Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Crunchy Wings
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Cheesemaking: Tomme Collins
It's been a month of aging for this batch of large tommes; they'll be ready sometime in May or June. I'm already getting requests for them, but there's just no way to speed up this cheese.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monday Menu: Teriyaki Sauce and Grilled Veal Flank
It's been a very long time since I ate anything with "teriyaki" in the description, due to the prevalence of wheat in commercial soy sauce. However, the San-J brand makes it possible to enjoy this flavor again.
6 Tb. of Sake
6 Tb. of Tamari
3 Tb. of Honey (I had to use 4 Tb. of comb honey)
1 Tb. of grated Onion
2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 Garlic clove, finely minced
Sure, it's medium well/well done - but veal flank is one of those forgiving cuts that is tender and moist even when fully cooked through. The teriyaki was sweet and savory, a blast from the 80's when just about everything on every menu was served with this seasoning.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Weekend Cook: Spicy Pork Tamale
I used the basic tamale recipe here, with the following changes.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Weekend Cook: Pork Ribs and Shoulder
The ribs were as lovely as ever. My cole slaw recipe is here (just scroll down to the bottom of the page); there will be another tamale experiment tomorrow.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wheatless: Glutino Frozen Pizza
The only difference seemed to be visual, the cheese topping on each tasted exactly the same to me - but I wasn't about to eat them naked like this.
(Two cheese on the left, three cheese on the right)
To one, I added leftover spicy chicken bits and onions from the other day with grated parmesan and Vermont mozzarella. To the other, dried garlic sausage and mozzarella. I baked both according to package directions.
I liked that these Glutino pizza crusts were thinner and crispier than the crusts purchased alone. The flavor of the sauce was as neutral as any other processed food.
The gussying up with premium ingredients made them really nice for a quick meal.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Salmon Cakes or Patties - whatever!
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tb. Wheatless Breadcrumbs
2 tsp. Dijon
A splash of Worcestershire
Crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. Brunch for two, done!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Life on the farm 020110: WWJWD? (What Would Judge Wapner Do?)
(Scene on the way to farmer's market.)
During the winter we make a monthly meat delivery to customers in South Burlington on the weekend. Afterward, we stop at the indoor farmer’s market to visit and load up on organic veggies, cheeses that I didn’t have to make myself - and for my husband Dan, it is the opportunity to have pastries and all sorts of wheaty things we can’t have around the house because of my allergy. I call this “cereal bingeing”.
We also go to Pet Food Warehouse for cases of wheat-free cat food. The service is tops, employees are attentive and there are always friendly dogs to meet, because of their pet washing service.
Last time we went, Dan was excited to be parking the truck next to another Silverado. That must be a man thing, because he made a big deal about it that I totally didn’t understand. I left him talking trucks to passerby and walked to the entrance.
A car pulled in while he was being social, the driver exited and opened a door to let out her dog. That’s when it all went bad. The dog took off like a streak across the parking lot.
It was a pit bull, a white one with red spots, taller than I’ve ever seen before – and it was trailing one of those retractable ribbon leashes, fully extended, with the plastic handled box swinging wildly, twelve feet behind it.
(Retractable leashes)It was coming straight for me, and Jesus, it got bigger every second.
The entire incident was over in less time than it took you to read this, and yet it all seemed to happen in slow motion.
Have you ever seen a gaucho work boleadoras (bolas) to take down cattle?
(From WikipediA)Hold on to that thought.
On its way, the dog sped by a tall, thin woman. The weighted end of the leash wrapped around one of her legs, the line went taut, and down she went, square on her backside, in the blink of an eye.
The dog reached me; stopped still, and wagged its wee stumpy tail. I gave it a “Nice Doggie” and tried to get some fingers under the metal collar, hidden by thick folds of skin. It had a clean, short coat. Very soft.
Dog Lady had been standing by her car, screaming “Bad girl! Bad girl!” as though the beast had actually ever turned around and returned to her in the past.
She retrieved her dog, and then went over to apologize to Thin Woman, still on the ground.
As far as I was concerned, my involvement was over, and I wanted to get away from that extremely powerful, undisciplined dog before my luck changed.
Thin Woman got up, had words with Dog Lady, entered the store, turned around, and left. No purchase. Strange.
She didn’t approach us as witnesses for that lawsuit I would be calculating if I had suddenly found myself tits-up on the pavement in my good clothes.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Cheesemaking: Connor Abbey at one month
The natural rind that will protect these cheeses has formed. For comparison, here is cheese that is just over one week old:
We won't be able to try one for another month or so; even though they are legal for sale at 60 days, these cheeses are really better at around four months old.
Monday, February 1, 2010
If it's Monday, it must be fish. Again.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Weekend Cook: Cottage Pie
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Weekend Cook: T-bones on the grill, in the dark
The meat was a bit more rare than usual, due to moving the meat around the grill during the ten-minute sear (too much flaming fire). One half of one of those steaks was enough for the both of us.
There will be enough leftovers to make something else tomorrow.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Cheesemaking: Most Milk, Ever
Today I drew the most milk from the farm's cows, ever - 3,200 pounds (about 400 gallons). As you can see, the tank cannot hold much more.
Dan is sporting his arm guards, but refused to don a newly-purchased beardnet, citing that his eyelashes and brows were far longer and he wasn't going to tape them up or shave them off to make cheese, either!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Quick and Easy: Spicy Chicken Bits with Quinoa and Carrots
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Spicy Guacamole Dip
For the dip combine:
One small onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed
A couple shots of Chipoltle Tabasco
One Tablespoon of dried Cilantro
1/2 tsp. Dried Cumin
1/2 tsp. Powdered Onion
1/2 tsp. Powdered Garlic
1/2 tsp. Salt
Mash together with one avocado,
Add 1/4 cup of Sour Cream
Taste, and adjust seasoning (I usually add more onion or garlic powder).
I topped it off with some hot salsa (Green Mountain Gringo) to make it pretty, because green chunks in cream didn't look all that appetizing. Hot and cool flavors together - yummy!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Just before it melted
Here's a picture from yesterday, before the driveways cleared up, it was impossible to walk on the water-covered ice.
Cheesemaking: That's the last of them
In December, January, and February, in addition to blue cheese, we also make our seasonal cheeses: Tomme Collins, Connor Abbey, Brother Laurent. These will be available beginning in March or May and running through the summer.
"Madison" will be undergoing some changes and may reappear as a blue cheese later on in the year.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday Menu: Steamed Salmon and ?Broccolini?
Bit blurry, but fully cooked and moist. I poured the jus from the fish over the fillet and brown rice. The broccolini was a bit of a disappointment, it was way too bitter and overpowered everything. It should taste like asparagus. Holy cow! Was it mismarked broccoli-rabe?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
My Little (walking) Pony
Okay, so if you know horsies, I have to mention that right after Buttercup took a taste of the recorder, I showed Dan the proper way to lead a pony - walking on her left with my right hand on the rope under her chin, left hand holding the lead in an "s" shape.
I took her halfway around the big barn and Dan requested to do the second half. She was focused on the task and didn't need a rest at every quarter of the way (another breakthrough).
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Weekend Cook: BRIBS? RIBSKET?
The following morning, it went on to a 300f fire. The temperature hovered between 250f and 290f during the entire cook.
Friday, January 22, 2010
My Little Pony: Six-hundred Feet
Her goal is to walk for 20 minutes each day. The first attempt netted 150 feet out and 150 feet back to the barn in the allotted time.
On the second day, the same distance took an hour. She's both sore and testing me, I suspect - but she hasn't tried to bite me, so it's all good.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Walking around the Winter Farmers' Market
An overcast day made the lighting in Memorial Auditorium challenging for my flash, and most pictures came out either fuzzy or dark - but I'd like to share a few.
Here's a stand I hadn't noticed before. I could look at these giant marbles all day, but then again, I think regular marbles are pretty neat, too. She had a lamp shining on her wares, making them highly visible.
"No," I said, "That's pudding."
"THERE'S PUDDING?!"
If the portions had been smaller, he would have eaten his way from this stand to the next, and he already had a four-pack of Krin's cupcakes (from Healthy Living) waiting in the truck.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Flank Steak
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Life on the farm 011810: Ringing, in the New Year
It was a miniature white cardboard cakebox, about 4 inches tall, with red and green excelsior sticking out the seams. A delayed, misaddressed, Christmas gift?
“No”, I thought, I’ve heard from everyone, and there’s not a birthday in sight. There’s no delivery coming from Overstock or Amazon, and our wedding anniversary is a full month away.
It had no fragrance and very little weight to it. It didn’t rattle. I didn’t recognize the sender.
My perception of the object changed. Something had come through the mail that hadn’t been ordered or anticipated, and suddenly I didn’t want to tear it open (as I normally would, because I like presents).
I gingerly cut through the top of the box with long scissors, avoiding the taped seams; I didn’t want to open it in a way that was expected. It’s a different world now, isn’t it?
I poked at the paper stuffing with the scissor tips and hit something metallic and dull sounding.
Wanting to avoid direct contact with whatever was inside, I upturned it onto the counter.
It was a bell. A small green cowbell with a website address imprinted on the side: www.ceda-nv.org. Curiouser, and curiouser.
I suspected that it was a creative advertising ploy for dry-cow treatment or pipeline replacement parts. Clearly, the recipient was expected to have Internet access, a penchant for mystery, or optimism for a prize.
As it turned out, the bell is a project of the Churchill County Economic Development Authority (Nevada), and is a device to inform and attract entrepreneurial cheesemakers to relocate to the area.
The county is offering access to 24 million pounds of milk from 21 farms to a new cheese processor, with the goal of both strengthening employment in their community and creating stability for the existing farmland base.
A project worthy of note.
But what has Nevada got that a middle-aged Vermont farmer/cheesemaker could possibly covet?
No sub-zero weather for a start, and little annual snowfall.
There’s no personal income or inheritance tax - no corporate income, estate or gift taxes, low property taxes - and a county willing to get behind any comers with all the help they can muster.
I hope they can attract someone suitable through this “net” broadcast wide enough to catch my humble attention.
Currently, I’m indisposed and unable to take advantage of the opportunity - but the enticement of operating in an environment that enthusiastically supports our industry makes me giddy. I often feel that dairy farmers are paid back in lip service rather than respect, for all that we offer the community at large.
No matter the state where we reside, farmers are in a real mess. Good luck to the dairymen and women of Churchill County, Nevada.
And good luck to all who look to make their living from agriculture.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday Menu: Steamed Dumpling Failure
Done!
Although pretty to look at, they were a technical failure. They stuck to the plate and the filling did not hold together when cut open.
I think that setting the dumplings on a bed of spinach would have fixed the first problem - I'd just eat the leaves that stuck to the bottom. The second problem was caused by using leftover meat; it absorbed the egg white instead of becoming bound by it.
The third problem is that these wrappers are meant to be served either fresh or deep-fried, not steamed, but one can still dream. Further to that, I could have come up with a mayonnaise(y) sandwich filling that didn't need to be cooked, and eaten them as they were - but that wouldn't have resolved the craving for real Chinese-style dumplings.
Ah well, I'll add the remainder of the filling to a soup, and give this another try, soon.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Inflations
What are these? They are milking claw inflations, the only part of the milking machine that touches the cows and performs the actual milking motion (squeeze, release). This is a box of new ones waiting to be installed. The following is from Wikipedia:
Milking machines
"Milking machines are used to harvest milk from cows when manual milking becomes inefficient or labour intensive. The milking unit is the portion of a milking machine for removing milk from an udder. It is made up of a claw, four teatcups, (Shells and rubber liners) long milk tube, long pulsation tube, and a pulsator. The claw is an assembly that connects the short pulse tubes and short milk tubes from the teatcups to the long pulse tube and long milk tube. (Cluster assembly) Claws are commonly made of stainless steel or plastic or both. Teatcups are composed of a rigid outer shell (stainless steel or plastic) that holds a soft inner liner or inflation. Transparent sections in the shell may allow viewing of liner collapse and milk flow. The annular space between the shell and liner is called the pulse chamber.
Milking machines work in a way that is different from hand milking or calf suckling. Continuous vacuum is applied inside the soft liner to massage milk from the teat by creating a pressure difference across the teat canal (or opening at the end of the teat). Vacuum also helps keep the machine attached to the cow...
The four streams of milk from the teatcups are usually combined in the claw and transported to the milkline, or the collection bucket (usually sized to the output of one cow) in a single milk hose. Milk is then transported (manually in buckets) or with a combination of airflow and mechanical pump to a central storage vat or bulk tank...
Milking machines keep the milk enclosed and safe from external contamination. The interior 'milk contact' surfaces of the machine are kept clean by a manual or automated washing procedures implemented after milking is completed. Milk contact surfaces must comply with regulations requiring food-grade materials (typically stainless steel and special plastics and rubber compounds) and are easily cleaned."
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Weekend Cook: Pork Shoulder
...right after I unstick the frozen dome with some hot fire dropped down the chimney. It took about an hour and a half to defrost the gasket and get the top open (it was -2f). There's a fire cube in the bottom vent as well.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Two spills, and seven bushels
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Cat Pile
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Found In The Washer
No, it's not a concert salute. I'm trying to see if this lighter will work after traveling through the washing machine. As you can see, no harm was done - but I could do a separate blog just on objects I find in the washer and dryer. Or rather, what Dan leaves in his pants.
At least it wasn't another papier-mache'd paycheck.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Holiday Eats: Cheetah Dip (artichoke cream cheese)
This is a wheatless nibbly thing for holiday entertaining that is quick and easy. It's a cheat. Instead of making something from scratch, you just dump ingredients together and whiz them in a blender.
I put one small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and one half container of chive cream cheese into the food processor - whizz, whizz, taste - a little more cream cheese to get the consistency I want, and done! Bonus that it tastes and looks like it was real work to make.
