It's Cold Outside... Better Start Planning for CSA's!

Well we survived another hectic holiday season and it's time to start preparing for our Spring planting schedule.
Last year was our first year of selling CSA shares. Oh what a learning experience that was but while we were learning we also had a lot of fun getting to know our cool customers so we decided to offer it again this year.
For those of you who aren't familiar with a CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and it's an great way to buy local, fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers directly.
We enjoy the program because it gives us the chance to get to know our customers and it allows us to educate more people about what we are passionate about... Agriculture. The Local Harvest website is an excellent resource to help you find a farmer in your area. Of course if you live in the greater Kansas City area we'd love for you to consider purchasing a CSA from us!

Here is a link to our 2011 contract if you're interested. Cheers to a great New Year ahead!