Johnson’s Corner Farm Recipes & Cooking Tips

Looking for the best way to cook, reheat, freeze, or jam your favorite farm-fresh goodies? We’ve got you covered!

Check out our A-to-Z list of tips, sorted by fruit, veggie, or food type. Whether you’re freezing a delicious Johnson’s PIE, roasting up some sweet corn, or whipping up homemade applesauce, there’s something here for you.

Got a favorite recipe or a genius kitchen hack? We’d love to hear it! Share with us on Instagram or Facebook (links at top of webpage).

Happy cooking, and enjoy the HARVEST! 🍎🌽🥧

APPLES

Homemade Applesauce

  • Serves 4-6
  • 4-6 granny smith, gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup mixed dried fruit or chopped walnuts (optional)

Place chopped apples in medium sauce pan over medium/high heat. Add sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. At this point you can add dried fruit or nuts. Dried cranberries work real well and add a touch of color as well as tartness. Serve warm or cold.

Candied Apples

  • 6 Golden Delicious apples, stems removed
  • 6 Popsicle sticks
  • Candy thermometer
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ tsp red food coloring

Place Popsicle sticks in bottom of each apple. Line a baking sheet w/parchment paper and spray w/vegetable oil spray. Set aside. Combine sugar, water, corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Uncover and cook until syrup reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, 5-10 minutes. Take off the heat and add food coloring. Carefully tilt saucepan and coat apples, one at a time. Allow any excess syrup to drip into pan. Stand apple upright on baking sheet. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. These
can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.

Apple Salad w/Carrots

  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 cups apples (granny smith, gala or any tart apple) peeled, cored and chopped
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • ¼ raisins or any dried fruit
  • Salt to taste

Mix together first three ingredients in a large bowl until honey is dissolved. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dressing in bowl. Mix well and serve immediately.

Jewish Apple Cake Recipe:

6 apples, Granny Smith preferred
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9” Bundt pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Asparagus

Nutritional information: Asparagus are one of only four vegetables high in vitamin E. It is also a source of vitamins C and A, as well as potassium, niacin and some iron.

Asparagus are season in early spring; however you can find them year round. Look for spears w/tight buds and smooth skin. Asparagus should not be withered, brown or limp. Smaller spears are especially tender.

To prepare Asparagus for eating/cooking, snap the stems where they naturally break to remove woody bottom portion.

1lb. raw = 3 cups

1 lb. cooked = 2 cups

Cooking Instructions

Steaming: place spears in pot w/½” of water, cover and cook on high for about 5-7 minutes.

Microwave: place asparagus in covered dish w/a little water, microwave on high about 3-5 minutes.

Asparagus Tart..

NEW!!!CREATED BY Rose Robson

Make one yourself or buy it from our Bakery!!!

1 sheet frozen puff pastry2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded1 1/2 lbs asparagus1 tbs olive oil salt/pepper Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.  On a floured surface, roll puff pastry in 16 by 10 inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges.  Place pastry on a baking sheet.  With a sharp knife, lightly score the pastry dough 1 inch from the edges to mark a rectangle.  Take a fork and pierce dough inside the the rectangle @ 1/2 inch intervals.  Bake in oven 15 mins.  Remove pastry shell and sprinkle w/cheese.  Place trimmed asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside shell.  Brush w/olive oil and season w/salt/pepper.  Bake until spears are tender, 20-25 mins.Serve w/Johnson’s Chicken Pot Pie, Potato, Macaroni or Coleslaw  finish w/a yummy Johnson’s Pie…..enjoy:)

Roasted Asparagus (serves 2-4)

Heat oven to 400F

1 lb. asparagus

3-4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 Tbs. Olive oil

Break off woody ends. Lay spears in single layer on baking sheet. Sprinkle w/garlic, and then drizzle w/olive oil. Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until spears look wrinkled and brown in some spots, shaking pan half through cooking time. Remove from heat, season w/salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature. Excellent topped w/glaze below.

Glaze for Roasted Asparagus (Balsamic Glaze)

Simmer ¾ cup balsamic vinegar in small skillet over medium heat until it’s syrupy and has reduced to ¼ cup, 15- 20 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil into balsamic vinegar and drizzled over roasted spears.

Sugared Asparagus (serves 4-6)

2 lbs. Asparagus (break off woody ends, cut into 2” pieces)

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. brown sugar

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

In a large frypan over medium high heat melt butter and brown sugar together until dissolved. Add asparagus and sauté about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until just tender, about 6-8 minutes. Remove asparagus to a warm dish. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced by ½ about 5 minutes. Pour over asparagus and garnish w/season seeds (optional).

Asparagus Soup (serves 2-4)

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/3 cup green onions (chopped)

1 cup carrots (thinly sliced)

1 cup asparagus (chopped)

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2-3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup spinach (torn)

2-4 Tbs. fresh parsley (chopped)

In soup pot sauté oil and garlic for 1 minute over medium high heat. Add green onions and carrots and sauté 5-7 minutes. Then add asparagus, broth, lemon juice and salt. Reduce heat and cook until asparagus are tender about 5-7- minutes. Stir in spinach and parsley heat another 1-2 minutes. Garnish w/Swiss or parmesan cheese.

Sausage Asparagus Dish (serves 4-5)

1 lb. bulk sausage

1 med. Onion (chopped)

4-5 medium potatoes (chopped)

½ cup water

Salt/pepper to taste

1 lb. asparagus (cut in 1” pieces)

½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

Brown sausage and onion until lightly browned in frying pan over medium high heat. Drain fat. Add potatoes, water, and salt/pepper and simmer about 10 minutes. Add asparagus and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add extra water if needed. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle cheese over top.

Lemon Asparagus Pasta (serves 4-6)

8 ozs. Angel hair pasta

2 ½ cups asparagus (cut into 1” pieces)

1 Tbs. butter

½ green onions (chopped)

1 ½ tsp. lemon peel (grated)

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

¾ cup milk

2 eggs

1 Tbs. fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Cook pasta in boiling water 4 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling pasta and cook 2 minutes longer or until tender, drain. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in large frypan over medium heat. Add green onions and lemon peel, sauté 1 minute. Add lemon juice and cook until liquid is almost evaporated. In a separate bowl beat together milk and eggs. Add w/pasta and asparagus to pan w/green onions. Cook over low heat until milk mixture is slightly thick, about 4 minutes. Do not boil! Stir in dill, salt and nutmeg, serve immediately.

Asparagus w/Honey Garlic Sauce

1 lb. fresh asparagus

½ cup Dijon Mustard

½ cup ale or dark beer

1/3 cup honey (preferably Local HoneyJ)

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp crushed thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

Roast (see Asparagus tips) or steam spears until tender.  Combine all other ingredients, mix well.  Plate asparagus on serving platter and pour sauce over spears, serve immediately.

Asparagus Zucchini  Pasta

* 1/2 pound angel hair pasta

* 1 tablespoon olive oil

* 2-3 Zucchini, thinly sliced

* 1 bunch of  asparagus, chopped to 1/2 inch chunks

* 3 garlic cloves, crushed

* 3 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

* 1/4 cup  extra light cream cheese

* 1 tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

* 3/4 cups fresh parsley

Step 1: Cook Pasta in large sauce pan in lightly salted water Al dente. Then drain.

Step 2: Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add zucchini, asparagus and garlic. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until vegetables start to soften.

Step 3: Add tomato, cream cheese and lemon juice. Simmer 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta and parsley to combine