Saturday, February 21

Saturday Dose of Cute: I'm Writing a Cookbook!


Happy Dance












Happy Dance Recovery

I'm writing a cookbook! I already said that, didn't I? You'll have to forgive me. I don't think it's all completely sunk in yet, even though I've been working on it every day for the past couple of months (which have flown by way too quickly). I'm still getting used to the idea that I have an agent.

Anyway, the book is all about making the most of your seasonal bounty, whether it comes from your garden, a CSA subscription, the farmers' market, pick-your-own farms, or is dropped off on your doorstep by an undercover, overburdened neighbor when you're not at home. It's going to be published in spring 2010 and will cover canning, freezing, drying, and storing, along with my favorite ways to savor everything fresh—all using my Less Fuss, More Flavor methods and recipes. Of course there'll be plenty of growing tips and gardening talk, too.

It's exciting, it's fun, it's slightly terrifying, and it's big—which is why I'm hoping you'll help. Or, as my esteemed editor so eloquently put it, "Tell them you're writing this big-ass book and start soliciting input as soon as possible."

So what I'm going to do is start posting random questions, hopefully every day or two, over on my kitchen garden blog. They'll vary from wide open to quite specific, and will be for both gardeners and non-gardening foodies. Short replies, longwinded answers, and links to your own blog posts about the subject in question will all be welcome in the comments section of each post.

The first question is already up. I know many of you are gardeners (yay!), and I want to know more about your garden: How big is it, and how much food does it produce?

Thanks in advance for your help with this, and a huge thanks to all of you for the amazing support you've given me and Farmgirl Fare since I created it nearly four years ago. You've changed my life in so many ways and mean more to me than I can say. Thank you.

© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the busy foodie farm blog where things are going to get even crazier around here what with looming book deadlines and all, and although I'll still be posting recipes and photos on a regular basis (Meyer Lemon Scones or Confetti Egg Salad, anyone?), I figured I'd better (at least for now) take the 'daily' out of the Daily Dose of Cute series. My original plan was to actually post a Daily Dose of Cute every day, but for now they'll have to continue to be as they have been, more like every few days—though it's not for a lack of cuteness around here! Oh, and in case you're wondering, that pretty green grass didn't suddenly sprout up in the middle of February—these photos were taken last spring, but I was saving them for a really happy moment. This one definitely qualifies.

53 comments:

  1. The cookbook is exciting, of course. But those photos? PRICELESS.

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  2. We love our rabbit happy dance! Seeing how a lamb does it is adorable. We even see the neighborhood wild bunnies do the happy dance sometimes!

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  3. Oh I can't wait to buy your book!! I must admit, I've never made any of the recipes from this site (drooled over them, yes, but made, no) BUT All of the "Susan" recipes from A Year In Bread get HEAVY rotation in this house. (who knew pizza could be that good?? Or white bread??)

    I started vegetable gardening five years ago, and it has always just been a "dabbling" garden, in that I got a few really great meals out of it, I never gardened with the winter in mind. This year will be different, however, I am planning several new raised beds and planning to preserve food for the off season. My decision to expand actually wasn't based on the ecomony (although that doesn't hurt) I just figured that after all these years I should get my act together and really go for it.

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  4. I will SOOO miss the DAILY dose of cute! I looked forward to it every day, it really is a shot of happiness. Good lick with the cookbook, where we live, it's a very short growing time so most people have a little hor-house to get it going. Our days of HUGE gardens are over, but I wish for a small garden. If wishes were fishes, what am I saying, I hardly ever eat fish!

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  5. Well, who'da thunk? ;)
    Congratulations.

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  6. How wonderful, Susan, and I am sure it will be very beautiful as well as full of your incredible wisdom and way with words.
    It will be so much fun to be along on the journey with you.
    Love that happy dance.

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  7. I want a copy! Can't wait to see it. I will be checking in at your kitchen blog for sure. Your recipes always come across as straightforward and easy enough for anyone to do. I appreciate a simple cooking style using ingredients that are easily found in my pantry. Your bread baking techniques really work well and because of you I know what autolyse means! It's going to be fun to see what you come up with!

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  8. Well it's about time! Congratulations. And you should know that I had lamb this week and loved it. Thank you for letting me know just what I was missing.

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  9. OMG, I am so excited-- this is EXACTLY the kind of book I need!! We've had a steadily growing garden each year for the past 3 years, and this year have seven 4x8 raised beds. Last year we didn't get many tomatoes, but a good number of melons and were *swimming* in sweet and hot peppers. I would LOVE to have a better idea of how to deal with the extreme numbers of veggies that all ripen at the same time!

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  10. I love this blog! And I'm SO excited about your upcoming cookbook! I look forward to hearing more about your progress. :-)

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  11. Congratulations on the book! I will definitely buy it when it comes out! Yay!!!
    Blessings
    ~*~

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  12. I only just stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago and have been hooked ever since.
    You've also inspired me to finally put some vegies in my garden, something I've been wanting to do for ages.
    I was only just thinking yesterday "this girl should really write a cookbook". Congratulations, can't wait until 2010.

    Lauren

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  13. Just read the article in the March COUNTRY LIVING magazine and had to look up your blog. Delighted to see the lamb's happy dance. Wonderful. Um, as for cooking, well, I'm a corporate tech writer by day and freelancing journalist by night in St Louis and with the kids now out of the hosue, husband and I are more likely to do what's easy in the kitchen. Where we don't have or spend a lot of time. Except on Sundays!!!! I'm a pie fan.
    It's a delight to meet you; will stop by often, neighbor!

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  14. YAY! Another cookbook I will be able to add to my collection hehehe. Just pretty please do me a favour? Include metric measurements as well as imperial (or at least an easy reference conversion guide!) for us poor aussies :P

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  15. Congrats on the book! That's SO cool. Can't wait to see it and hear more about it. If any of the recipes are half as good as your Farmhouse White Bread, it'll be a hit!

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  16. I'm very happy to hear you are writing a cookbook! I'm all for "no fuss" canning methods. Looking forward to your book. Congratulation!

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  17. Congratulations! It must be so exciting!!!

    Debbie

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  18. Hey, good going Susan! I have never been disappointed by any of your recipes, so I know this will be a great cookbook. Congratulations! T.

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  19. Congratulations, good luck, and I understand your absorption -- but I do hope there will still be lambie photos when the season arrives.

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  20. Oh, sign me right up! I will be right in front to buy your cookbook.... I love the concept :-) And I've just put your other blog into my reader to be sure to see all your goodies

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  21. My current garden is 3 raised beds, 4x8' each. I typically get an insane amount of tomatoes, sugar snap peas (and I know you hate them, but they are really good), and just enough of the other veggies I plant. I use about 1/3 of the space to grow perennials from seed b/c I'm too cheap to pay $4 for a coneflower that I can grow myself for 4 cents.

    Please cover the importance of staggering your plantings. I learned the hard way that if you travel for work, and you plant all your peas at the same time then they will all be ready for picking during the 2 weeks you are in China. It was so sad & so frustrating!

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  22. Congrats on the new cookbook!!!
    I plan ( read cross your fingers ) on starting a garden this year AFTER I move the catch pen 100 feet, re-assemble it, convince the dogs and sheep that it's MOM's now and go thru the seed catalogs. If I measured correctly ( with the help of the 7 month old pup - his definition not mine ) it should be about 20' x 60'.
    I can use all the tips you've got.
    Again, CONGRATS.

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  23. Congratulations, Susan! Can't wait to buy it. I have been making your biscotti for the past 3years now...my family won't accept anything else. :)

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  24. So exciting. I live in an apartment, so my garden isn't as big as my dreams or my appetite. I usually have a few container tomato plants and multiple herbs. I'd love to try potatoes in a barrel...

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  25. Horray for you! Congratulations! I can't wait until it comes out.

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  26. I think you know I'm always up for putting in my two cents. Congrats on the book! And I'll be sure to keep my replies PG.

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  27. Congratulations and I hope you will share your experiences...successes and roadblocks along the way.

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  28. While the cookbook news is grand and I congratulate you, the little sheep dancing till its too pooped to pop is adorablly grand!

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  29. Awesome news--I'm making space for it on my book shelves now!

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  30. Happy dance over here too, at your great news--congrats! Good luck with the writing, can't wait to have a copy for my collection:-)

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  31. Congratulations!! So well deserved.

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  32. Yay! Finally! I can't wait - you know I've been pestering you for eons - and I'm doing that Happy Dance for you all the way over here in NH! Congratulations! (love that dancing lamb!)

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  33. Very happy and excited for you! I hope you enjoy the process and the fruits of your labor. Wishing you much success with your cookbook project!

    I have a small garden, just what I use most often: tomatoes, herbs, carrots, radishes, eggplant, that sort of thing. I also have a stand of blueberry bushes and a strawberry bed. This year, I'll probably give bush cucumbers a shot and maybe Brussels sprouts. I'd love to do lettuces but our resident ground hog is way too hungry.

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  34. Yippee. I can't wait to read and USE your cookbook.

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  35. Congrats on your Cookbook!!

    I grew up in the Midwest, and sure like viewing your photos :) They bring back a lot of good memories for me!

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  36. Congratulations!! I'm so excited for you! And, I can't wait to order one!

    Love your pictures and love your stories of the farm. I'm waiting for your book!

    Take care,
    D'Ann

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  37. Congratulations! I will definitely buy your book. I hope it has pictures of all your cute farm animals, too.

    I only do a bit of container gardening- herbs, tomatoes, hot peppers. I have wanted to get a CSA for a couple years now, but I'm terrified of having a huge amount of kale or swiss chard dropped off and going, "Well, how am I going to use all this up?" I think a section on canning and freezing would be awesome.

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  38. Congrats on the book! I can't wait to buy it. I'm sure when its finished you will be doing the happy dance. :)

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  39. I've been away too long, congrats on the cookbook, that's a dream of mine too! I can't wait to see it! I'll be answering your questions for sure!

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  40. yea! Its about time - I always thought you should write a cookbook!

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  41. Congrats! That's fantastic!!!

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  42. Well I did know about it, but still this is my "official" congratulations! Very exciting news indeed.

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  43. Congrats on the cookbook deal, Susan! I can always rely on your blog to put a smile on my face. Just love the lambie today.

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  44. Congratulations on the Cookbook. I'll be anxiously awaiting updates on it's progress.

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  45. Congrats, FG! Hooray! I'm now inspired to get to work on my own book...which isn't nearly as tasty an idea as a cookbook. :-) Can't wait to read it--I'll for sure buy it when it comes out! :-)

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  46. Hey Susan! I just saw the article in March Country Living too! Great spread, pictures and all. Congratulations.

    Congrats on the cookbook too. I look forward to seeing it.

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  47. YAY!!! How fun!!! The next year is going to go by so slowly waiting for your new cookbook!

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  48. I can't wait to read your cookbook.
    Your recipes - and the stories - are just terrific. You really capture a certain rustic lifestyle.

    And the sheep - oh, so precious!

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  49. This is pretty cool since I JUST decided I needed a cookbook to make the most of my garden produce for myself and I am not one to make a big fuss with my produce, usually opting to use it in its most basic form. I have loved your recipes and your process for using what you grow.
    I can't wait for the printing!

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  50. Yay for you!!!

    This is the first year I'll have a vegetable garden, a real one that's more than tomatoes. We'll see how it goes...

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  51. This is almost spooky. I was just thinking, maybe ten minutes ago, that I needed a book like that. And here you are, writing it for me! Thanks! :)

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  52. Wonderful - I look forward to it.

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December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!

Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.

I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!