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Using Saffron
Risotto alla Milanese
Risotto alla Milanese is a classic Italian dish from Milan that is easy to make and, if you're new to saffron, is an excellent introduction. Everyone at your table will devour this dish (cheese, rice, butter, saffron...whats not to love?) and it is likely to become a family favourite! Saffron Risotto or Risotto alla Milanese This recipe comes from Milk Street (see below for links to their show...
Cooking with Saffron
Not familiar with how to use saffron? No problem! Refer to the diagram above for some basic instructions on how to easily incorporate saffron into recipes. * you can crumble the saffron in a mortar and pestle or by giving it a few pinches with your fingers.
Growing Saffron at Home
Interested in growing your own saffron at home? Here is some information to get you started! Plant your saffron corms (crocus sativus) late summer through early September, and they will bloom mid-October through mid-November. Expect 1 or 2 flowers per corm (you may get more!). Saffron corms prefer humus-rich, well-draining soil, with a pH of 6-8. Do not water at all during their dormant period (mid-May to September), when...
Life on Peace and Plenty Farm: The latest
California Fires Update: We are Safe!
We've been receiving a number of messages from family and friends of the farm, concerned for our safety and well-being while fires are raging across the state. Though we have been affected by the smoke, we are happy to report that we are not in any imminent danger; we are lucky. We are infinitely anxious about not only the the environmental impact of these fires...
Essential Work
At the beginning of February, I was feeling stressed and harried - so much to do in the next months and so many deadlines to meet. The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny and it felt like summer had arrived, skipping completely over spring. I wrote about my longing for a longer winter, and desire for more time to be quiet, slow, and do behind-the-scenes prep for all the big things that were coming our way in 2020. If the adage, “Careful What You Wish For” could be any more true than now, I don’t know when.
Recipes
Recipe: Drinks with Benefits
"Adding just a tiny bit of saffron to your H20 delivers a powerful punch of vitamin A and beta-carotene, a dynamic duo that brings better focus and higher energy. Make a batch [of this flower water] and store it in your fridge for up to three days for a mental boost whenever you need it."
Recipe: Saffron Chicken Soup from Martha Stewart Living
"A pinch of saffron adds a vegetal, almost tomatoey taste to this rustic chicken soup made with leeks, celery, and carrots." –Martha Stewart Living
Recipe: Sumac & Saffron Refresher – Epicurious
Here is a recipe for a bubbly saffron drink by Nik Sharma for Epicurious. Keep your eye on saffron lemonades at our farmstand...perhaps this refresher might find its way onto the shelf!
P&P in the News
Lake County News
Esther Oertel recently wrote this wonderful article about us for Lake County News. Read to the end for a recipe using our saffron.
Martha Stewart
If you haven't had a chance to pick up a copy of the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, here is a link to the story online, including recipes.
Of Interest Articles
Video: Why Saffron is So Expensive – Business Insider
Saffron is more expensive than gold. Ever wonder why? Watch this video by Business Insider.
An Intimate Look at Italy's Saffron Harvest - NY Times
"In the Abruzzo region of Italy, harvesting the lucrative spice is a centuries-old tradition, infused with a deep-seated passion for the land and its history," –Susan Wright
"Pennsylvania Gold" The Mennonite Tradition of Growing Saffron - Saveur Magazine
The spice came to the U.S. during Colonial times along with other old-world crops like spelt. According to food historian William Woys Weaver, saffron-loving Pennsylvanians were once called Geeldeitsch, or “Yellow Dutch,” for the distinctive gold hue of their food. Merchants shipped Pennsylvania saffron to Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and, writes Pat Willard, author of Secrets of Saffron: The Vagabond Life of the World's Most Seductive Spice, in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, saffron traded on the Philadelphia commodity exchange at a price equal to gold. In the colonies, saffron acted as a flavoring in soups and teas, as well as a domestic remedy for measles and fevers.
Farmstays & Events
Farm Weddings and Events
Due to Covid-19 we are currently unable to host events (we're as devastated as you are). But, that doesn't mean you can't dream –all the more time to plan, right? Take a look at our events page and add us to your mood board! Every event is special, let us makes yours golden!
Farmstays
Peace & Plenty Farm is a proud member of the Airbnb family, with a studio cottage that sleeps four and a refurbished vintage Airstream trailer that sleeps two. Come stay on the farm and enjoy the peace and plenty. View our Airbnb cottage and Airstream. Recent Reviews: "Peace and Plenty Farm is exactly that, a peaceful place with plenty of dreams, beautiful vistas and hospitality. Melinda and Simon are...