Meatloaf with Tomato Relish

Dad's Meatloaf with Tomato Relish

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence (photos from Jack's kitchen)

Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Meatloaf

NOTE: Photos may look a little different from the recipe. We made the recipe without bread or milk. On this particular day, we substituted red bell peppers with green bells and poblano peppers, because that is what was in the frig. 

NOTE: The relish is a wonderful topping, tasting fantastic in dips and on baked potatoes and other meat entrees. 

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
Tomato Relish:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
• 2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients
Meatloaf:
• 3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 eggs
• Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 bacon slices

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place over medium heat. 

Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor.

Throw in the red bell peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. 

Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. 

Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet (or use non-stick disposable liner for faster cleanup). Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. 

Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. 

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. 

Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!

The fresh bread offers fabulous texture. Our version was still extremely moist, and very flavorful. This is our favorite meatloaf recipe - any other meatloaf seems naked without this savory, tangy relish.

Tasty and Healthy - September 27, 2012

Greetings! We hope this week's post finds you and your family doing well. 

Have you noticed a slight change in the mornings? Our dew points were lower, making for cooler mornings without the heavy humidity. A brief respite, our normal summer patterns have since returned. Still, it was nice opening the doors for a few hours to enjoy fresh air, and recognizing that Fall is just around the corner!

Currently planted on the farm, but not yet ready for harvest:

• Zucchini
• Eight-ball Zucchini (our speciality)
• Yellow Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Green Beans
• Pole Beans
• Yellow Beans
• Red and White Swiss Chard (another specialty)
• Kale
• Broccoli
• 5,000 collard plants! (biggest seller)

It will be 60-90 days before these are ready for harvest.

Pesticide-free Okra is currently being harvested on the farm. Try it in casseroles, soups, fried, baked, roasted and grilled (Recipes on the right).

Featured Vegetable - Carrots!

Carrots, like many root vegetables, are very sweet, and may easily be incorporated in side dishes, snacks, baked goodies, stews, soups, puddings, pies, juice drinks, enjoyed raw and may be used in just about anything else you can think of.

They seem to be most effective when slightly steamed. Because most recipes call for cooked, baked or boiled carrots, we have provided nutrient information based on carrots already having been processed accordingly. Just click here to see our web page with this information.

High in fiber, Carrots are actually tap roots which contain minerals, anti-oxidants, Vitamins A, C, B and K. Carrots contain beta carotenes in abundant amounts! Carotenes are cancer-fighting nutrients which are converted into Vitamin A by the liver. Carrot flavonoids help protect us from lung, skin and mouth cancers. Scientists at University of Newcastle have discovered that a substance called "falcarinol" in carrots may help fight cancers by destroying  pre-cancerous cells located in tumors. Fresh Carrots are good sources of the anti-oxidant Vitamin C, and contain many of the B-complex vitamins like folic acid, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and B6 to help with the body's metabolism. As with all roots, depending on soil content, Carrots are high in assorted minerals.

If interested in SHELLED black-eye peas please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

As always, please feel free to phone the farm for special requests or special orders. We'll do everything we can to accommodate you. If you need something from the Farmers Market in Plant City, it is best to phone by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services visits to our farm regularly to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques, and the testing we undergo, please click here. 

A big thanks from Gran'ma Angie for recycling your shopping bags with us. Please keep them coming!

From the Farmers Market:

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers
Pickling Cukes
Poblano Peppers
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Red and Green Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)

Carrots (recipes below)

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes
White Skin Potatoes

Yellow Squash
Zucchini Squash
Butternut Squash

Yellow Onions
Scallion Onions
Purple Onions
Red Radish
Beets

Celery
Cabbage
Romaine

Head Lettuce
FLORIDA Avocados
Lemons

Limes (recipe below)
Bananas
Tangerines
Navel Oranges
Johnny Golds Apples
Golden Delicious Apples

Where we will be this week:

Friday -  Rolo will be at our Spring Hill Drive location next to the Chevron location. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders! 

Saturday - Joann and Rolo will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Come and browse, shop, and visit with your neighbors - it's an all 'round enjoyable time. You'll also be supporting local businesses by visiting their booths. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

Saturday and everyday - Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will be at the Produce Barn until 6PM. 

For our Calendar of Locations, and special times and dates for September and October, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

Recipes for the Week:

Roasted Carrots with Peppers and Potatoes

Carrot-Onion and Ginger Soup (yummy!)

Quotes for this week:

Never underestimate the pain of a person, 

because in all honesty, everyone is struggling. 

Some people are better at hiding 

it than others. 

~ Will Smith 

The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's unconditional. 

The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.
- Stephen Kendrick -

As always, thank you for your encouragement and support. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you,

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Some recipes are perfect for preparing ahead of time, placing them either in the freezer weeks in advance, or simply storing in the refrigerator for a day or two. Stuffed Manicotti is one of those recipes.

The fun thing about pasta recipes and casseroles, is that ingredients may easily be substituted or changed to fit your family's taste buds. They can also be changed to accommodate what might be available in the pantry or refrigerator at any given time without having to go shopping.

For great tomato pasta sauce, please check out our recipe here.

Today's Manicotti version is adapted from Ernie's recipe at ALL-RECIPES.  (Photos taken in Jack's kitchen.)

Cook Time: 45 - 60 Minutes

Servings: 6 -10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped

spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup minced onion

1 egg

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

6 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with your choice of herbs, pepper and garlic powder. Pepper flakes easily awaken this recipe even further. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together pasta sauce and water.

3. Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. 

4. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

Serve hot. The leftovers may be saved for a few days, or stored in the freezer for another meal on a busy day.

Tasty and Healthy - September 20, 2012

Greetings! We hope this week's post finds you and your family doing well. 

Are you still sloshing in the Central Florida's daily deluges? Seeing the silver lining -- the good news is that the Florida aquifer is once again at its non-drought stage. For long-time Florida residents, we understand what excellent news that means for the Florida Ecology. 

In the meantime, we have been busy on the farm planting our Autumn and Winter crops consisting of:

• Zucchini
• Eight-ball Zucchini (our speciality)
• Yellow Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Green Beans
• Pole Beans
• Yellow Beans
• Red and White Swiss Chard (another specialty)
• Kale
• Broccoli
• 5,000 collard plants! (biggest seller)

It will be 60-90 days before these are ready for harvest.

Pesticide-free Okra is currently being harvested on the farm. Try it in casseroles, soups, fried, baked, roasted and grilled (Recipes on the right).

If interested in SHELLED black-eye peas please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

As always, please feel free to phone the farm for special requests or special orders. We'll do everything we can to accommodate you. If you need something from the Farmers Market in Plant City, it is best to phone by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services visits to our farm regularly to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques, and the testing we undergo, please click here. 

A big thanks from Gran'ma Angie for recycling your shopping bags with us. Please keep them coming!

From the Farmers Market:

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers
Pickling Cukes
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Red and Green Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes
White Skin Potatoes

Yellow Squash
Zucchini Squash
Butternut Squash

Yellow Onions
Scallion Onions
Red Radish
Beets

Celery
Cabbage
Romaine

Head Lettuce
FLORIDA Avocados
Lemons

Limes (recipe below)
Bananas
Watermelon
Tangerines
Navel Oranges
Red Delicious Apples
Yellow Delicious Apples

Where we will be this week:

Friday -  Rolo will be at our Spring Hill Drive location next to the Chevron location. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders! 

Saturday - Joann and Rolo will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Come enjoy the Hernando Farmer Market Food Truck Rally and browse, shop, and visit with your neighbors - it's an all 'round enjoyable time. You'll also be supporting local businesses by visiting their booths. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

Saturday and everyday - Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will be at the Produce Barn until 6PM. 

For our Calendar of Locations, and special times and dates for September, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

Recipes for the Week:

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Delicious served warm, at room temperature or refrigerated.

Baked Penne and Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

Refreshing Lime Squares

Quotes for this week:

If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something,

I can neither give nor receive.

~ Dorethee Solle

Stretch out your hand and take the

world's wide gift of joy and beauty.

~ Corinne Roosevelt Robinson

As always, thank you for your encouragement and support. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you,

All of us at Beasley Farm

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.  For a peek at Giada's video, please click here.

Photo is also courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. We make our pasta with less cheese, so Jack's Kitchen recipe is shown below.

• Cook Time: 40 min

• Level:• Intermediate

• Yield:  6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

• 1 pound ground beef

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti

• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella

• 1 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 cups marinara sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions

• Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

• Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

• Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

• Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

This photo from our kitchen does not contain as much cheese (or saturated fat) as the delicious recipe found on the Food Network's website.