· A Gift of Beta Grapes

September 23-28, my younger sister from North Dakota and three of her friends came to adventure in the Black Hills...and, naturally, Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast was their home base. They brought with them four horses, which they boarded at nearby High Country Ranch, as well as a generous load of freshly harvested garden vegetables and apples, also various sizes and colors of fresh farm eggs (even tiny batam hen eggs!)
Our first group meal consisted of Roasted Vegetable Lasagna and a salad, which included fresh crisp cukes! — As it turned out, the remaining half of the lasagna was our last group meal, too, consumed late the fourth evening, after my sister was released from the hospital. She and one of her friends had each met with a hard fall off runaway horses, but are thankfully now on the road to recovery. — Since they've left, I continue to chop vegetables for stir fry, chili, Italian rice, etc., using the homegrown eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes. Three beautiful hard-shell squashes are cheerfully posed at our front door, but will be disappearing into the kitchen, one by one.
Almost overwhelming me, there were also deposited three huge boxes of Beta Grapes on the table, a gift from my older sister. The Beta Grape (pronounced bet-ah) is a cross between a wild riverbank grape and a concord grape...consequently tart and, well, grapey tasting. Deciding how to move forward with the preservation process was a challenge, as I didn't want to use sugar initially, and wanted to retain as much of the fresh goodness of the treasured grapes as possible until further future processing. Happily, I remembered my 'vintage' centrifugal force juicer! (Since I hadn't used it in recent years, it had been price-tagged and placed in our Anteeks sale room...yikes!!) The idea was to spin out the fresh juice and collect each batch in a large stainless steel kettle and refrigerate until all was spun. This turned out to be more than a long day's effort.
You may have seen one of these at a yard sale...

Help was enlisted (much appreciated) after I had de-stemmed the first bowl full of fruit.

It became quickly apparent that I had forgotten the most basic necessity for operating the juicer...a catch bowl. Handy paper towels to the rescue!

Here we go again...

Three small handfuls of fruit fill the feeding hole, and the plunger is pressed by hand to force the fruit into the hidden spinning basket...whirrrrr...

It's a fairly messy but easily managed task...though I didn't realize how messy until I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror while cleaning up afterwards. :) After processing each bowl full of de-stemmed and washed grapes, I cleaned the machine. — Fresh squozed (southern term) juice shoots out on the left side, and the seeds along with other bulk are flung into a retainer on the right side...

After all the juice was gathered in the large kettle, I weighed out smaller batches into my stainless steel jelly kettle...and brought each batch to a full boil, simmered for five minutes, returned to a full boil. This step was necessary to remove impurities and for quality preservation. Eight-ounce jelly jars were sanitized and waiting for the sparkling purple juice. After the jars were filled, I lightly placed a lid on each jar and allowed the juice to cool. Then I lightly twisted a band over each lid, and placed all in the cooler to chill completely. When the jars were thoroughly chilled, I tightened the bands, labelled and transferred the gifted harvest to the freezer. Alternatively, I could have sealed and processed the jarred juice in a water bath for a stable non-refrigerated shelf life, but my plan was to cook the juice as little as possible to retain the freshest flavor and wholesomeness.
Because there is no sugar added to the juice, we can mix the juice from an eight-ounce jar with three cups of a naturally sweet juice such as bilberry and enjoy it as a very healthful beverage...not too tart. Or, I can use as many jars of Beta Grape juice as desired for a jelly or jam recipe, for a particular effect.

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Apricot Squares (Perfect Flour Blend)

May 31 early in the day I requested muffin recipes (using Perfect Flour Blend) from Namaste Foods LLC (gluten free products for people with food allergies)...on facebook. I was promptly provided a link to the Namaste website location where several options were available. Our B&B guest (with celiac) chose the Apricot Squares...ok, not muffins (and also no longer listed, probably due to Namaste keeping the recipe lists fresh).

Easy recipe! Sam and I sampled the bars while they were still warm (couldn't resist), and in our opinion they are super amazingly delicious!! Sam must have been worried there would be none left for our guest, though—"You can slow down," he said, "you don't have to eat it that fast!" That was Mr. Sweet Tooth talking to his Mrs. Salty who rarely eats sweets...but the bar being sampled was soooo good! (On second thought, his real concern may have been that I would consume his rations. haha)

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

Sequel: Mountain Bluebirds Stained Glass Window

Update on Busy Beaver Sam's Project

(click link)

Now that the stained glass window is installed,it deserves to have an official name..."Loving the Heart of the Hills"...appropriatebecause it is true!The window is in the heart of the Black Hills,and we 'mountain bluebirds' are loving it here.
The first post aboutMountain Bluebirds Stained Glass Window(click link)

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Flammkuchen, Sequel to Flumkuchen

This is FLAMMKUCHEN (our variant)—distinctly a main course for lunch or the evening meal. I wish you could smell the wonderful tantalizing aroma that wafts throughout the house while the Flammkuchen is baking.

This savory treat's sprawling journey includes its honored place as tarte flambée or flammekueche, the specialty from the Alsace region of France, with the base topping being a creamy soft fresh cheese, fromage frais or blanc...or both terms will do. Fromage frais means 'fresh cheese' and fromage blanc means 'white cheese'. A readily available low fat cream cheese like Neufchâtel is a fine substitute. Traditionally, the tarte flambée would include onions and lardons—small strips of pork fat.

(There is also a sweet variant, topped with crème fraîche, apples or possibly bilberries, sugar and cinnamon. Crème fraîche is a soured fresh cream, typically less sour than the American sour cream.)

The pizza frenzy of the 1960's is what brought this comparable flat food to the forefront. But, the creation of it is a story! Time was, as the legend goes, that Alemannic (a Germanic tribe of the first millennium) farmers who baked only once a week, or so, would test the heat of their wood-fired ovens by tossing in one of these thin pies at the estimated peak time. It was a quick fix. If the temperature was right, the intense heat would bake the pie in 1 to 2 minutes, the edges would nearly be burned by the flames, and exiting the oven would be a flamed pie or cake, signaling that it was time to bake.

It is acceptable to change the basic recipe somewhat, based on the cook's immediate mood. As there are many moods, there are many variations.

For instance, take lardons (think bacon) along with the cheese, and the calories begin to fast forward. We prefer to avoid some of those galloping calories. And we really like red sauce. So, we nudge our tarte flambée, or Flammkuchen as it is known in Germany, over the Italian border! We keep the crust thin, as it should be. Bacon, or sausage, is optional if not banished at our evening table (hint: baby bella mushrooms serve well for the vegetable oriented palate), but we do like a reasonable fling of good cheese. Purple onions, mmmmmm. And, no apologies, heavy on the garlic, please. However, keeping the weight of the toppings on the light side is a good idea, to avoid a soggy crust. We like our crust crispy! The photo at top accurately depicts how we like our Flammkuchen.

When Sam first sampled it, he slyly announced, "We could sell this!" Though his enthusiasm was appreciated, it did not motivate me to carry out his ambition. Other than again and again exclaiming,

"This is so good," Sam and I were unusually quiet while eating, completely focused on the delicious flavors and harmonious scents! We both agreed that Flammkuchen could easily become as popular with us as our gourmet nachos.

A short side note—In my own 100 percent German farm family, during garden season we were regularly treated to a sweet Onion Kuchen which highlighted green onion tops. Blended with soured cream and sugar, this custardy pie was part of the main fare at lunch (or dinner, as we called it), while at supper it was dessert. Either way, even the children looked forward to it with delight. Perhaps I should speak for myself only, eh? I personally don't recall tasting onions, though they were present in abundance in all their green glory. This Onion Kuchen may be a distant cousin to the sweet Flammkuchen. And Flumkuchen (previous post), well, it is basically the crust of Flammkuchen, though it stands alone as a quick-to-prepare comfort food. Beyond that, my first taste of anything pizza-like was when my oldest army-aged brother Ray once took two or three of us, who were tweens, out for pizza, early in those pizza-frenzied 1960's. Flammkuchen was not on the menu though. Seems to me unnatural. You would think in North Dakota someone would have thought of it.

If you would like to try what appears to be a traditional recipe for Flammkuchen, go to Delicious Days. For more details on the regional history of Flammkuchen and, for the sake of comparison, a truly traditional recipe, go here: Tarte Flambée d'Alsace or Elsässer Flammkuchen...where porcini mushrooms are recommended, but may be hard to come by. And here, ah, a Flammkuchen recipe which includes my beloved garlic. If you are really up for some adventure, try this Quarky recipe!

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Flumkuchen

Monday, I made a recipe that Sam and I both love, and that qualifies it as a favorite recipe. It is quick and easy to make, and is definitely a comfort food. Flumkuchen. After we devoured the bread, I searched the internet for cracker recipes...and I found a delightful Canadian blog, Crackers. with the period. But, when I couldn't find their recipe for crackers, I did find their Crackers. group on Facebook, and joined it. Since they haven't gotten around to making crackers yet (busy with so many other wonderful projects), they asked me for my Flumkuchen recipe, which I posted...and here it is now for you...

Flumkuchen is a cracker bread. I say that loosely, as some or most other Germans may produce a distinctly different form of bread or dessert and call it Flumkuchen. As far as I know, this particular form is traditional on my mother's side, and possibly my father's side of the family, too—Parents and nine siblings are all 100 percent German.
Mom customarily made Flumkuchen, along with oatmeal (and maybe fried or scrambled eggs, oranges, and so forth), on Wash Day. Eating a hearty breakfast sustained her through many trips up and down the basement stairs! This is a very flexible and easy recipe that puts up with a lot of experimenting:
Tender - Delicious - Nutritious - Easy - Quick Fix - Flexible - FunFlumkuchen - the way I usually make it - Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. - INGREDS: 1/2 c organic all purpose flour, 1/2 c Wheat Montana whole white wheat Prairie Gold flour, OR all Prairie Gold (Mom used all purpose flour); 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bread machine yeast; may add 1/8 to 1/4 c oat bran or wheat germ, but adjust liquid accordingly; 1/2 c milk; 1 T butter (probably oleo was traditional) or a healthy oil of choice; 1 to 2 tsp agave nectar (or sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.).
Stir all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. If you use a microwave, in a small measuring cup heat the milk, butter and agave nectar about 50 seconds, until hot but it won't burn you. (Alternatively, heat the liquids in a saucepan on the stove.) Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and quickly, briefly stir with a fork until a soft but pliable lump of dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly a few times into a smooth soft ball. Press the ball flat on a lightly floured surface and roll out very thin, between 1/16" and 1/8", thinner than cookie dough or typical pizza crust (or a little thicker, for even softer and chewier bread).
Do the dishes while the dough is resting, about 5 minutes. Dust any excess flour off the dough circle. Pull the middle oven rack out as far as you can without removing it. Deftly transfer the dough circle to the oven rack and don't worry if a little of it around the edges slips into the rack's cracks and you can't straighten it all without burning yourself. Bake 10 minutes then flip the bread over carefully and bake 5 minutes more. Experiment with oven time to get it the way you like it. We like a bit of brown flecking on both sides, and prefer the bread to be on the softer side, as it crisps up while cooling down. If various sized bubbles form on the surface, you have been a successful baker and may invite someone to pat you on the back. If not, the bread is still good, and everyone will be happy anyway. Yummy enjoyed hot with slathers of freshly churned butter......just kidding...organic butter or what have you. It isn't likely that any will be left over, but be assured that it is equally a treat when cold...topped with sardines and garlic (hahaha).
Thanks for letting me share this favorite German family recipe! :) I'm going to bake some right now, photographing the process for you. Please follow the captions...
This illustrates the flexibility of the recipe.Ingredients shown are:1) bottom left, organic all purpose flour 1/2 c2) bottom right, Prairie Gold flour 1/2 c3) top left, organic raw wheat germ 1/8 c, topped with4) 1/2 tsp flor de sel (special sea salt)5) top middle, 1/2 rounded tsp baking powder6) top below bkg pwdr, 1 rounded tsp bread machine yeast7) top right, 1 T organic oat bran

The prepped work surface.

After stirring my liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients,

the dough appeared too sticky to me...

so I added 1 tsp additional flour to what you see below,

and that amount was just right.

As you can see, when rolling out the dough,

it is perfectly fine to go with your random mood.

The look is about rustic, not perfection.

...Unless you are expecting royal guests,

in which case you may want to start with all pure white flour.

Placing the dough in the preheated oven is a delicate matter.

To spare fingers of blisters, the rustic look is further advised.

Ten minutes later...

wah-lah...nice bubbles!!

(My back-patter was outside at the time.)

Okay, let's flip this over.

April 27 Version (difference possibly due to mischievous weather change)

Five minutes later...the Flumkuchen is ready.

April 27 Version

If you are wondering what to do next,

slide the Flumkuchen from the oven

onto a preheated plate, and then

simply fold it while it is hot and bendable.

Or, do as my husband Sam says...

toss it in the middle of the table, up for grabs!

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Clinging Snow, Letting Go

April 19, 2011 - Clinging Snow, Letting Go

- Short and factual - Going...going...still...going...

Sam took the highway photos earlier today, when he drove to Custer for a load of wood which he needed for his current project.

Click on the snowmanand he will take you on probably the lastsnowy fling of spring!There are 12 photos in the album,posted on the facebook page ofMountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast. Enjoy the scenery!

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Mountain Bluebirds Stained Glass Window

We special ordered the octagon window(shown below) for the new wall Sam built,and are experimenting with names for it...Suggestions are welcome!"Mountain Bluebirds in a Pine Tree""Bluebirds in the Heart of the Hills"
Male and female bluebirds come in a variety of colors!
When the window arrives, the plan is to frame iton the exterior with ponderosa pine, bark intact.
See the previous post to read about the wall andSam's display case project,Brach's Pure Candies Exclusively.

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Brach's Pure Candies Exclusively

Sam gets to hibernate very little in the off-season,

with always a project for the handyman!
This spring he busied himself withclosing in a corner nook of the porch,opening space to the inside foyer.For the exterior beautification of this projectwe have collected a fancy array of mossy rocks,which can only mean...Sam will soon be learning another handy tradewhen it comes to applying the rocks to his new wall.While awaiting the arrival of a stained glass windowfor installation into the wall,Sam is not one to idle on pause.His in-between project is shown below...
— Brach's Pure Candies Exclusively —
The pictured antique slant-front displaywill have a new life in the gift shop foyer,tempting visitors of the shop with treats and snacks.Sam wanted to preserve the feel of original pastel colors,since he saw it as a confectionery display;and since I love the shabby chic look, we negotiated...
The former life of the displayincluded time in a Standard Station.Hidden in the shambles was the color scheme...

On Friday (April 8) I made an experimental cookie.

Surprisingly, Sweet-Tooth Sam asked for slightly less sugar next time.

So I asked him to give most of that first batch of Sam's Perfect Cookies

to the men working on the church addition,

so I could produce the second edition of the recipe.

As shown in the Monday (April 11) photo, below,

Sam was persuaded to take a break from his refurbishing work

to test the slightly less-sweet cookie.

Shortly after this photo was taken, Sam said,

while trying to install the doors on the display case,

"I ran into a problem getting the doors to fit.

I need another cookie, to think." :)

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques