Saturday, November 21, 2009
Weekend Cook: Spicy Veal Skirt
Friday, November 20, 2009
Busy Girls
The winter coop in the youngstock barn is a bustling place, but these ladies are content sitting on eggs in their boxes. Notice the lovely red combs they have; the saying goes that large red combs=daily eggs. So far, it has proved to be true.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Three a day
For the past two weeks we have been getting three eggs a day from the turkey hens. This is very unusual; the only turkeys we ever had that lay were Red Bourbons. These are from Broadbreasted Bronze.
Life on the farm 111609: Turkey Tips
It's that time of year again. The corn harvest is near completion; it's time to fill the bird feeder, knock down the hollyhock, and mark the main driveway with reflective staves for when the snowdrifts erase the entrance to the farm. We don't want the milk truck getting mired down on the lawn.
It's also the time of year that it's all about the bird - you know the one - that holiday turkey.
You can't open a magazine or watch television without being bombarded with hints and tips on how to prepare a T-bird or conjure up a stress-less (or simplified) Rockwellian gathering, but instead of delving into any of that, my husband Dan is offering his tips on how to grow your own holiday bird.
We've raised American Bronze, Narragansetts, and Red Bourbons. They were all delicious, but the one we like the best are Broad-breasted Bronze. They dress from 21 to 40 pounds and compared with the others, are easy keepers.
Dan's advice is twofold:
The first rules apply to all livestock raised for meat.
1) Have a plan on how you are going to do it in.
2) Don't make pets out of your food.
Practical pointers pertaining to turkeys:
1) Order more birds than you think you need (if getting day-old chicks) because they die easily: they can tip over onto their back, get stuck in corners, injure a leg = dead.
2) They jump and fly after a few days, so cover the hot pen until they have real feathers. Cold chicks = dead chicks.
3) Check on them multiple times a day because they attract predators with unhappy peeps and movement. Owls, snakes, cats, rats, falcons, fox = dead.
4) Once they no longer need heat lamps for warmth and are larger than a quart of milk, put them on grass during the day. They love to graze, and will keep their area neatly mowed down. They eat weed seeds, too. Bring them in at night because of predators, and keep a watchful eye and ear out for circling hawks and eagles.
5) Separate hens from Toms when they start breeding and sparring, because injuries will ruin the "eatability" of the birds. Slashes, bleeding, infection = dead.
6) Finish the turkeys on cull apples and cracked corn, because that's what they'd eat if they were living in the wild. You can see native turkeys in alfalfa stands and cornfields all over the county.
Don't let this discourage you, because turkeys really aren't all that difficult. They don't overeat and are pleasurably social, running across their pasture to greet visitors. Mature hens can even give you an egg a day.
It's become popular to keep a few laying hens in the backyard, but if you have the room and a processing plan, a turkey or two is a nice addition.
Like any meat bird you raise yourself, your holiday turkey will be more flavorful, moister, and cook faster than what you can buy in the stores. Just ask Dan.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Turkey update: Bad Boys
All the hens have been separated from the Toms because they were getting a bit too frisky, if you know what I mean. One injured hen is too many, and it looks like we will lose two.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
More Frost Photos
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday Menu: Veal flank, sweet and sour side
I like to cook veal flank because it is just right for two portions, but since it is thicker on one side, half of it inevitably becomes well done. This is not a problem, because this cut is tender past medium.
Another quick and easy meal of veal.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
That's my job!
There are three styles of harvested corn for animal feed. One is corn silage, (mature corn with green stalks) that is chopped (contains some energy, lots of fiber). The next is "cob corn", older corn cobs that are cut into slices; it looks like corn in the stew in a fancy magazine (contains energy with some fiber). The last is "grain corn" corn that is very dry and stripped from the cob (mostly energy and good for burning in new-fangled pellet stoves). We are getting ready to harvest grain corn.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Weekend Cook: Rick's Tamale
After watching Rick Bayless win Top Chef Masters I purchased one of his cookbooks. This delicious tamale recipe is adapted from "Mexican Kitchen".
I think that two cups of chicken was a bit much for this recipe, since some of the tamales fell apart, and there was still a bit of chicken filling left over. The flavor and texture were spot-on hot, spicy, and delicious.
Friday, November 13, 2009
New Cheesemakers: Mt. Mansfield Creamery
Vermont is surely the Napa Valley of cheese.
This is a new Vermont cheesemaker that we had seen on WCAX News, and when I spotted the label in the cheese case at Healthy Living I had to try it. They call this cheese a Havarti; it has a creamy flavor and springy texture.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Turkey Update: separate but equal
In every pecking order, someone has to be the bottom. This Tom was attacked by a superior and once he started bleeding from his wattle, it was necessary to remove him from the pen to keep the others from setting on him. As you can see in the video, the Toms in the pen are shadowing his every move.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
New Arrivals: Day Old Chicks
(The red cast comes from the heat lamps that keep them warm)
We purchased the "brown egg layer" assortment from McMurray Hatchery, and have a variety of breeds, including the ones that lay blue and green eggs. Some look like chipmunks, others like owls.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Rub Recipe and Barbecue Sauce
Peppery Rib Rub, makes ½ cup:
3 TBS. Brown Sugar
1 TBS. Italian Blend Spices
1 TBS Sweet Paprika
1 TBS Black Flake Pepper
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Onion Powder
Mix all ingredients together and keep in a sealed container if not using immediately.
Beer and Maple Q-Sauce
8 ounces Beer (1/2 bottle - Sam Adams Lager)
¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS Prepared Mustard (Dijon)
1 ½ tsp. Kosher Flake Salt
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Smoky Paprika
2 TBS Maple Syrup (medium)
½ Cup Ketchup (Heinz)
Combine all ingredients except ketchup and maple syrup in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, whisk in the maple syrup. For 15-18 minutes continue to simmer, whisking every now and then to incorporate the mustard and prevent the syrup from dropping out.
Remove from heat, whisk in ketchup. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
It's thinner than a commercial sauce - but has plenty of tangy flavor.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday Menu: Chicken on the Egg
Just a little additional BBQ sauce brings it all together (KC Masterpiece - I ran out of homemade sauce) and it's complete! The recipe for both the rub and my own sauce will appear in tomorrow's post.
The squash wasn't quite done after 2 1/2 hours, so I cut it into pieces and microwaved it on high for two minutes to finish cooking.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Weekend Cook: Molly Tamale, part 2
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Weekend Cook: Molly Tamale, part 1
When we first started vending at farmer's market (10 years ago), I had trouble remembering so many names of vendors and clients. So I used monikers that took up less space in my brain like "Tulipman," and "T-shirt Girls".
I have some of her tamales in the freezer but I thought as the summer market ended, that I've become some kind of lazy that I can't be bothered to make my own. I used to make homemade tortillas and pack burritos for Dan's lunch, for goodness' sake!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Farmers' Market #26: The End
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Cheesemaking: How the milk gets to the plant
All is quiet while the milk sets. This will make 70 (3.4 pound) wheels of cheese - maximum capacity for our facility.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Life on the farm 11/02/09: Last Market of 2009
After three inclement Saturdays in a row, I was ready for the farmer’s market season to be over. Most customers thought it had ended weeks ago, after the sun started refusing to appear during the day.
Once the anticipation over the next fruit or veggie to come into season has waned, and it’s no longer temperate enough to relax and eat lunch on a blanket in the park - it pretty much sucks to be vending in the cold for six hours straight. Thank you, October 2009.
In spite of that, we had a bit of luck because on the last market day it was warm and the drenching rain held off until market hours ended. But the wind!
We had to stake down our ground cover during set-up so it wouldn’t blow away in the 25-mile- an-hour wind (and even stronger gusts). We bungeed our tent to a tree and put the sides down; even so, I was barely able to get a tablecloth anchored down.
My husband Dan attached a windbreak to the food-vendor’s tent on our left to help keep their propane stove from going out. I was worried that our clipboards and flyers would become airborne, and packed them securely away.
The final market day fell on Halloween.
(Flapper Girl and Military Man face off in a leaf-throwing battle)
It’s a colossal costume party in the city, all day long.
Half the fun was trying to guess who the revelers were supposed to be, but the biggest surprise was how many Pugs and Papillons also came in costume. Who wouldn’t crack a smile at a doggy bumblebee, red lobster, or Krypto The Superdog sniffing at the communal pee-tree?
We decorated our booth with masks, witchy accessories, and had a basket of candy bar minis to hand out. My favorite visitors were the ones who couldn’t quite reach the tabletop, especially a Cowardly Lion...
...and a fluffy white Abominable Snowman - you know, the character from “Rudolph”, with the blue hands?
Napkins and paper plates from food vendors’ stands took flight and tote lids tumbled across the green; signs blew down, and an un-anchored canopy rose six feet off the ground and headed to Church Street.
(Our specials sign swung dangerously during tear-down, when the tempest resumed)
At least there were no serious injuries or property damage. It’s days like these that are the reason for the mandatory liability insurance that all vendors have to carry.
The sun shone brightly, and the wind died down for an hour or so.
(Danielle from Arethusa gets a costume adjustment)
More interesting people ventured out.
Then it started all over, again.
In the past ten years we’ve ended the market season in rain, snow, and hail, but never in gale. The tent just about tore itself down.
(Cadets? Or awesome costumes?)
On our way out of town we saw someone on the street dressed as a Hasidic Jew. I was reminded that our friend Lieutenant Morrison of the Burlington Police Department was at our booth in uniform, and had been asked if her “costume” was authentic.
Best not to similarly embarrass ourselves by giving a hearty thumbs up to the serious-looking guy wearing ringlets, just in case.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday Menu: St. Louis Ribs and Sweet Delicatas
I deplore mixing sweet and savory as a rule, so the squash alongside white rice just didn't work for me. Maybe I should have dropped a big ol' pat of butter on it like Dan did.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Chicken Kitten Update
The Chicken Kitten has finally decided to stay in the barn and parlor area. As you can see, she has put on some size and has her winter coat.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Weekend Cook: T-bone (and salmon)
A surf and turf done inside the house instead of outside on the grill, due to the darkness of the late hour. Those are beets from Arethusa Collective, our own beef, a salmon fillet from the Hannaford (trying to slide in a healthy fish whenever I can), and sticky sushi rice. Of course for the fish to be truly healthy for you, I think you are supposed to eat it instead of beef, not alongside it.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween
This is as much decorating as we will do for Halloween, however, it's spooky on the farm all the time. Check out the semi-feral barncats:
There's a made-for-the-Sci-Fi Channel movie in there, somewhere.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Farmers' Market #25: Next to Last
The Tamale Girl (Monica Mead) has left for New Zealand, Martha Enzler (The Tile-Lady) is gone, I think Panadero Bakery is for sale - and it looks like we will be absorbing the Farmhouse Artist's Market to give them more room and exposure next season. I can't believe I'm already thinking out how "Market 2010" will look.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Cheesemaking: Curd sizes
We make one size of curds for all our cheeses, about one inch, but never square, and never perfect. Every step in cheesemaking affects how the end product will turn out. Once the whey is gone from the curds, what you are left with becomes cheese!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wheatless: Betty's Yellow Cupcakes
Big hug for Betty!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Meatball Toasties
What to do with those leftover meatballs? I cut them into 3rds, placed them on the top of grilled bread (not gluten-free, only Dan can eat these) and topped them with cheese. They went into a 400f oven for 15 - 18 minutes. Very fragrant and garlicky!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday Menu: Veal Meatballs with Red Sauce
The ingredients: one pound ground veal; 4 cloves garlic and two onions, grated; 5 ounces of Tomme Collins, grated; 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 2 TB gluten-free breadcrumbs; one egg; and 4 ounces of spinach...
washed, stemmed, blanched, drained, cooled, and...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
24
Twenty-four chickens were spared from the chopping block when we processed stewing hens last weekend. I chose them based on the size and deep red color of their combs; hens that have stopped laying (forever) have shrunken and ashen combs.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Weekend Cook: Simply Steaks
Friday, October 23, 2009
Farmer's Market #24: Dewey Day
But this one had the coolest sweater! Two more markets to go before regrouping and preparing for our winter delivery schedule.