Hello February, Good-bye Ethel...

A lovely, quiet weekend on the farm made for a great beginning to February. Saturday was a day for butchering two of the Turken (aka "Naked Neck") hens that had approached the ripe old age of two years.  But really I was in a hurry to butcher them, because they are constantly eating everyone else's eggs, and because they are just plain mean to the other chickens.  Roosters included.

So the deed was done, and on Sunday I made a nice dinner of roasted chicken with a side of au gratin potato. The butchering chore was preceded that morning by a breakfast of French toast sprinkled with summer blackberries pulled from the freezer.  I even tossed a chunk of butter on top.

Mmmmm.... French Toast

The potatoes were easy; one potato-sliced thin, grated parmesan and heavy cream...

The dogs needed to get out and run, so I took a nice walk late afternoon to check fence lines and have a look around. The creek back in the woods was frozen, but I could still hear the little waterfall underneath the ice and snow. The dogs very much enjoyed the walk and slept well in the warm kitchen the rest of the day. Although, they seem to be confused as to which bed is in tended for which dog.



Louie on the hunt...

Checking the Fence



There's a waterfall under there somewhere...

Later in the evening when it was time to bring the horses in for the night and feed everyone else, I ended up needing Louie's assistance to help catch the turkey hen that escaped her pen.  She's done this three times now, so last night I clipped her wings. Hopefully this will put an end to that.  Her name is now "Lady Houdini..."

The Pressure Is On!

It's cold, soup is warm.  Let's make soup! Or is it stew? Whatever...
I have been desperately wanting a pressure cooker/canner for some time now.  And guess what? My good Mama gave me one for Christmas! So out of the box it came, and out of the barn came a hen for the pot.  Don't fret the hen's demise. She lived a peaceful, cage-free life here on the farm for the past ten months.

So, here is the first recipe I concocted for my new Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker...

Chicken and Vegetable Stew / Soup

1 whole, small chicken (2-3 lbs.) cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp. of chicken bouillon powder (or 3 bouillon cubes)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 medium onion, quartered

3 carrots, 1-inch diameter, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 medium potatoes, cut into halves

3 tablespoons butter

Add the olive oil to the pressure cooker and heat to medium-high heat without the lid on. Brown your chicken on all sides. Pour water in cooker (make sure cooker has cooled down and is not excessively hot). Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker.

Secure the pressure cooker lid in place. Place regulator on vent pipe and cook 20 minutes at 15 lbs pressure. Allow the cooker to cool to zero pressure on its own. Remove meat and separate from the bone and add back to the broth and vegetables. Throw in a little fresh chopped parsley. Test for seasoning, and thicken the broth with a little cornstarch if you’d like.

Delicious. Fast, hot and easy – just like I like my… Wow, where was I going with that one?

But what a great stew though. It can be thrown together in a flash and ready to eat on any of those nasty winter nights. The broth is heavenly. And don’t forget to shamelessly pour yourself some home brew and add a slice of crusty bread.