Girl Meets Farm (2018–…): Season 5, Episode 9 - Spring Is Springing! - full transcript

Spring planting is about
to begin,

and we're celebrating with
a feast for the farmers.

Yay!

They're going to love my
juicy one-skillet chicken

and spring vegetables...

Great combo.

...Crispy dill flaky bread,

a nutty walnut romesco sauce
for dunking and smothering,

and the most beautiful
glazed

lavender sugar cookies
for dessert.

oh, yah!



Mmm!

Hey! This is me,
molly yeh.

I'm a cookbook author
and food blogger.

This is my husband, nick.

This is our new addition,
and this is our home,

our farm on the north
dakota-minnesota border.

The place where I eat, sleep
and breathe food.

these look like a party.

My food is a delicious mix
of my chinese

and jewish heritage
and a taste of the midwest.

it's spring on the farm,
the ground is starting to thaw,

and the farmers are getting
ready to plant.

So I'm making a spring feast
to kick off the season.

Everybody is going to dig
my glazed



lavender sugar cookies,
which are soft and buttery,

and they have this gorgeous
floral note from the lavender --

it makes them
a little bit fancy.

To start off,

I'm chopping up some dried
lavender buds.

And a little bit
goes a long way.

I don't want to add
too much lavender,

otherwise the cookies will
taste like soap.

So these are all chopped now.

Now I'm gonna combine
the rest of my dry ingredients.

I'll add 4 cups of
all-purpose flour.

I'll also add one teaspoon
of baking powder.

This will help the cookies
puff up slightly in the oven.

And next 3/4 of
a teaspoon of salt.

I'll add my lavender.

Nick and his dad are planting
usual suspects this year --

soybeans, sugar beets
and wheat.

The beets need
the driest land,

so that's where
they're going to start.

Everything around here
is bumping and buzzing.

It's a really exciting time.

My dry ingredients
are combined.

I'm gonna grab my butter
and put it into my mixer bowl.

I'll start with a cup
of unsalted butter.

And 2/3 of a cup of granulated
sugar and powdered sugar.

Using some powdered sugar
helps achieve

a softer consistency.

And now I'll mix this
until it's fluffy.

this is pale and fluffy,

I'm ready to add my eggs.

I like cracking them into
a separate bowl first

and then pouring them in,

just in case I get
some shell in there.

And now, with the mixer
running on low

I'll add my eggs
one at a time,

making sure that each one
is incorporated.

Next I'll my add vanilla,

which is a good support
to the lavender.

I'll scrape down the sides
and then add

my dry ingredients gradually.

this dough is actually
not that sweet,

but when it gets its glaze

and buttercream
embellishments on top,

they're gonna be so good.

Now I'm gonna pile this
into a ball

and then pat it into a disc.

Spring on the farm
is like a fairy tale.

It's when everything
comes to life again.

Everything turns green,
the cats are out,

the rhubarb patch pops up,

and all the farmers go to town
to get their seeds.

And nick and his family
have been going

to the same seed guy
for 30 years,

good old steve ross.

This is gonna refrigerate
for about an hour,

and that allows the cookies to
keep their shape when they bake.

And now I'll wrap it
in plastic wrap.

my dough is chilled,

and now I'm ready
to roll it out.

I like to roll the dough so that
it's almost 1/2 inch thick.

I'll dust my surface
with some flour

just to make sure that
the dough doesn't stick.

And now I'll roll it out.

perfect.

Now I'll grab baking sheets
and my cookie cutter.

I've got two baking sheets here

that are lined
with parchment paper

so that the cookies
don't stick.

And I also have my
cookie cutter,

which is a round circle.

It's a little bit less
than 3 inches wide.

It's perfectly round --
so geometrically pleasing.

I'll put this on
my baking sheet now.

beautiful.

I'll bake them at 375
for about 12 minutes

until they're just starting
to think about

turning brown on the bottom.

That way they'll be
really soft.

They are gonna be
spring-tastic.

these cookies look great,

and I'm smelling the lavender
and the butter.

I'm gonna let these cool now
while I make my vanilla glaze.

I'll start with 2 cups
of powdered sugar.

And then 2 tablespoons
of corn syrup.

It'll help make this
glaze thick.

2 1/2 tablespoons
of whole milk.

A half teaspoon of vanilla
for flavor.

A pinch of salt.

And a drop of
purple food coloring.

Because they're lavender
cookies!

And I'll mix this until
it's smooth.

I do some planting of my own
in the spring.

I have a garden.

I really like to plant
radishes because those

are the first things
to be ready.

They're so good.

And the glaze consistency
should be thick --

like a thicker glue.

This is the perfect
shade of purple.

I'm ready to glaze my cookies.

I've got a wire rack
set over a pan,

which will catch any
excess glaze,

and now to decorate.

My cookies are cooled.

I'm gonna dip them
in the glaze

and then I'll let them dry.

I'll brush off any excess,

and then I'll transfer it
to my wire rack

so that any more glaze can
continue to drip off the bottom.

These look great!

Now I just
need my buttercream

and then I'll be
ready to decorate.

I made this easily by beating
up one cup of butter,

3 cups of powdered sugar,

dividing it between bowls,

and adding food coloring

so that I've got
rainbow colors.

I love using buttercream
to embellish my cookies.

To decorate these,
I'm gonna pipe on rainbows

because it's the spring,

and we get a ton of rainbows
around here in the spring.

To start, I'll grab my blue.

Get comfy,
we're decorating.

And then to gauge the center,
I'll pipe the center one.

And then I'll pipe
an equal amount

of dollops on the sides
of the center.

Got my green.

I'm using a mix of round tips
and star tips.

I just like mixing up
the shapes

and I first do the outside dots
and the center dot

so that I could make sure that
there are an equal amount

of dots in between
on both sides,

so that the rainbow
is symmetrical.

It's so cute.

There is gonna be great
treasure at the end

of this rainbow.

I'm gonna pipe the rest
of these rainbows

and then let them dry.

And hopefully, if we look hard
enough at the end of them,

we'll find a successful
planting season.

they're so cute!

I've got to taste one.

Look at that.

Here I go.

Mmm, they're so soft
and buttery and sweet --

but not too sweet.

And the lavender adds
the perfect special touch.

If these don't say
"spring has sprung,"

I don't know what does.

Coming up,

I'm making some buttery
and crisp dill flaky bread...

Oh, yeah!

...That'll pair perfectly
with tonight's quick and easy

one-skillet chicken
and spring vegetables.

I'll put together a sweet
and nutty walnut romesco sauce

to tie it all together,

and then it's time to spring
this dinner into action.

I'm whipping up
a spring spread to celebrate

the start of planting season
on the farm

for the perfect
bread companion to our meal.

I'm making my dill flaky bread.

It's buttery and crisp
on the outside,

chewy on the inside,

and the dill adds fresh,
herby springiness.

Ah, it's gonna be so good.

To start,

I'll grab my dry ingredients
for the dough.

To my big bowl,

I'll add 3 3/4 of a cup
of all-purpose flour,

and then also add 3/4 of a cup
of cake flour,

which will make for a more
tender, flaky dough.

Next 4 teaspoons of sugar.

And 2 teaspoons of
baking powder,

which will help the pancakes
puff up.

And next I'll add
3 teaspoons of salt.

And then I'll add 1 1/2
cups of water.

I'll make a well in the center
of my dry ingredients

and then pour
the water right in,

and that will help
the water incorporate.

So this is my version of
a yemenite flatbread

called mahlouach.

And the best way I can
describe it

is it's like
a hot, flat croissant

that's chewier.

I added the dill because
I always have so much

in my garden,
I wanted to use it up.

It is the perfect touch.

The dough is coming together,
all the flour's incorporated.

It's looking shaggy.

Now that it's too stiff to
knead it with my spatula,

I'll turn it out onto my
surface and knead it by hand.

I'll press half of the dough
away from me with my palm,

fold it in half,
rotate

and then do then same.

And doing this over the course
of a few minutes,

we'll create really smooth,
supple dough.

This dough is smooth,
a little sticky

and perfect.

I'll form it into a ball,
and I'll grab a clean bowl.

I'll coat it with
some olive oil

so that the dough doesn't stick

and I'll cover it up.

I want to let this rest
for 30 minutes,

and that'll allow
the glutens to relax

and make the dough
easier to handle

when I shape it
into the flatbreads.

-good afternoon, steve.
-Hello, roger.

Good to see ya.

Hey, steve.
-Good to see you again.

Got any seed for us?

You bet we do.

my dough has rested

and I'm ready to form
my flaky breads.

That's gorgeous.

I'll form this
into a log

and then cut it into
12 uniformly-sized pieces.

these are gonna be nice
big flaky breads for the farmers

and me.

Now I'll ball them up.

And to do that,
I'm gonna take the ends

and stretch them around,

so that I have
a taut surface on top.

This dough is actually
really similar

to scallion pancake dough --

my other favorite flatbread.

The difference, though,
is that scallion pancakes

are made with sesame oil,

and these are made
with butter --

two equally delicious facts.

The balls are looking great.

I'll cover these up,
so that they don't dry out

while I'm working with them,

and grab my remaining tools.

I've got my rolling pin
and a plate,

and a stack of wax paper which
will help me roll these out.

And now we need the star
of the show -- my butter.

I've got a lot of butter,

which is always the sign
of a good recipe.

I'm gonna get a pat of butter

and I'm gonna rub it all over
my work surface.

So if you're using
a butcher block countertop,

this is good
for your counters.

It's also good for your hands
'cause it moisturizes.

And now I'll take
a ball of dough,

I'll give it a pat,

and then I'm gonna add another
pat of butter on top.

I'm gonna gently massage
the dough out until it forms

a big, flat,
almost translucent circle.

This is a very soothing,
meditative process.

Once the dough is very thin,
to the point where

I could basically see
my counter through it,

I'll sprinkle it
with some dill.

Now roll it up
like a jelly roll,

taking care not to let
the dough tear.

I'm tucking these dill morsels
right into their buttery bed.

And now I'll curl it up
like a snail,

into a swirly shape.

Just like that.

Now to flatten this
into my flatbreads,

I'll grab two pieces
of wax paper,

and I'll sandwich it between,

and this is so that
it doesn't stick.

And then I'll use my rolling
pin to roll it out into a round

that's about 6 or 7 inches
in diameter.

I can see those speckles
of dill-y green.

I'll peel the top layer
of wax paper off.

Oh, yeah, that's gorgeous.

I'm gonna put this on a plate

and then I'll keep on rolling.
My dough discs.

my dough discs are
ready to cook.

I'll put them in my pan,

and cook them on both sides
until golden.

And because of all the butter,

I don't even need to add oil
to the pan.

This spring marks seven years
since nick and I decided

to move here
to his family's farm,

and it's been a wild ride.

But farm life just fits me.

It's been awesome.

It's getting browned
on the bottom,

so it's ready to flip.

Oh, yeah.
That's beautiful.

This needs just another minute
or two on the other side,

and then I'll transfer it over
to my wire rack

so that it stays crispy.

I'm gonna keep on frying these
until they're golden.

And then I'll keep them in
the warm oven until the party.

Oh, yeah.

Next, maximum deliciousness,
minimal fuss.

My one-skillet chicken
and spring vegetables

is a cinch to make,

and guaranteed to keep hungry
farmers and families happy.

You're spoiling us,
molly.

Spring is here,

and I'm making a big dinner
to get all the farmers pumped

for planting season.

For a main dish,

I'm cooking my skillet chicken
with spring vegetables.

It all gets cooked
in one skillet,

so the schmaltz from
the chicken cooks the veggies

and makes them extra tasty.

To get started,

I'm seasoning my
chicken thighs.

And I'm using bone-in skin-on
chicken thighs

because that extra fat gives
them flavor,

and the skin is gonna get
golden and crispy

and so good.

So I'm sprinkling these all over
with kosher salt

and black pepper.

My chicken thighs are seasoned

and I'll transfer them
to my skillet,

which is set over
medium-high heat

with about 2 tablespoons
of vegetable oil.

That is the sizzle
I want to hear.

The midwest is great.

I love the farmers,

and I also love having
a lot of mouths to feed

because that means more recipes
that I can test.

So while these cook I'm gonna
grab my coriander.

Coriander will add a nice floral
citrusy note.

And what's awesome is that
coriander seas are

about the same size as
the beet seeds

that nick plants.

I'll throw these into
my spice grinder,

and I'll pulse a few times
until they're coarsely ground.

I still want some bigger bits.

Okay.

Mmm, I love coriander.

It's just so
earthy and floral.

It's great.

Now I'll chop up my garlic.

All the flavors in this dish
are so bright and fresh.

I could eat it every day.

I think I can smell
the chicken skin getting crispy.

I'm gonna check on it.

oh, yeah.

Look at that golden color.

This is perfect.

Now I'll cook them on the other
side for another few minutes.

Beautiful.

While these look on this side,
I'll get my bok choy.

Bok choy is so delicate
and beautiful,

and it's really healthy.

Gorgeous.

Now I'll remove the chicken
from the skillet,

and all of that delicious
chicken fat that's left

in the bottom of the skillet

is gonna cook up my leeks
and my bok choy

and make them irresistible.

now before I add my veggies,

I'm gonna add the coriander
into my pan and get it toasted,

which will bring out its best
coriander-y self.

Now I'm ready to add my leeks,

and they've been soaking
to get rid of the dirt

that sometimes builds up
in their layers.

I'm gonna cook these for a few
minutes until they're soft.

Since moving here,
it's been so cool

to learn about farm life.

Nick's dad told me that
it was always his dream

to work with nick.

And who knows, maybe bernie
will grow up to be a farmer.

Hopefully a food blogger,
but maybe a farmer.

I'll sprinkle this in
and let it cook for a minute.

Mmm.

Garlic, leeks and coriander.
Great combo.

Now I'll nestle in
the bok choy.

I love bok choy because it
cooks up so quickly.

It's a great weeknight veggie.

Now, I'll add
a few tablespoons of water

to help the bok choy steam.

and I'll cook this
for a few minutes

until the bok choy
has softened,

but still has some bite.

I'm gonna season these
with salt and pepper.

and now I'm ready to add
the chicken thighs back in.

I'm gonna add them
skin side up

so that the skins stays crispy.

Look at these gorgeous colors.

Golden, crispy chicken skin
and the bright green veggies.

Mm.

Okay, I'm gonna stick this
in the oven

to stay warm
until it's time to eat.

And before I serve,

I'll sprinkle it
with fresh chives.

Still to come.

I'm putting together a rich
and nutty sauce

to pair with chicken
and flaky bread,

that's as easy as
it is delicious.

Then I've got some hungry
farmers coming through

that'll love
all that tonight has in store.

-Oh, very nice.
-There you go.

-Thanks, steve.
-Thanks. You're welcome.

Have a good spring, guys.

It's scenic springtime,
and before planting begins,

I'm having a vibrant meal
for all the farmers.

I'm making a delectable
walnut romesco

to dollop on the chicken
and vegetables.

It's nutty and bright,

with a little sweetness
from the tomatoes.

To start, I'm just toasting
up my walnuts

and bringing out their
toasty flavor.

I'll remove these from heat,

and I'll bring them over
to my food processor.

Next I'll grab
my diced tomatoes,

these will add a little
sweetness and acidity.

My roasted red peppers.

Mmm, red pepper flavor
is so good,

and they only get better when
they're roasted.

And you could roast your own.

I just get them from the jar.

I'm too busy chasing around
bernie to roast my own.

I'll toss in
four cloves of garlic,

and then 1/4 cup each of white
wine vinegar and olive oil.

The white wine vinegar
will add great brightness

and acidity.

And now I'll season with salt,
pepper and a little paprika.

and the paprika will amp up
the smokiness on the peppers.

And now I'll pulse to combine.

I want there to still be some
chunkiness in the texture.

it looks perfect.

I'm gonna taste it.

mm. Mmm.

It is sweet and sour
and nutty.

This is a flavor explosion
in my mouth.

I'm gonna plate this up.

I'll drizzle this
with some olive oil,

and finish with flaky salt.

This is perfect for spring.

I can't wait to put it on
the chicken.

Ooh, it looks good.

-Thank you for hosting this.
-Thanks for coming.

Okay. Dig in before you guys
start diggin'.

- Aah, good one.

I love this
one-pot dinner.

It's just so
sumptuous looking.

We're looking forward
to tom getting going

on those beans
this spring.

That field
looks pretty nice.

-Drying up, isn't it?
-Yeah, it is...

Gonna be
really nice.

I like to think that
it's partially my job

on the farm to keep you guys
energized before the big plant.

could you get me some
more veggies?

They are top-shelf.

-Is that better than exquisite?
-That is better than exquisite.

Holy cow.

You're spoiling us,
molly.

-wow! Look at that.
-Oh!

They're lavender
sugar cookies.

Oh, the rainbows.

Wow.

-Thank you, molly.
-Thank you.

Normally I don't want
to see rainbows

until after I've planted, but...

we'll make it work.

-Mm-hmm.
-This is so good,

it doesn't even
make sense.