It’s a good day. We’re featured on Keystone Edge! Thank you so much!

Do you have any fair traditions? What do you make a beeline for?

We enjoy one or two small country fairs each year. They  feel timeless- it could be 1972, 1998 or by golly 2010. There is something peaceful about something that never seems to change.

The down home goodness of these fairs is so endearing.

I can’t get away without mentioning the food. It may not be wholesome or organic- but it is scrumptious. What is your favorite fair food?

Life’s little pauses are beautiful.  Sometimes, they catch us by surprise. One caught me by surprise for the month of May. Despite a small burst of renewed vigor- my little corner of the blog world remained quiet. Alas, I have returned. I have a fresh vision and so much to share.

First off, I’ve been wanting to share with you the Victory Garden of Tomorrow- ever since I spied them over at Good Measure. It is described as an art project posing as a propaganda campaign for new, American homefront values- inspired by the sustainability movement. Find Joe Wirtheim’s terrific posters here.

The lovely Grace of Design*Sponge introduced me [and countless others] to the fabulous illustrator Claudia Pearson. As you might expect, my eye was drawn to her “Buy Local” Prints. The themes are all things local to the New York area. Love this concept, I am a fan.

A wee bit more of an update on us…

Truth be told- there were a few reasons for my hiatus. We’ve been pounding out Gatski Metal sculptures to be shipped to art & craft galleries across the country. We had a very busy spring. In a little cottage industry like ours, it’s “all hands on deck” when we’re rolling.

Now that the Spring orders have been shipped- we’re looking forward to designing and building new Gatski sculptures and goods. All New great stuff coming soon! Our Summer photo shoot is less than 4 weeks away.

My contemplations of Earth Day and all things “green” always relate to “a place.” Where did it come from?  Who made it? What was used to make it?  There is so much beauty in knowing where things came from and who made them.

To that end, we’re occasionally going to share pics of “our place.” Our place is a rural hill-top in Pennsylvania. At the top is our house [we built in 4 stages] in recently logged woods and adjacent to the Gatski family farm. You get to the top by traveling a 1/2 mile long driveway. It is a peaceful place, with nearly no neighbors in sight. Aside from our creative pursuits – the animals [and a couple children] keep us well occupied. Also, nestled quietly here are Ben’s dream to milk more cows (and make cheese) and Kate’s dreams to write well about “food & place.” Happy Earth Day!

notes on pics:  that is an older photo of Ben & I [we bought a 1947 Plymouth at a local farm sale not long after meeting]- our humble home- the long driveway [and field roads- it's amazing how far you can get around here without going on a public road], one of our Berkshire pigs and our new calf Racer.

As the warmth of spring reaches deep into the ground and air; grasses grow and insects emerge. There is food everywhere; for a pig, that is.  A little time spent watching a pig [or an animal for that matter] gives one a feel for their instincts. Pigs have snouts and they want to use them.

They put them down and sniff, root and dig with them. Most remarkable is the rooting and digging, the turning over of the soil. They will create large, crater like depressions in the soil- large expansive areas of dug up dirt. They are looking for tasty treats to eat- bugs, acorns and other tree fruits.

This pig is a Duroc cross- we typically raise all Berkshire pigs.  This one slipped into our last batch- a lovely looking pig but an anomaly up here on Gatski Mt. We established our home and shop on woodlot adjacent to the family farm. It had been recently logged. It is ideal for our pigs.

There is something utterly captivating about watching animals do what they’re instinctively meant to do. Probably because we all know that instincts lead to the richest things in life. For these pigs- its scarfing down nuts from the trees, absorbing the sunshine on their backs, and letting the warm rain wash over them.

This is terroir. As you know I’m looking forward to exploring terroir here on my blog. This morning, I realized how important the role of instincts are in making something rich, flavorful and beautiful. How do you let your instincts guide you?

You can also find “signs of a new farmer” in the world of handmade design.  If you sift thru imagery of the decrepit farm and the “cutesy”- you will find a new design emerging – one that celebrates the vitality and beauty of the new farm.

I scouted Etsy for some fresh new farm design. Here is what I found…

grow your garden by sushipot

somewhere in essex county by underabluesky

handprinted orange hen pillow cover by strandredesign

reclaimed american chestnut farm table by newmoonsalvage

fall 2010 CSA farm share by callwool

Vinyl Wall Decal by CirclelineStudio

In tribute to Fan Friday- we’re hoping you’ll become a Fan of Megive.

There is so much potential in a big pile of scrap.  Whether it’s for art- or very functional [redeploying workable equipment]- recycling is beautiful.

I love a good basic meal; one with a couple ingredients that are easy to fetch from the farm. Up here on Gatski Mountain, there’s abundant milk, butter and of course, sausage.  Sausage & Biscuits is a favorite. I like to serve it with some seasonal greens sauteed in garlic. I understand that Sausage & Biscuits is an old world tradition- I’m hoping I can coax a few “tricks” out of those of you with family recipes. Psstt…. Would love a tip on how to get biscuits to rise more. Please do share in the comments.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

• combine 2 cups flour, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspon salt in bowl- then cut 5 to 6 tablespoons of butter into mixture.
• use your fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour [until the largest pieces are about the size of a pea] add about 3/4 cup milk and stir until soft dough is formed- knead enough to shape and turn onto a floured board
• roll out 1/2″ thick and cut- I use a water glass or ball jar. put on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes.

• Cook your sausage in a pan [add 1-2 cups water] – remove from pan when complete.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of flour in a cup of milk or water. Add slowly to the sausage pan, stirring to make your “gravy.” It should thicken quickly.
• Put biscuits on plate and top off with sausage and gravy.

That’s it! It is so simple.

It’s not just the cows eating green again, we will soon be too. We all know how strong spinach makes us. Here’s a few tips on planting spinach..

• get ready to plant as soon as the ground can be worked, here in Pennsylvania that’s now!
• loosen the soil with a shovel or digging fork [find a sunny spot]
• use a hoe to make a straight row [or you can really scatter them in a small bed too]
• sew your spinach seeds and cover about 1/2 inch deep
• when the plants are about 1″ tall, you can then to 2-4 inches apart

That’s it! The fun thing about planting your own vegetables is that there are no rules. All you need is a sunny spot and some soil. If you’re just not into the dirt- you can find delicious spinach grown close to you at Local Harvest.

Our spinach is coming along nicely, but this is not ours. The photo above it is our fields in their current state of green.

Head on over to the Good Measure Blog for my guest post on How to Grow Your Own Garlic.

Photo Credit:  elvisripley

I find bliss in the kitchen- particularly when working on something simple and a tad creative. No need to run- I think you can too. I am all about simple. 1. 2. 3.- ta da!

Friday nights are pizza nights around here. Here’s how I make homemade pizza (recipe makes 2 pizzas)…

1. Mix      2. Let Rise (and read a book)     3. Roll & Assemble

1. put the following ingredients in your mixer [I use kitchen aid with dough hook]- in this order [start this 2 hrs before you want to eat]

• 1 tbsp baking yeast
• 1.5 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil – or just shake a little in there
• 3.5 cups flour

2. put dough hook on mixer and let it rip for 10 minutes- take the dough hook off and let the dough sit in the same bowl to rise for about 1 hour

3. after about 1 hour clear some counter space and sprinkle it with flour.  preheat your oven to 425. remove dough from bowl. cut dough in half.

• get your rolling pin out [or maybe you have a wine bottle you can use]
• roll away from you- working the dough into a circle- keep adding more flour if its sticking
• get out your pizza pans and sprinkle them with some olive oil
• lay the dough on your pan
• get out your sauce, mozarella cheese, and whole hog sausage and any other toppings you enjoy
• spoon about 1 cup of tomato or pizza sauce over your dough
• sprinkle about 1.5 cups of mozarella cheese on top
• cut up chunks of sausage and lay on top- as much as desired
• repeat for second pizza
• put it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes
• yum. yum.

** if you want extra special pizza- try making your own mozarella. we do not have fresh milk now because the cows are dry (they haven’t had their calves yet)- I used grated mozarella from the grocery- works too!

There are many variations to making homemade pizza- let us know your tips in the comments!