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While I am a firm believer that the perfect gift is usually homemade that comes straight from the heart, I do believe store-bought presents can be just as meaningful and needed sometimes. When I buy something from the store I usually try and follow these guidelines: It needs to be something useful It needs to be something of good quality It needs to be something that can be used time and time again… so that it is the gift that keeps on giving! Which is why when Roots & Harvest reach …

Whether you’re raising a big flock of meat birds or have just a few backyard chickens, it makes sense to have the right equipment, so you get the best results from your time and hard work. One of the most important steps in poultry processing is the scald, which loosens the feathers and makes plucking faster and easier. Scalding is done by dunking freshly harvested birds into hot water. Doing so opens the skin's pores and loosens the quills so the feathers (including tiny pin feathers) can …

A good roast chicken will never let you down. And though the recipe calls for just five ingredients roasting a chicken to tender, juicy, skin-crisped, perfection can be tricky – it’s a matter of cooking two different kinds of meat at once. The lean, white breast cooks faster than the rich, dark legs and thighs.The best technique originated in Asia, home of the chicken where the cooks roasted their birds on a rotisserie. This way the heat of the oven circulates around the chicken while its fats n …

Serves 4This warm chicken salad is based on a classic French bistro recipe that makes use of rendered chicken fat, but a good olive oil works beautifully, too. It’s a great way to use leftover roast chicken, whether you roast it yourself or use a rotisserie chicken from the market.Vinaigrette2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice2 small shallots, finely chopped½ teaspoon Dijon mustard½ teaspoon honey¼ cup warm, rendered chicken fat or extra virgin olive oilSalad3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken …

Confession. I have a “thing” for the Roots and Harvest yogurt maker. I don’t know if it’s the cute little jars or the fact that I can set a timer and a temperature and walk away. When the time goes off, voila! Yogurt in a cute little glass cup, the perfect portion size.The other day I was making yogurt. The final product was fine, but I wanted something a little thicker, like Greek yogurt. I remembered I had purchased the Greek yogurt strainer from Roots and Harvest, so I pulled it out. My 3-yea …

Butter Boards! You’ve seen the in-foodie magazines and social media as the latest greatest trend … but in truth, they’re really not all that new. Chef Josh McFadden popularized the age-old concept in his James Beard Award winning cookbook, Six Seasons: A NEW WAY WITH VEGETABLES. He began serving this easy nosh at dinner parties to draw guests to the table, giving them something to nibble as soon as they sat down.Inspired by the fresh herbs and edible flowers from his garden, he’s devised numerou …

Yes, it’s true…Homesteading can indeed be overwhelming.I, personally, have been on my homesteading journey for 32 years. I began in an urban neighborhood in the bedroom community of Seattle, WA. It was a simple, humble beginning which started from necessity. I began canning, making soap, grinding wheat, making bread, sewing, and gardening on a tiny plot of land. I learned a lot of “inside skills” in those days. After 12 years of urban homesteading, we moved to the Monterey area of CA. My six chi …

Have some spare jars and a few too many pumpkins? A few years ago, our house was full of… pumpkins. Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins. We made pumpkin everything… bread… muffins… pies… soup. Still, more pumpkin.So, what did we do? Canned some. It isn’t that hard!The big thing to note when using your own canned pumpkin is that it contains far more water than store bought canned pumpkin. So, when you break into a jar you will need to remove excess water before making use of the pumpkin chunks inside …

You heard the news. Frost is on the way, and your pepper plants are laden with fruit still… of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Or perhaps you are just ready to be done with the garden, and it is time to pull the plants and get all the remaining produce possible.Don’t be sad. Every summer must eventually come to an end. And we have a way to enjoy part of that summer bounty all winter long. Fresh organic peppers are pricey. Frozen organic peppers? Forgot about it! But what if you could make y …

I never imagined I would enjoy pumpkin muffins as much as I do. A few years ago, my wife started making them, often with our own home-grown pumpkin puree, and I was amazed at just how good they are!You can make these muffins with freshly pureed pumpkin, or if you have canned pumpkin (either your own or storebought) both will work! If using homemade canned pumpkin, be sure to remove the excess moisture by straining the pumpkin chunks well before measuring. We use the Frontier organic pumpkin pie …