Saturday, February 11
10am- 12pm

Crabtree’s Joel Houser will teach you how to construct, plant, maintain and care for a raised bed garden, as well as answer any questions you have about this gardening technique.

Raised beds can be a good option for urban gardeners, especially if you have any concerns about the health and safety of your soil. They can also improve drainage, help control soil quality, and make your garden more easily accessible.

Cost is $10 for public,  Members are FREE

Please RSVP to ajaeger@crabtreefarms.org by February 7, 2012.

We’ll be offering another 1-day long workshop next spring for anyone interested.

Click here for more information!

Come and learn how to build a rain barrel!  You will be able to collect rainwater from your gutters that can be used to water your spring garden.

The cost  is free for members, only $10  for non-members.

To sign-up, or for more information, contact Andrea Jaeger: (423) 493-9155, x13 or ajaeger@crabtreefarms.org

The workshop is limited to 10 people and filling up fast, so sign up today!

Mark your calendar for this two-day event, happening on Saturday, April 21st from 8am until 3pm , and Sunday, April 22nd from 11am to 3pm.

Crabtree Farms will be selling a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and flowering plants for your edible spring garden. You can find many special varieties of heirloom tomato plants, as well as blackberry and blueberry bushes! Local artisans will also be selling plants, food, arts, and hand-crafted goods.

We will once again be offering free workshops during both days of the plant sale. The full schedule of workshops will be available in March.

Click here for more details

Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 pastry dough round, chilled (see below)
1 cup sugar
Dash of lemon juice
2 to 3 medium baking apples, such as Cortland or Rome (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
Creme fraiche, for serving (optional)

Pastry dough:
6 ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
Ice water

Directions:

For pastry dough, cut cold butter into flour and salt until the largest chunks of butter are the size of a pea. Drizzle with ice water until it just comes together to form a shaggy heap, cover with plastic wrap and form into a disk, refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch metal pie plate; set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 9-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Place dough on the prepared baking sheet, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, 2 tablespoons cold water, and the lemon juice to form a thick syrup. Bring to a boil over high heat, swirling pan; cook until the mixture turns medium amber, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and pour the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Immediately add the butter, distributing evenly.
Arrange the apples, rounded sides down, around the bottom of the pan in a circular pattern, starting from the outside and working in, fitting them as close together as possible (the apples will be the top of the tart when served). Drape the chilled dough round over the apples to cover the mixture completely.
Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean nonstick baking mat. Remove the tart from the oven, and immediately invert onto the mat *(or just use a serving plate), working quickly but carefully to avoid contact with the hot caramel. Using tongs, carefully lift the pie plate off of the tart. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with creme fraiche, if using.

We were so surprised that so many friends and neighbors of Crabtree Farms came out to the Bonfire last Friday!

We enjoyed a delicious chili made by Crabtree’s director, Joel Houser, sipped hot Velo coffee and warm apple cider from Fairmount Orchard, and enjoyed tasty bread  from Niedlov’s Bakery. Thanks to Pie Contest judges, John Sweet and Andrew Gage for donating the bread and the coffee!

The Pie Contest was also a huge success!  10 pies were entered, and the winner was Mary Ferris with her amazing Apple Tarte Tatin. Good job, Mary!

Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for upcoming events!

Click here to learn more!