My view from the back porch at 8 a.m., March 2, 2020,

March  tortures  us  who  live in the wind with hands in the soil.  December, January, and February offer the gleaming, icy wonders of cold.   Snow camouflages  the broken, brown landscape of too much winter in Nebraska.  March melting exposes winter’s  damage and adds its own annoyance – abrupt and senseless variations in temperature, precipitation, wind speed and cloud cover.

We watch the sky because it stages a daily drama often breathtaking in its intent to challenge us.     I’m weary of it by March and anxious for  blue sky and peaceful days in the sun and definitely a change of wardrobe.  I want out of corduroy pants and my stretched-out, faded long sleeves t’s and into linen and sandals.

The “soothing remedy” for me in March needs to be low-lift – simple food preparation – and nourishing and a bit salty and creamy with a crunch.  See The March Cauliflower Mash recipe below:

Taste the Back Alley Bakery chef’s original and savory recipe at the Back Alley Bakery in Hastings, NE where you may also pick-up jars of Spicy Beery Mustard and Buzz Savories Honey Mustard   http://www.backalleybakery.com

My soothing remedy for the “vagaries” of March – The March Cauliflower Mash

 I gather sweet, ripe grapefruit, lemons, oranges and limes and avocados, and peel and slice, plate with avocado slices and spritz a section of fresh lime overall then a grind fresh black pepper.

The March Cauliflower Mash Soup with croutons and a Grapefruit/Orange/Avocado salad – A Feast to deter March Madness!

Cauliflower Mash–Simple eating, low-lift , satisfying soup

I will redeem March for staging the miracle days of the crane and snow geese migration!  The experience of tilting my face to the skies  to watch wave after wave of shining snows on the their journey to the grain cupboards in Central Nebraska  thrills me every spring in Central Nebraska.  The patterns they weave in the sky knit and unravel with no beginnings and no ends.

Come see and hear and marvel at hundreds of thousands of this brilliant white goose crowding the skies of Central Nebraska.  And listen!

 March Drama

Dancers flash and whirl across a stormy stage

Like white feather fans they fold and drop

With a gusty roar,  North wind whirls into the scene

And tosses the shining sky-divers against a purple sky

In the eternal drama between light and dark

The hardy actors slide in the powerful currents,

 Defying winter, each bird rolls, flaps, and touches earth

The  stage empties, and clouds drift in a pale sky

Buy your Buzz Savories mustard at these businesses:

  http://www.amazon.com

GROW Nebraska

http://www.buynebraska.com

Fritzs’ Meat Market

1304 4th Ave, Holdrege, NE 68949
308-995-8121

Oxford Locker at Kearney
105 West 11^th St., Kearney, NE 68847
308-455-3078

Elwood Co-op
304 Smith Ave., Elwood, NE 68937
308-785-2182

H&J Grocery & Beverage
101 N Main St., Eustis, NE 69028
308-486-3251

Rustic & Red
139 8th St., Cozad, NE 69130
308-784-3200

Knowlen & Yates
315 Norris Ave., McCook 69001
308-345-4848

Fareway Meats
3033 S 84th St., Lincoln, NE 68506
402-486-6611

Leon’s Gourmet Grocer
2200 Winthrop Rd., Lincoln, NE 68502
402-488-2307

Gifts & Things
505 West Ave., Holdrege, NE 68949
308-995-4300

See recipes and “comments from the field” at http://www.BuzzSavoriesllc.com

The GROW Nebraska® Foundation helps entrepreneurs get the resources they need to live in Anywhere, NE and make a sustainable living. Since the inception of GROW

Nebraska® in 1998 our vision and mission has never wavered: to create viable economic development through business training, technical assistance, promotion, and access to

markets. We create impactful opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to live in “Anywhere

Buzz Savories benefits from our membership in  GROW Nebraska, and may I introduce the Buzz Savories Mustard Mavens to the GROWNebraska rich and accessible shopping experiences either at the store front in Kearney and/or their handy website http://www.buynebraska.com

I shop for made-in-Nebraska gift items, specialty foods like Buzz Savories Mustard and t-shirts and jewels and the curious and exotic.  Stop in the storefront or visit the GROWNebraska e-commerce site.

Gather Together & Feast

T

We are united by a love for appetizing food.”

Edward Espe Brown

And In light of 2020 and feeling  hope that all beings may be happy, healthy and free from suffering, I suggest we invite friends, family, neighbors, colleagues for a tapas only party.  Tapas on the buffet or the patio or  the campfire or the kitchen table, on the floor, in a box, with a fox.

A sensational tapa arrived in my in-box that I will share with you. Thank you http://www.maille.com for the recipe. and see my riff of Smoked Salmon, Spicy Beer Mustard Crostini.

Ultimate taste

Print

Smoked Salmon, Spicy Beer Mustard Crostini

Smoked Salmon and Spicy Beer Mustard Crostini happily takes the center piece of the tapas table because it looks colorful, hearty and delicious, and it is! Add a bowl of olives and pickles and call it enough or go for summer sausage, etc. Keep it simple, I think.

Feel free to half or quarter the recipe depending on the number of guests. I make it 2 hours before the guests arrive and serve the crostini at room temperature.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

What You'll Need:

• 1 baguette sour dough or French slice a fresh baguette in 3/4 inch slices
• 1 lb. smoked salmon
• ¼ cup dill finely chopped
• ¼ cup chives finely chopped
• ¼ cup capers sliced in half
• ¼ cup caviar
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup cream cheese
• 1 Tb. Spicy Beer Mustard
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup butter or olive oil
• 1 squeeze container sour cream

How To Prepare:

Preparing the crostini

• slice baguette into 3/4 inch slices
  
• spread butter or olive oil on top and bottom of each slice
• heat a heavy stainless steel skillet or black iron skillet to medium heat and toast the crostini on both top and flip to toast the underside, toast to a light caramel color. Watch the process with care because quickly they can get too dark
  
• cool on a sheet pan

Spicy Beer Mustard Sauce

• Combine Spicy Beer Mustard, salt, cream cheese and mayonnaise and mix well
  

Herbal toppings

• select one or all of the toppings: dill, chives, capers, caviar - If you acquire caviar, forget the chives, dill and capers. Let the caviar glow in the spotlight.
  
• finely chop the dill and the chives, keep separate
  
• slice the capers in half
• caviar is sensational but optional

Assembly

• spread the dressing on each crostini
• add generous amount of smoked salmon to each crostini
• top with a squeeze of sour cream or several dots of sour cream
• choose the toppings or toppings you prefer, then top each crostini with either dill, chives, capers, or caviar
  

Fritz’s Meats

Please see one of Central Nebraska’s most popular businesses – Fritz’s Meats in Holdrege, NE, a family owned business.

  Customers travel hundreds of miles to buy Fritz’s meats, fish, poultry, sausages,brats, sauces, Village Piemaker Pies, Spicy Beer Mustard and Buzz Savories Honey Mustard,  and more fine foods.  When Central Nebraska people gather, they usually  begin their planning at Fritz’s

Thank all of you for reading and commenting and placing Buzz Savories mustards on your condiment shelf.  I appreciate you and feel loads of gratitude for the challenge that starting a food business offers me and for the pleasure of communicating with many of you, Mustard Mavens.

I will be away from the newsletter site for most of January to launch a new product – Buzz Savories Honey!  And write a USDA grant to better tell the story and perfect “HA” – I mean develop a credible business plan!

See and hear from you in 2020.  Betty Anne

Congratulations Andy Ohlson-  Winner of the Buzz Savories Honey Mustard Recipe Contest

Andy Ohlson – cook extraordinaire  with a magical flair for fun – designed a pizza featuring Buzz Savories Honey Mustard.

On a snowy November Monday, we celebrated each contestant with a bake-off, and by a show of hands reaching for more, Andy’s pizza won.  Hands Up!

See Andy’s recipe for Chicago Dog Pizza below:

Are we talking New Year’s Eve appetizers?

Chicago Dog Pizza + friends is a recipe for Celebration!

Fine!  then let’s add a 100 % Beeswax candle to kindly light the way into  2020!

http://www.amazon.com  search for Buzz Savories Beeswax Candles and buy your at Rustic and Red Gifts in Cozad http://www.rusticandred  -Gifts and Things, Holdrege  http://www.giftsandthingsholdregene.com – Lost Way Brewery, Holdrege http://www.lostwaybrewery.com – Oxford Locker at Kearney http://www.oxfordlocker-kearney.com,

From Nebraska Gifts  http://www.fromne.com

Where to purchase all natural candle to light your path in 2020?

http://www.amazon.com  search for Buzz Savories Beeswax Candles and buy yours at Rustic and Red Gifts in Cozad http://www.rusticandred  -Gifts and Things, Holdrege  http://www.giftsandthingsholdregene.com – Lost Way Brewery, Holdrege http://www.lostwaybrewery.com – Oxford Locker at Kearney http://www.oxfordlocker-kearney.com,
From Nebraska Gifts  http://www.fromne.com

Meet Mustard Merchants Dyette and David  Bailey,  gift shop  Wizards in Central Nebraska.

Thank Dyette and David Bailey who lead the way for a store “With Something for Everyone” and every age and with nearly every interest.  I linger long among the table linens and kitchen ware.  Dyette and David  select  products that last long, many well known brands, and at reasonable prices.  Baby gifts, cards, children’s games and puzzles, fine China, crystal, modern pewter, photo frames, bar keep products, Husker memorabilia and so much more. See the website and order online.

http://giftsandthingsholdregene.com

PEACE, PROSPERITY AND PURPOSE FOR ALL IN 2020

Buy Buzz Savories Mustards http://Buzzsavoriesllc.com  and click the Amazon button.

Search for Buzz Savories Honey Mustard 2-pack
Buzz Savories Honey Mustard – 6 pack
Spicy Beer Mustard – 2 pack
Spicy Beer Mustard – 6 pack
Buzz Savories 100% Beeswax Candle

Also see a listing of Mustard Merchants in Nebraska and recently The Corner in LaJolla, California at http://www.B

The Season for Greeting and Giving  inspires memories of my mother, Betty Best mixing, kneading, baking and giving  loaves of Swedish Rye Bread to friends, neighbors, and family.  Swedish Rye, a tender, slightly sweet and slightly savory bread provides a satisfying  breakfast, toasted and spread with butter and chokecherry jelly or accompanied with scrambled eggs.  Then atreat for lunch – a ham sandwich, or an open-faced grilled ham and cheese, or simply slice and eat!

Photo below by Michelle McCormick

See a photo of my mother supervising a pre-Easter egg coloring activity with her twin great granddaughters.  Mother now is now 103 years of living.

.

Why Swedish?

The maternal side of her heritage, her grandparents Anna and Frank Johnson immigrated to America’s shores from Smaland, Sweden in the late 1800’s. The couple  met in Illinois where they both were working to pay the costs of passage from Sweden to the U.S.

Anna at age 16 worked for the John Deere family in Moline, Illinois where she served as a cook in the household, and although already proficient in the culinary arts she acquired new skills and recipes that she carried with her to their final destination, Holdrege, Nebraska.

Her original rye bread recipe requires too much time (24 hours from start to finish)  and is too complex and way too sticky for me to describe it to you, (and I admit I have never made an edible version of Great Grandmother Johnson”s Swedish Rye although I tried).

In place of my family’s Swedish Rye Bread recipe, I came across a Swedish Rye Bread recipe that replicates it mostly.  I quickly learned to make it, and I know you can too!

Why rye flour?

Rye grows in poor soils and cold climates with long winters, thereby rye breads commonly eaten in Scandinavia, Canada,  Russia, the Baltic Region.  The grain provides soluble fiber,  Vitamin E, calcium, iron, and potassium.  Because rye berries are harder to refine than wheat, they retain more of their nutrients.  Rye berries are significantly lower in gluten than wheat, and speaks toward the necessity to mix the rye flour and an All-Purpose wheat flour..

Why Swedish rye flour version?

Most rye flours are designed for dark rye and more coarse- textured rye breads than this Swedish version.  Swedish Rye flour appears  light brown in color and with  a fine, powdery feel to it.  Swedish Rye Bread weighs less  than the Russian Rye, tastes sweeter and  more tender.  I suggest ordering this specific Swedish rye flour from Kat’s Korner Market in Axtell, Nebraska.  Telephone:  308 743 2434.

They will send the lighter version of rye flour that this rye bread kneads (pun intended).  I located the correct rye flour on Amazon grocery although seems it can only be purchased in amounts of 30 lbs.!

Why make it?

• Mixing, kneading, and baking yeast bread lifts me up and out of the tiresome details of everyday and takes me away to the sacred place of the bread bakers in all of time.

• Mixing, making, kneading, baking  bread connects me with my ancestors from 100 years to 1,000 years past.  I imagine the ancient ones harvesting  the grains and pounding them into flours and mixing  with water (or probably beer) and the wild yeasts in the clay pot, and baking the dough  in ovens made of rocks and clay and hot stones.

• Then for a person like me who lives mostly in her head, writing and planning,  making bread connects my hands with my brain and my shoulders with my hands, and I feel like a complete person while engaged in the bread making process.

• Bread-making is practiced wherever grains grow, and I consider it a useful skill and a delicious, edible art.

• Bread made in your home with your hands and your wooden spoon gives pleasure and wonder wherever it is served.

• Wholesome, and greatly entertaining process

How much time does it require?

I schedule myself 3 hours at- home-time when I bake this recipe of rye bread. I’m actually hands-on processing the recipe no more than 60 minutes and the remaining 120 minutes involve time when the bread is  rising and baking.

Photo by Photographer, Don Brockmeier

Please meet Jessica Kraus, a Mustard Merchant at their family business, Lost Way Brewery in Holdrege, NE.  http://www.Lostwaybrewery.com

Upon first taste of the original Buzz Savories Spicy Beer Mustard, Mark Kraus, Jessica’s husband and President of the Lost Way Corporation  said, “Lost Way’s brew, Olde Creamery Stout is the beer this recipe needs to taste better than the rest.”    Spicy Beer Mustard and Olde Creamery Stout  partnered from that day onward.  Luxurious beers, Buzz Savories Mustard, 100 % Beeswax Candles and curious conversations occur every day at Lost Way.

And..Olde Creamery Stout plays a starring role in the elegant Swedish Rye Bread recipe that you see above:

Lost Way Brewery, 613 3rd Ave., Holdrege, NE 68949   tele:  308 995 0503

Make Swedish Rye Bread and eat lots of Buzz Savories mustards and I wish

PEACE, PROSPERITY AND PURPOSE FOR ALL IN 2020

Winter creeps into December as Autumn leaves (pun intended) in November.

Harvest is complete, and the heaps and mounds and mountains of field corn, the primary Nebraska crop, were augured into the towering grain elevators and miles of Burlington Northern & Santa Fe grain cars.

November’s rich bronze and burgundy colors faded, the crisp sounds of crunchy leaves and the woody smell of dried grasses peaked, and.now I turn to winter squash  for vibrant color and  mellow, earthy  flavors.

A winter squash roast honors the end of autumn and the privilege of living in a farming community where harvest time claims its own season.

Winter squash keeps for months in my cool basement.

I invest in a variety of winter squash at farmer’s markets and the all-year Nebraska Food Coop http://www.nebraskafood.org.

Growers show off their heirloom varieties –  Honeybaby,  butternut, delucatam,  candystick, heirloom acorn, buttercup, winter sweet organic kabochared.

Buy a winter squash in October,  store it in a cool, dry place, and it will save itself until March or later.

Grab a new to you squash recipe and enjoy squash’s rich flavor, nutrient value, fiber and ease of cooking.

I discovered the recipe that follows on http://www.maille.com  

I thank them and see my riff on their original recipe that follows:

Any size or variety of winter squash works for this recipe.  I especially like the flavor and rustic design from the scoring and the glaze.  Find your pizza cutter or a sharp, small knife to make the hatch marks on the surface of the squash.

Use greens of your choice.  If Swiss Chard or Kale are available, slice the leaves in ribbons for easy cooking.  Spinach takes only minutes to cook down.

I like a variety of rice for this dish.  Combine black, tan, brown rice,  or if unavailable a brown rice cooked according to package directions will taste great too.

Print

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Grains and Winter Greens

Winter squash recipe that may be a meal in itself or a luxurious side

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• roasting pan, pizza cutter

What You'll Need:

• 2 medium Butternut Squash or other winter squash of choice clear out the cavities
• 1 Tb. unsalted butter melted (or olive oil)
• 1 Tb. maple syrup
• 1 Tb. Spicy Beer Mustard or Buzz Savories Honey Mustard
• 1 Tb. kosher salt

FILLING

• 2 Tb. olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion finely diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 med. garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
• 3 cups winter greens (kale, chard, spinach) chopped
• 2 ½ cups cooked rice (mix of brown, black, red or white) or farro ( cook according to directions on the package
• 1 Tb. Spicy Beer Mustard
• 3 oz. Feta Cheese
• ½ cup white wine or chicken stock or water
• 1 Tb. Rice Wine Vinegar
• 3 oz. Feta Cheese

How To Prepare:

• 

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425 Degrees and set a rack in the middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
  
• Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, score the flesh of the squash in diagonal cuts, about an inch apart, in both directions. Be care not to cut through the skin.
  
• In a small bowl, mix together the butter, maple syrup, Spicy Beer Mustard or Buzz Savories Honey Mustard, salt and a few grinds of pepper
  
• Place the squash halves, cut side up on the baking sheet and spread with the glaze. Roast until tender, 40-45 minutes for Butternut squash and 25-30 minutes for honeynut squash. It should be quite soft when pricked with a fork.

FILLING

• Set a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and the onion and season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally until the onions start to soften, about 4 minutes.
• Add the winter greens and vinegar and wine or stock or water. Cook stirring until greens are wilted and tender.
• Add in the cooked rice or the farro, Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
• Lower oven temperature to 350 Degrees. Stuff the grain mixture into the bowls of the squash, heaping it, as needed - I fit nearly 1/4 in each cavity. Serve extra filling on the side. Top with crumbled Feta Cheese and bake until everything is hot and the cheese browns a little. Serve hot or at room temperature.

BUZZ SAVORIES RETAIL

Please meet Sean Jenkins, Oxford Locker at Kearney.  Stop by to taste Sean’s smoked jerky and sausages, buy fresh and especially high quality steaks, pork chops, roasts – all cut and wrapped as you like.  His meats and seasonings and of course, Buzz Savories mustards rate 5 stars in flavor, quality and cut.  Sean’s passion for the meat cutting business shows in his customer service and interest in responding to his customer’s questions about best choices and preparations for his quality products. Sean always has a smile and a story.

Mustard Merchant Photos by Photographer, Don Brockmeier

I thank the Following  Businesses for featuring Buzz Savories Mustards.  Buy here or Amazon.com

Lost Way Brewery

614 3rd Ave, Holdrege, NE 68949

308-991-1795

Fritzs’ Meat Market
1304 4th Ave, Holdrege, NE 68949
308-995-8121

Oxford Locker
105 West 11^th St., Kearney, NE 68847
308-455-3078

Elwood Co-op
304 Smith Ave., Elwood, NE 68937
308-785-2182

H&J Grocery & Beverage
101 N Main St., Eustis, NE 69028
308-486-3251

Rustic & Red
139 8th St., Cozad, NE 69130
308-784-3200

 

Corner Store
8080 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037
858-246-6294

Fareway Meats
3033 S 84th St., Lincoln, NE 68506
402-486-6611

Knowlen & Yates
315 Norris Avenue McCook, NE 69001
308-345-4848

Wohlner’s Neighborhood Grocery & Deli
3253 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68131
402-551-6875

Gather Together & Feast

Continue reading How Stuffed Sweet Peppers Kickoff the Holiday Season