Monday Menu: Potato-Cheese Crawdaddies Soup

Potato Cheese Soup

 This all started when I noticed the crawfish at the Hannaford fish counter.  I haven't had them since our only vacation (South Carolina) some twenty years ago.

Starts with 1.5 lbs. of white potatoes.

Cover with stock, add a sliced leek and a whole head of garlic (peeled), simmer till tender (about two hours).  Let cool.  Add 6 ounces grated hard cheese (I used our Connor Abbey).

Whizz with the immersion blender.  Add a 1/4 cup of cream and a couple shakes of Tabasco.

Secret ingredient.  Six spicy pre-cooked Crawdaddies.  Should have gotten a dozen!  Reheat on low.

Potato and Crawfish Soup

Adjust for salt, and done!  Eat the soup and save the mudbugs for last...so good!  They taste a bit like frog's legs.  This recipe makes 10 one-cup servings, but there are bugs for only two.

I may have fished out my ration before service.  Cook's privilege.

Weekend Cook: Pork, Beef and Blue Cheese Meatloaf!

Meatloaf

 This comes together fast, then bakes slowly.

Beef and Pork Meatloaf

Makes (2) loaves

Serves 8

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 lb. Ground Pork

1 Large Onion, pureed in a food processor

6 oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled*  (I used our farm’s Madison)

3 Eggs

1/4 cup Minced Garlic (about 8 cloves)

6 TB Breadcrumbs

1 TB Italian Herb Blend (salt-free)

4 tsp. Black Pepper

2 tsp. Powdered Garlic

2 tsp. Powdered Onion

Salt

Mix all ingredients together.  Microwave a test piece and adjust for salt if necessary – this varies according to the amount of salt in the blue cheese.

Let stand in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 350f.

Transfer mixture to two ungreased 9-inch loaf pans.  Bake until the internal temperature is 160f, about 1½ - 2 hours. 

*If cheese is very salty, reduce the amount by half.

I served it with creamed leeks and steamed squash.  The best part is the crunchy crispy top!

Today on The Farm

Frost on Leaves

Hard frost last night, all the leaves are falling from the trees.

Vermont Frost in November

I saw a  partridge on the front lawn at daybreak, but due to the dreaded Sony autofocus the pictures didn't come out.  Hope it comes back tomorrow!

Weekend Cook: Duck Soup

Duck Soup

It all started with a beautiful roast duck from Stony Pond Farm.

It tasted fantastic - and the remains went right into the soup pot with an assortment of vegetables and chicken stock.

The stock was placed in a 225f oven overnight, then cooled and strained.

Duck Soup

Glass noodles, shiitake caps, oyster mushrooms, and chard were added.

I soft-boiled some eggs, peeled them, and voila!

Today On The Farm

Chefwear

 Bored at the cheeseplant this morning.  We usually make cheese one day a week.  This makes twice.  I don't even know what day it is anymore.

The first fluffy snow of the year.  Keeler does not look so thrilled about it.

And then, hail...not the first time this year, but on my nerves.

And now, it's a weird square snowfall.  Waiting for the thunderhail and lightning...

Burlington Farmer's Market #26: Last Day

It was 42 degrees and breezy.   Our propane heater died after only 40 minutes, but I had an insulated Coleman blanket to wrap up in - and Dan's heated jacket as well.   I slept all the next day.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We had candy for Trick Or Treaters, but it was mostly eaten by tourists gawking at the protesters in the park like this was some kind of zoo.

Kitties, doggies, candids, and boots I must have -  a farewell to farmer's market until next May!

New Pellet Furnace

Woodmaster Furnace

Remember when we got this new furnace in 2009?  Well, it was a lemon - a genuine lemon.  We replaced every part and then decided that what we really needed was a whole new unit.  This one is smaller and has an automatic start, which the other lacked.  We are also burning wood pellets instead of corn this year because corn is too expensive.  Think about that.  We grow it, and it's too precious to burn.

New Tires

Skidsteer Tire

Sure, air-filled tires are cheaper, but they don't last long around here.  Our skidsteer was just fitted with brand new solid rubber tires!

The rims are part of the tire.

John Deere Skidsteer

The increased weight will be beneficial for all the jobs it does around here, including pushing up feed.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but newer, better, more expensive tires are a huge deal for us.

Cheesemaking: Packaging

Boucher Blue and Gore-Dawn-Zola

Blue cheeses ready for sale are wrapped in candy foil with a label and coding sticker, then bagged (see naked cheeses in the background).  They are now ready for shipping out - which is what I am doing today.  Heavy lifting!