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00:00Baby.
00:00It's pretty good.
00:02Huge, eggy and bready bacon frittata focaccia sandwiches.
00:06They're the ultimate BFF.
00:07Get it?
00:08Because bacon frittata focaccia.
00:11With spicy kimchi mac and cheese on the side.
00:13This almost makes me want to sit on a tractor all night long,
00:17harvesting beets.
00:18And super duper drinkable broccolini cannellini
00:21soup on the other side.
00:25Then for dessert, I'm hosting a bake-off for the farmers.
00:28Mayan tree, chocolate combine cookies filled
00:31with all the best sweet and salty snacks imaginable.
00:35Feed Harvest Bake Off, here I come.
00:39Look at these beauties.
00:41Hey, this is me, Molly A. This is my husband, Nick.
00:45This is our growing family.
00:47And this is our farm on the North Dakota, Minnesota border.
00:49The place where I eat, sleep, and breathe food.
00:58It's beet harvest, so I am whipping up some fantastic farm
01:03lunches for Nick and me, of course.
01:06But first, I'm hosting a bake-off between the non-farmers
01:09in the workshop.
01:10And for that, I am entering with my combine cookies, which
01:13are thick and chocolatey and filled with all of the tastiest
01:17bites of my kitchen sink dreams.
01:20I'm pretty sure I have this bake-off in the bag.
01:23I'll start by melting one cup of unsalted butter.
01:25I love starting chocolate chip cookies with melted butter
01:29because it yields a super dense, chewy cookie,
01:32which I just love.
01:34I'm using a combination of one cup of light brown sugar
01:37and half a cup of granulated sugar.
01:40I'll pour in my melted butter and give it a whisk.
01:43Another thing that's nice about using melted butter
01:45as opposed to softened butter is that you don't have to get
01:47the stand mixer out.
01:48These can all come together in one bowl.
01:50I'll whisk this around to combine the butter and the sugar.
01:53And I also want the butter to cool a little bit more
01:56before I add the eggs because I don't want to cook the eggs
01:58when I crack them in.
02:00I'm going to address the tractor in the room,
02:01which is that I'm calling these combine cookies
02:04because a combine is a big piece of farm machinery.
02:07But I'm still learning my farm equipment.
02:10And you don't use a combine at all during the beet growing
02:13process.
02:14You use it for wheat.
02:15But I love alliteration, hence combine cookie.
02:19I wasn't going to call these beetlifter cookies.
02:21No one said these had to be accurate in name.
02:23They just have to be tasty.
02:25Butter and sugar are combined.
02:27And I can feel on the outside of the bowl that the butter
02:29is no longer hot.
02:30So I'm going to crack in my eggs one at a time,
02:32whisking after each just to allow the dough to come together
02:36in a nice cohesive manner.
02:39Butter and sugar smells so good.
02:42It's a shame that the beet fields don't actually smell
02:44like freshly baked cookies in the same way that wheat fields
02:47smells like pizza.
02:48All right, next, a tablespoon of vanilla,
02:50which is quite a bit of vanilla.
02:52But I like adding an extra slash of vanilla
02:55whenever I'm making something chocolatey,
02:57because vanilla really enhances chocolate.
03:00Then I'll add the dry ingredients right on top
03:02of the wet ingredients.
03:03Two cups of all-purpose flour.
03:05I'll sprinkle it all over the surface of the wet ingredients,
03:08which helps with even distribution of the dry ingredients.
03:10One and a quarter cups of Dutch processed cocoa powder.
03:14It has a bolder, richer flavor and color.
03:17So it's really representing the dirt in these cookies.
03:21One teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda,
03:23which will help the cookies puff up while they're baking
03:26and then lead to a nice chewy texture.
03:28And whenever you're baking with baking soda,
03:30you need something acidic to react with it
03:33in order for it to do its thing.
03:35And there is a good amount of acidity
03:37in the molasses that's in brown sugar.
03:39So that's where your little science experiment
03:41is coming from.
03:42And lastly, one and a half teaspoons of kosher salt.
03:46This chocolate just tastes better
03:47with a little extra salt,
03:49sort of like caramel in that way.
03:51Now, while all of the dry ingredients
03:52are sitting here on top of the wet ingredients,
03:55I'm gonna give them a rough little whisk
03:57so that they can combine amongst themselves.
03:59And then I'll slowly incorporate them in
04:01with the wet ingredients.
04:03When the dough becomes too thick to whisk,
04:05I'll switch to a rubber spatula.
04:07When I first moved to the farm,
04:08I had all this time on my hands
04:10because Nick had these really long days harvesting.
04:13And so I just baked all day and it was awesome.
04:16And during harvest, it's perfect
04:18because there are extra farmers around,
04:20more mouths to feed.
04:21So I would put all of my baked goods on a table
04:24in the workshop for them to grab before a shift
04:27or after a shift.
04:28And I felt like I had a little pop-up bakery out there.
04:32And then a few years ago,
04:33my mother-in-law, Roxanne, and my mom, Jodi,
04:36started adding their baked goods to my pop-up bakery.
04:40And I was like, what's going on?
04:43Why are you, like, encroaching on my thing?
04:45But I figured, rather than be rude,
04:47I'll make it fun and do a blind bake-off.
04:51And in the words of Nick,
04:52give him a good old-fashioned shellacking.
04:54The dough is looking good and chocolatey.
04:57I'm ready for the mix-ins.
04:59A third of a cup of caramel bits,
05:01which are going to be these little sweet,
05:04chewy moments throughout the cookie.
05:07A third of a cup of chocolate-covered espresso beans
05:09because you need caffeine when you're harvesting
05:11for very long hours every day.
05:14And then some white chocolate chips,
05:15which are such a nice contrast to the chocolate cookie.
05:18Rainbow chips, because they're cute.
05:21And they're crunchy.
05:22And then peanut butter-filled pretzels.
05:25Nick keeps a bulk bit of these in the workshop
05:27at all times of the year.
05:29So I know that he loves these.
05:31He loves the espresso beans.
05:32He loves chocolate.
05:35I'm gonna win this bake-off.
05:37I'm gonna coarsely crush these with my hands
05:39as I add them in.
05:40I want some big bits because the combination
05:44of the pretzel, which is nice and crunchy,
05:47in the chewy cookie is such a great texture party.
05:50It's got everything but the confine.
05:52I'll just fold them all in.
05:54Honestly, even if I don't win,
05:56I feel like I'll be a winner when I eat these.
05:59I'm gonna win.
06:00I have to win.
06:01I have to win.
06:02I've got two baking sheets lined on the bottom
06:04with parchment.
06:06I like a big cookie because you get more chewy center.
06:09And you do that by using a great big cookie scoop
06:12and then overfilling it.
06:13Looks great already.
06:15I'll flatten it slightly.
06:16And then I always like to see some of the mix-ins on top of the cookies.
06:20So I'll plug in some big bits of pretzel,
06:24a couple of pieces of white chocolate,
06:28and obviously rainbow chips.
06:29And then a little sprinkle of flaky salt will be sparkly and extra tasty.
06:34I'll keep on scooping and then bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes until they're set
06:40around the edges,
06:41but still gooey in the center because no one ever complained about a gooey cookie.
06:45Holy chocolate peanut butter buckets. It smells so good in here.
06:58I'm gonna check on my cookies.
07:03Oh yeah, baby.
07:05Well, they certainly look like first place cookies.
07:08Let me make sure that they taste like first place cookies.
07:11Going straight for the center.
07:12Mmm, zoinks!
07:17That is the ultimate combination of sweet and salty and crunchy and chewy.
07:23Get ready, moms.
07:24Beat Harvest Bake Off, here I come.
07:33Boy, this looks awesome.
07:37Mmm, it's pretty good.
07:38There's really no clear winner at this point.
07:40Okay, well, I feel like if I eat too many more of these,
07:42I might not be able to work my next shift, so.
07:45Must be a tough choice, huh, Nick?
07:47Mom made one of these.
07:48Oh.
07:49There's really no right answer.
07:57Every beet harvest gets around 10 lunches in total.
08:00I packed a ton of food into one backpack until all the sugar is harvested.
08:05And this side is one of my favorites to include.
08:08I am making kimchi mac and cheese.
08:11It's a one pot, easy cheesy mac that has the added bonus of kimchi.
08:16So it's spicy and fermenty.
08:18And the kimchi is such a great combination with the cheddar.
08:21Plus, it all comes together in the braiser.
08:24I'm not even gonna cook the noodles first.
08:26What?
08:27I'll start by adding a drizzle of oil to my pot here.
08:31And then I'll cook up my veggies.
08:32So I have my chopped kimchi here.
08:35Kimchi and cheddar cheese are like peanut butter and jelly.
08:38They go together so well.
08:40Also, a chopped onion.
08:41And I've got a few chopped scallions here.
08:43I'm just gonna add the white parts of the scallions first.
08:47They're tougher, so they need a little bit more time to cook down and soften.
08:50And then I'll reserve the scallion greens to add at the end.
08:53A good pinch of salt will help these cook down.
08:56I'll just allow these to soften for a few minutes.
08:58So kimchi is fermented veggies.
09:01Commonly, it's cabbage.
09:03It's spicy and so, so delicious.
09:07Think of it as sauerkraut's hot Korean cousin.
09:10It's just a great vegetable to have on hand
09:12because it can keep in the refrigerator for a really long time.
09:16And you can eat it right out of the jar.
09:18It's that good.
09:19A little bit of chopped garlic will boost the flavor.
09:22It enhances kimchi really nicely as well.
09:25I'll cook the garlic for just about a minute until I can start to smell it.
09:29I'm ready to add my pasta.
09:30I've got 12 ounces of cascatelli,
09:32which is a really fun shape that catches sauce really well.
09:36So I love it for mac and cheese.
09:38You can really use any small pasta here, though.
09:40I'll spread it out evenly.
09:42Then pour in three cups of water,
09:44which is gonna be just enough to come to the top of the pasta.
09:49Cooking the pasta in a small amount of water like this is great
09:52because you don't have to drain it.
09:53It also helps concentrate the starch that comes out of the pasta,
09:57and that's gonna give you a nice, thick, creamy sauce.
09:59Can't forget to salt it.
10:01Good few pinches or about a teaspoon of salt.
10:04I'll bring this to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and allow it to cook until the pasta
10:09is just shy of al dente.
10:11Depending on the type of pasta, this could take anywhere between 4 and 10 minutes.
10:15Harvest always starts at the beginning of October,
10:17and then it goes for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because it's crucial that they get the beets
10:23out of the ground before the ground freezes.
10:25So it's kind of got a little extra energy because everyone's just trying to get all those beets
10:30out of the ground.
10:31There are more people around the farm.
10:33It's a really exciting time, and this is just gonna be the fuel that Nick needs to keep on going.
10:39The pasta has plumped up.
10:41I'm ready for the next step.
10:42I'll pour in a can of evaporated milk, which will be the base of the sauce.
10:47It's creamy and it's gonna stay creamy.
10:49It's not gonna separate like a typical milk out of the refrigerator.
10:54I'll sprinkle in a combination of sharp yellow cheddar and mozzarella,
10:58tossed with some cornstarch, which is gonna be one more insurance policy that this sauce
11:03is gonna be creamy.
11:08Oh yeah, it's already getting stringy and cheese pull-y.
11:11This almost makes me want to sit on a tractor all night long harvesting beets.
11:16To finish this off, I'll stir in some kimchi brine for extra heat and piccolinas,
11:22black pepper, and sliced scallions.
11:25This looks heavenly.
11:26The best part about packing farm lunch is that I get to nosh as I'm cooking.
11:36I'm so happy right now.
11:37Sprinkle with a few more scallions,
11:40and then I like to season it with some furikake,
11:42which is toasted sesame seeds and seaweed.
11:45So it's crunchy and salty and has a little hint of sea flavor.
11:50And it looks cool.
11:52Here I go.
11:56Here I go.
12:01Yes, it's creamy and spicy, and it's got that little bit of funk, which I'm obsessed with.
12:07All right, I'll pack this up and keep it warm and spicy for my warm and spicy farmer.
12:19A key element of driving for this farm is baked goods.
12:22It probably makes up for getting stuck in the truck a few times this first shift.
12:27Sort of like numbs the pain of that.
12:29For the big bready star of my big farmer's lunch, I am making my bacon frittata focaccia sandwiches.
12:43They are giant, satisfying, and melty, and you construct them like a layer cake, but with bacon, egg, and cheese as the layers.
12:54They're the ultimate BFF.
12:56Get it?
12:56Because bacon frittata focaccia.
12:59BFF.
13:00Okay, I'm starting by cooking up my veggies.
13:03I'm using sliced zucchini and onion.
13:06I'm cooking these over medium-high for about 7 to 10 minutes.
13:09It is important to cook the zucchini first before adding it to a frittata,
13:13because zucchini has so much moisture.
13:15You don't want that moisture making the eggs soggy.
13:18No soggy eggs here.
13:20I'll season it with salt and pepper.
13:24And then grab some cheese and my pan.
13:27I'm going to bake the frittata in a big casserole pan like this,
13:31which is the exact same size as my focaccia,
13:34and it's going to bake up into a perfectly even layer of egg.
13:37To prepare the pan, I've greased it and then lined it with parchment,
13:41and the grease acts as a glue for the parchment so that the egg doesn't sneak under it.
13:45And then the parchment will help to get it out of the pan.
13:47All right, I'll scatter the veggies all over the bottom of the pan.
13:51You can really use any veggies with a frittata like this.
13:54I love spinach, kale, scallions or leeks are really nice.
13:58I'll sprinkle on some cheddar cheese for that nice creamy richness.
14:05For my egg mixture, I've got eight large eggs,
14:07which I'll combine with three quarters of a cup of whole milk
14:10and half a cup of heavy cream, which will help protect against overcooking the frittata.
14:15A teaspoon of kosher salt, some black pepper,
14:20and a little heat to keep Nick on his toes.
14:23And I'll whisk until it's smooth.
14:26This is inspired by those six-foot party sub sandwiches that used to be at birthday parties,
14:32but in slab focaccia form.
14:35I always wanted them when I was little and I never got one.
14:38I'll make it up for it now.
14:41This is smooth.
14:42I'll pour this evenly all over the veggies and the cheese.
14:45I'll get this into the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes now,
14:52until it's lightly browned on top and just set.
14:55I'm getting so excited.
14:58I have an egg-ceptionally good feeling about this frittata.
15:04Oh yeah, she cute.
15:07I also have some bacon that I just crisped up in the oven.
15:10I'm ready to assemble.
15:12I've got my focaccia, which I love for its crisp exterior and bubbly interior.
15:17And it's a pretty fuss-free bread.
15:19Mix together bread flour, instant yeast, sugar to feed it, salt, olive oil, and water.
15:27Then knead until it's smooth but still quite sticky.
15:30Coat a 9 by 13 inch pan with oil.
15:33Plop in the dough.
15:34Let it rise until it's doubled.
15:36Add some more oil to get that rich flavor and crisp crust.
15:39Pat it into the edges and dimple.
15:41Rise and dimple again.
15:43A final rise to achieve those signature focaccia bubbles.
15:47Add flaky salt and then bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
15:52You can totally make this the day before or if you just wanted to go store-bought,
15:56use a pack of Hawaiian rolls.
15:58I'll use my serrata knife and gently saw it across using the edges of the pan as my guide.
16:04So it's almost as if I'm leveling a cake.
16:06Oh yeah, perfection.
16:10And now this is the fun part.
16:12I'll just stack it up with the frittata.
16:14Say a little prayer.
16:19She sticks the landing.
16:20It's like peeling off a sticker.
16:23I'll quickly layer on the cheese because the heat of the frittata will melt it.
16:27And come on, you gotta use American cheese with a BEC.
16:32And the bacon.
16:34This is a perfect party sandwich or for a bunch of hungry farmers because they're easy to make a lot
16:39of at once.
16:40If you wanted to prep any of this a day in advance, you could absolutely do that.
16:43You could make the focaccia and prep the frittata and then just warm it in the oven for a few minutes.
16:52I'm excited about this.
16:54One giant breakfast sandwich.
16:57Oh yeah, I'll cut it in half.
17:01I'm so ready for this cross section.
17:05Look at these layers.
17:07Now each of these halves will get cut in half.
17:09And then each of those strips will get cut into three.
17:12So you get perfectly sized sandwiches.
17:14She is beauty.
17:15She is grace.
17:17She's going right into my face after a dollop of ketchup.
17:20That is the perfect ratio of bacon to egg to cheese to bread.
17:34This is truly a best friend forever.
17:43Oh boy.
17:43You know I'm going to catch heck if Molly doesn't win though.
17:46You know, try to throw me a solid here, please.
17:48For a second side that's sure to make lunch even more comforting,
17:53I am making my broccolini cannellini soup.
17:56It's as fun to eat as it is to say.
17:59It's super hearty and creamy from beans and a spud, not cream.
18:04So it's actually pretty good for you.
18:06And I just whiz everything up into a slurpable consistency so there is no spoon necessary.
18:12I've got an onion and garlic and crushed red pepper just cooking down here in my pot.
18:17And I've coarsely chopped 12 ounces of broccolini.
18:21Which I love because it has got a slightly milder flavor than broccoli.
18:25And it just goes so nicely in a blended soup like this.
18:29Next, one chopped russet potato that I didn't even peel because the peel has so much nutrients.
18:35It was time to peel.
18:37And then a can of cannellini beans.
18:39We'll bulk this up, add some protein, and of course contribute more creaminess.
18:44Six cups of low-sodium chicken stock.
18:46You could of course also use veggie stock.
18:48A couple of good pinches of salt.
18:50And some black pepper is really nice with this.
18:52A parmesan rind is going to infuse this soup with great depth and umami.
18:58I'll bring it to a boil.
18:59So the two ways that Bernie and Ira will reliably eat vegetables is through air fried broccoli or
19:07through green smoothies.
19:08So I'm going to try to build this soup to them as a hot broccolini smoothie.
19:14That sounds way grosser when I say it out loud.
19:18We'll see.
19:19It's just really nice when Bernie and Ira eat the same meal that I make for Nick for his farm lunch.
19:24I'll reduce this to a simmer, cover it up, and allow this to cook for about 20 to 30 minutes,
19:29just until a fork pokes easily into a potato.
19:33Then remove the parm rind and immersion blend until smooth.
19:37You could do this in your blender too.
19:39To finish off this soup, I'll squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, which is crucial for flavor,
19:44just balancing everything out.
19:46That acidity makes broccolini just shine.
19:50And then a sprinkle of shredded parmesan.
19:52You've got to have cheese with a broccolini soup.
19:55A ladle into mugs.
19:56This looks awesome.
19:58I would much rather drink a mug of soup than a mug of hot chocolate or coffee.
20:03A drizzle of olive oil adds pretty swizzles on top and just tastes really good.
20:09Like a fancy restaurant, but on a tractor.
20:12A pinch of flaky salt.
20:14Cheers.
20:15Oh yeah, that just explodes with flavor.
20:23You can really taste the broccolini in there.
20:26And I feel so cozy right now.
20:28Okay, I'm going to go pack up a few lunches and then jump on a Beatlifter with Nick.
20:32How's it going?
20:36Good.
20:37I brought you lunch.
20:38Perfect.
20:40Have you been by the shop yet?
20:41Who's in the lead?
20:43As a delegate of the Sugar Bee Growers Association, I declare you the winner of this year's Sugar Bee
20:49Harvest Bake Off.
20:50Take that, Roxanne and Jody.
20:53May the
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