The Kitchen Window

The Kitchen Window
Antique Milk Bottles with Herbs and Flowers

Welcome!

Welcome to the Frog Hollow Farm blog! I've been blogging since January 2010 and have switched from Blogger to Word Press, but I'm back to Blogger because, for me, it's easier to use. My husband and I live on a little farm in Northwest New Jersey. We have some chickens and a very large vegetable garden with asparagus and raspberries, and rows and rows of sunflowers, snapdragons and zinnias. Traveling, entertaining, gardening, spending time with family, studying Italian, blogging and reading keep us busy and happy. With all of this going on, moving towards a simpler life seems almost impossible but it's definitely a daily goal.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

What's Happening at Frog Hollow Farm

Well, FHFB and I are back from our 9 day road trip through Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland!  I don't know about you, but I am always anxious to get home, no matter how wonderful a trip has been.  We both missed our home, and really missed planning and cooking our own healthy, delicious meals.  Driving back to the farmhouse was so wonderful the other evening - the lilac bushes and dogwood trees in our field were all in full bloom, the bluebirds had nested again in our bluebird house, one of our Christmas cactuses had blossomed unexpectedly, the asparagus was up in the garden, the vegetable seedlings were doing well, and our two cats Olive and Finn were milling around the back porch waiting for someone to let them in.  Even while we were away, Frog Hollow Farm was busy getting ready for spring!


The Dead Nettle had bloomed in our Wine Garden.  Isn't that an awful name for such a pretty little pale pink flower?






The Yellow Corydalis volunteers had blossomed in cracks and crevices throughout the Wine Garden and along the fence.


The early spring bulbs were still showing their colors and mingling in with the other perennials



Frog Hollow Farm Boy's organic seeds had sprouted in our conservatory.  So far he's planted brocolli, parsley, sunflowers, hollyhocks, heirloom tomatoes, beets and arugula. 

Some of the seeds are in clay pots in the conservatory and some are in the vegetable garden. This is basil to the right...




Hollyhocks

          Heirloom Tomatoes - Brandywine
Our asparagus has popped through the ground and is growing in abundance.  We like to roast and grill it - and I like to blanche it for salads.  We inherited a very large established asparagus patch when we purchased Frog Hollow Farm - it still produces so much asparagus!
Here's a photo of that pretty pink/orangey Christmas cactus that's currently in bloom...it's from my mother's collection of plants so it means a lot to me that it is so happy that it blooms in April!
  And my favorite, favorite, favorite flower of all.....LILACS!  We have several old, large standard light colored lilac bushes that came with the property.  FHFB is so sweet and knows how much I love lilacs - he's planted several other colors of lilac bushes around the property for me and we received a beautiful white lilac bush from a very dear friend who is also a plant lover and foodie! 

So much is going on and as I said earlier I'm anxious to getting back to cooking and keeping Frog Hollow Farm comfortable and pretty.  When we were visiting Monticello we saw the bluestone floor of the conservatory.
Monticello Conservatory Floor
So, I've been inspired to put bluestone on our Frog Hollow Farm conservatory floor - I think it will be the perfect floor for that room, functional and attractive! 

Back to my favorite thing to do:  cook!  Tonight's aperitivo
(served around 6pm if you're in the area)...

Hummus with fresh vegetable crudites
Caprese salad with organic tomatoes and basil

Emeril's Chicken Patty Pockets
(Martha Stewart's Everyday Food - April 2010)
Roasted Asparagus

It's good to be back home! 
Ciao, bella!

10 comments:

  1. Hi, welcome home :-) Your photos are gorgeous. I want to start asparagus but I think I need to read up on it a bit, doesn't it take a few years before you actually get any? I thought about buying seeds yesterday but wanted to read more. Hope you have a lovely Sunday... I'm busy painting!

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  2. Hi Denise and welcome to Frog Hollow Farm! Yes, it does take several years to establish an asparagus patch but it's one of those things that are well worth it! I hope that you enjoy your Sunday as well, even with all of my spring photos and posting we decided to start the wood stove today! Ciao, bella.

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  3. Your photos are so beautiful. I also love, love, love lilacs and have yet to plant any at our new house. Perhaps this year. I also don't have an asparagus patch at this house and I really miss it. Thanks so much for this post, it is very inspiring - let me get my garden tools out.

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  4. It sounds like a wonderful place to come home to. I agree, it's always good to get home after a trip, no matter how lovely it's been.

    Have a good day!

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  5. And . . . I just clicked on the rest of your post. Gorgeous pictures! Tonight's aperitivo sounds so delicious, I think it would be worth the trip out there:)

    Thanks for the birthday wishes yesterday. It was a wonderful day!

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  6. Hi Karen, you are so sweet - we'd love it if you would stop by when out this way! Glad your birthday was wonderful! Ciao, bella!

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  7. Hello Ann Marie, Your flowers and seedlings are so pretty. I have been checking on our asparagus, isn't is just the cutest thing!! I love watching it grow. Your trip sounds great and I too love getting back in the kitchen and garden when I come home from a vacation. I love the floor you are considering for your conservatory. I am redoing my floor soon in our Garden room it is getting destroyed from the plants. We are considering a small greenhouse to winter over our plants to try and save the floors, they are wood and I want to keep them as long as I can.
    Welcome home and I hope your Sunday is lovely!!
    xoxo

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  8. glad to hear you made it home safely..i never can get in the door fast enough..so GOOD to be HOME....

    thanks for leaving the kind words about TEDDY..we just love that little guy..what a sweetie..so darling....

    sending love,
    kary and teddy

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  9. You're so right...no matter how wonderful a trip we may take I am always ready to get back to my home and my bed. Dorothy was right when she said, 'there's no place like home'! Loved this post and all your gorgeous flowers. Thanks for sharing.

    I started blogging in January as well!

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  10. WELCOME HOME FARM GIRL,
    YOUR TRIP SOUNDS LOVELY, BUT YOUR RIGHT THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME. YOUR POST IS LOVELY, AND INTERESTING.
    YOUR APERITIVO SOUNDS REALLY YUMMY. I GET EVERYDAY FOOD ALSO. I LOVE IT, SUCH GREAT RECIPES. YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY.
    LOVE, AUNT RIZ

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