What wonders of a little town named Rio Linda

How lucky we are to live out here in Rio Linda where life is just bursting out her colors and scents. Up and down the creeks we have here and every other block where there are small backyard....and front yard garden plots......is a show to be seen. Just take a ride down Marysville Road and you'll seen a kaleidoscopic of color of the landscape......on this very day.

The Pluot trees are in full bloom....the Rio Oso peaches are just now opening up their red buds.....and the fields all have green grass. Leafing out are the boysenberries. Ladybugs and the bees are working hard too. We here at the Natomas farm are playing host to hundreds of thousands of Lady bugs.

Rain it is .....and for the next four days here in our part of the world. Much needed I must say. No lost time here for Farmer Deno. Today I will be in the berry patch taking cuttings for creating 2-3 hundred new boysenberries. Later I have the new upcoming Natomas website to complete. Start some new seedlings in the hothouse.....as well as the fig tree starters too.

Work on the farm is really a 12 hour day. Not all is hard physical work ....which I thrive on by the way.....there is much to be done each day. Blogging is time consuming. The remodeling of the kitchen. Designing the labels for our up coming line of natural jams and jellies. Keeping the ol' fire going to keep our elder dog....."Sparky Dog" warm. Her bones just dont like this wet weather.

I'll be laying in front of that fire some day too I suppose.....

I almost forgot to add what a farmer does all day long.........he experiments with baking bread and when not doing that....testing new jams or jelly recipes.

Here's an recipe that is being posted on my new website....for skillet bread. It's so easy. So fast. No messing around with a bunch of steps towards making it.  I made this yesterday....and what a winner!

It's raining tomorrow........now you have something to do.

   Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast (2¼ tsp if measuring from bulk yeast)
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• ½ TBSP kosher salt
• 4⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine yeast and warm water in a large bowl or pitcher.
2. Using a wooden spoon add in 1 cup of the flour and then the salt and mix until combined.
3. Stir in the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, until completely incorporated.
4. Cover with pastic wrap or a lid that is not shut completely.
5. Allow to rise for 1 hour.
6. Do not punch down the dough.
7. Lightly oil the bottom of a cast iron skillet.
8. Sprinkle a good amount of flour on top of the dough and then cover hands with flour.
9. Take all of the dough and shape into a disk. (it will be sticky)
10. Place in the skillet, cover loosely with a towel, and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
11. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
12. Drizzle a little more oil over the top of the bread, and slash the dough with a knife creating an X.
13. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is a deep brown color.