Martin's Hillside Orchard

Explore the Orchard

The Pumpkin Haus Rules!

by

How did this bit of silliness come about?

pumpkin hausThe inspiration: Simple. P Allen Smith’s Pumpkin House It’s awesome. We tried to find the frame he used but it had been discontinued 🙁

No worries, we are Nebraska Strong! In the midst of the coldest winter in quite some time (last February) Barb suggested: “Why don’t we use the gazebo out front?” That’s the one we built back when we grew strawberries? Booyah! Lightning in a bottle, etc, etc

Flowerpot rings

The build: So, September 17th Jen and Christy (Martin kids/adults) got together to do a bit of decorating. Armed with a power drill, 70 flower pot rings, lots of straw bales, and a boatload of heirloom pumpkins, they got to work. Not exactly following a blueprint, but that was half the fun.

Photo Ops: We had a family approach us halfway through our build asking if they could take a pic. We cleared out the supplies and stepped aside. We figured we must be onto something good. We hope you enjoy!

Candied Apples

by

Straight from our favorite food personality, The Pioneer Woman herself, comes another tasty apple offering – candied apples.

These things are simply stunning. Tasty as well as evidenced by Alex making multiple references to them: “Boy, those candy apples you made last week were really good.”

Guess we might have to prep another batch for his late September birthday. Shhh! Don’t tell. Don’t want to ruin the surprise.

 

Tip: We found that if you store the candy apples in the refrigerator they will retain their glorious shine. Leave them out on the kitchen counter that shine will dim. But, they’ll still taste good.

Apple Dumplings

by

With premade biscuit dough as a timesaver, this recipe couldn’t be easier. You have the rest – apples from the orchard and a few kitchen staples. Yummy, buttery vanilla-ey!

One important tip: Continue baking the dumplings until the apples are soft, i.e., you are able to insert a toothpick and don’t meet resistance. If the dumplings are browning but the apples are still hard, cover the pan with foil and keep baking until the apples get tender. The foil keeps the dough from burning. Just wanted to mention this as we had to bake ours for at least another 15-20 mins beyond what was referenced in the recipe.

Apple corer

And a key utensil for coring the apples, an apple corer — here’s what the one we use looks like. We’ve found them pretty much everywhere – at your local grocery store, Walmart, Amazon, etc.

Easy Apple Tart

by

This tart is beyond simple to make but it looks very sophisticated and it tastes divine. I seriously can’t believe I just made this! No, really, I keep looking in the fridge to make sure it is still there and I didn’t imagine it. What is going on?

Yes, that’s the theme of this season’s recipes – Easy. But surprisingly, just because it is quick to make doesn’t necessarily lessen the taste or plate appeal. Thanks to The Pioneer Woman!

The recipe basics: Slice the apples; toss in sugar with a bit of salt; place on puff pastry sheet; bake; and most, importantly, Enjoy!  Yes, that’s really all there is to it.

I think we are now going to start keeping a package or two of puff pastry sheets in the freezer. A person could do this with peaches. Or maybe, a peach/raspberry combination. Would be delish!

 

Raspberry Shrub

by

 

Want a cool refreshing drink that is perfect for a hot day? Start with a raspberry shrub (a mix of berries, sugar and vinegar) add ice and sparkling water. Kick it up a notch with your favorite liqueur if you like

Below are some photos of the shrub-making process. Super easy, just need to work ahead and definitely worthwhile having some cheese cloth on hand.

 

Adding sugar to the crushed berries
Here is a pic of the shrub as a finished product – had to act quick before we used it all up in cool drinks