Our Favorite Family Recipes

Here you will find a collection of our favorite family recipes, all using produce that we grow. Many of the recipes have been handed down for generations in our family. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

Aunt Jani's Backyard Apple Tree Cake

2 cups wholewheat flour
¼ cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups peeled, cored and diced tart apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs beaten

Mix flour, wheat germ, soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Set aside. In large bowl, combine apples, sugar, oil, walnuts, eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture into apple mixture and blend well. Turn into greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.

Frosting: Combine ½ cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 8-oz package cream cheese and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Pour over hot cake.

Nani's Apple Crisp

½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
4 cups apples cored and sliced
¼ cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
2 or 3 handfuls of oats

Placed sliced apples in a 8" x 8" buttered dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Add water. Mix sugar, butter and flour together. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

Sunday Supper Apple Pie

6 to 8 medium tart pie apples (peeled, cored & sliced)
¾ cup to 1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
2 tbsp butter
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
1 prepared 9" two crust pie shell

Place sliced apples into mixing bowl. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon and add to apples. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until all apples are coated with mixture. Fill a prepared 9" pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Slice vents and flute edges. Bake in oven at 400° for 45 - 50 minutes until top crust is golden brown and juice bubbles through the vents. Part way through you might want to make an aluminum foil ring and loosely mold around outer edge of crust to prevent over browning.

Becky's Butternut Enchiladas

1 large Butternut squash cooked and mashed
1 stick butter
2 ears of corn roasted and kernels removed from cob
(you may substitute 1-½ cups cooked frozen corn)
1 heavy pinch cumin powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 dozen corn tortillas
green taco sauce
sour cream
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Roast corn ears and remove kernels. Cook and mash the Butternut squash. Place it in a saucepan with one stick of butter. Add the corn and seasonings. Heat thoroughly. Heat the oil in a skillet and lightly cook the corn tortillas. Spoon hot squash mixture into corn tortillas. Roll / fold into thirds with seams underneath. Top with a drizzle of green taco sauce and garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Serve warm.

Great Grandma Helen's Squash Pie

2 cups cooked and mashed Pink Banana squash
¾ cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tps ginger
2 cups milk
2 9-inch unbaked pie crust shells

Preheat oven to 450° . Mix squash, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Beat with an egg beater. Add the milk and beat until well mixed. Pour into two 9 - inch shells. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes and then turn heat down to 325° for 30 - 40 minutes. Bake until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Old Fashioned Punkin' Pie

2 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin
¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cloves
1-2/3 cups milk or light cream
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust shell

Preheat oven to 425° . Beat eggs slightly with mixer. Add and beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Bake until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and serve with whip cream.

Trail Ready Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp oil (corn, sunflower)
1 tbsp butter (or margarine)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1-2 tsp salt

Separate the seeds from pumpkin pulp. Don't wash them, just pull the fibers and excess pulp off. In a bowl coat seeds with oil, butter, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Spread and bake on a baking sheet at 225° F until seeds are golden, crisp and dry, about 1 hour. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Cool and enjoy!

Lazy Evening Pumpkin Soup

1 cup cream
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed
1- ½ tbsp melted butter
1- ½ tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
dash of pepper

Combine milk, onions and bay leaf in saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil. Strain, then combine strained ingredients with chicken broth and mashed pumpkin (save the milk). In a separate pan, make a roux by combining the butter and flour and cooking over low heat for 5 minutes. Add milk mixture to roux slowly and whisk until the soup is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to bring out the flavors.

Harvest Time Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup flour
½ cup quick oats
½ cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp Wheat germ
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup softened butter
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup cooked mashed pumpkin
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup raisins

Combine flour, oats, coconut, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Cream butter and sugars in large mixer bowl. Add egg and vanilla, beat until fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Spread with metal spatula to 3/8” thickness. Bake in 350° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool on racks. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Fall Bounty Pumpkin Bread

3 cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin
1 cup raisons
1 cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350° . Grease a 10 inch fluted tube pan or two 8 x 4 loaf pans with unsalted shortening and dust with flour. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl put sugar, oil and eggs and stir until blended. Stir pumpkin into egg mixture. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients to egg mixture, stirring well after each addition. Fold raisins and nuts into batter. Pour batter in pans. Bake 1-¼ hours (For loaf pans, decrease by 15 minutes.) Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Freezes well.

Yummy Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
½ cups cooked mashed pumpkin
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine Bisquick, brown sugar and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Mandy's Magic Pumpkin Pie

1 unbaked pie shell
2 cups pumpkin
1 (15 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated!)
1 egg
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
¾ tsp cinnamon

Blend together and pour into pie shell. Bake at 375° F for 50 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.