Tasty Tuesday: Fruit Substitute

I love recipes that include fruit. Sunmaid.com has hundreds of recipes using raisins - but raisins are so boring! Next time you find a fabulous recipe, try substituting any Red Barn dried fruit instead for a new tangy twist! We currently carry dried cherries, blueberries, and cranberries for such purposes. Try them plain, chocolate covered, or yogurt smothered. You can't go wrong!

Tasty Tuesday: Giant Turnovers

Nothing beats a warm dessert on a cold day! Here is a recipe for a giant fruit turnover, big enough to share!

Ingredients:

1 lb (total) apples and pears, peeled and cored
1/4 dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped nuts
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (about 8 1/2 oz)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. Cut fruit into small cubes. Toss with cherries, nuts, sugar, bread crumbs, and cinnamon
2. Don't unfold pastry, but roll it into a 14 inch square on parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon filling onto bottom half of dough, leaving at least an inch border to close the turnover. Wet the edges with water, fold over and seal the edges with a fork. Brush the top with beaten egg. Prick turnover in 3 places.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

All of the fruit for this recipe can be found at The Red Barn. You can also buy a fruit corer/slicer/peeler there as well!

Recipe by Dorie Greenspan.

Free Class Schedule

Our free class schedule for the year is still being finalized, but we do have a time and date for our first class, How to Use Grain. This class will be held at the Barn on January 29th, at 10 a.m.

Tasty Tuesday: Oatmeal Ad-Ins

Here's a recipe to keep you warm in the cold month of January - oatmeal ad-ins. Just make your favorite oatmeal, and start creating. Here's two ideas to get you started.

1. Apple Pie a la Mode

apple chunks, graham crackers, vanilla yogurt, cinnamon, and oatmeal

2. Cherry Chocolate Crunch

Red Barn dried cherries, dark chocolate chips (or Red Barn dark chocolate cherries), almonds, brown sugar, and oatmeal.

After this you'll never want plain oatmeal again!

Happy New Year

I can't believe 2010 has already come and gone! Here at The Red Barn we have many new and exciting products and events planned for our customers. We thank you all for your business. May you have a safe and happy new year!

As a reminder, we will be closed January 1st, 2011 to celebrate! We will reopen January 2, 2011 with our new winter hours, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Tasty Tuesday: Cherry Granola Bars

For today's recipe tip, I wanted to suggest trying cherries or cranberries in your favorite raisin recipes. Cherries are high in antioxidants and add a powerful flavor punch to jazz up any old recipe you have on hand! Red Barn dried cherries are also great in oatmeal, cookies, and home made granola recipes.

Homemade Granola Bars

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter
3 tsp vanilla

3 cups krispie rice cereal
3 cups other cereals {I used 1.5 cups of two different kinds}
3 cups quick cooking oats
4 TBSP flax
1 1/2 Red Barn cherries (or other dried fruit)
3/4 cup chocolate chips {optional}

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, leaving out the chocolate chips. Line a large jelly roll pan with foil and spray the foil lightly with non-stick spray.

Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, honey and salt in a saucepan. Heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and add in vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until smooth.

Pour over the cereal/ oat mixture and stir until combined. If you're adding chocolate chips, I suggest waiting about 5 minutes, until it's cooled slightly, then add them in. {I was in a time crunch here, so I just added them. They melted slightly, but it worked out just fine!}

Once mixed well, transfer to the foil-lined pan. Spread mixture evenly, pressing firmly with the back end of a spoon or your hand. I just take one of those little sandwich baggies and put it on my hand, then spray the bag with cooking spray and use my hand to press the mixture in. It's very effective and no clean up as you just discard the bag!

Cool completely before cutting. I stick the whole tray in the freezer for an hour or two. Once cut, you can individually bag them and store them in the freezer.

Enjoy!

These also make great neighborhood gifts, as well as snacks for the kids while they are home form school. Recipe provided by Jessica Williams.

Tasty Tuesday: New Arrivals

Instead of a recipe today, I wanted to share with you some information about some of our new tasty arrivals! We are now selling decadent hand dipped chocolates, sure to please crowds of all ages. Along with those, we have a new line of chocolate covered fruits. As far as our produce goes, we now have citrus fruit available. I love the freshness of the citrus fruit at The Red Barn! Apples and oranges make great stocking stuffers, and our holiday packed apples make perfect gifts for neighbors and co-workers. If you would like a customized fruit basket, we are more than willing to help you with those as well! Though not edible, we also have a new line of nativity sets and Christmas ornaments to complete your holiday decorating. We are still open 9 am to 9 pm, Monday through Saturday, so come on it and check us out!