Bacon

Last Saturday the meat locker called to let me know my pig was ready to be picked up.  I had already prepared by emptying my little freezer in the weeks before.  I ended up needing my other freezer as well, which had to be cleaned out fast.

I must admit I was shocked (and tickled), when I saw how many boxes there were!  A man standing in line at the locker thought I was bringing home a cow.  And then he was really shocked to learn it was a pig - one pig.

280 lbs. of meat, all neatly shrink wrapped and labeled, ready to go home.  And a nice size bag of lard for rendering and also for feeding the wild birds. And of course I had to take everything out of the boxes and do inventory when I got it home.  It's the nerd in me...

So yes, I've been indulging in bacon and other pork goodies this week.  ~A

Rabbit, the other white meat...

A fresh bagged bunny for the freezer



(that's a kidney peeking out from underneath, which will become the dog's treat...)

I started raising rabbits for meat recently.  The three breeding does are New Zealand, and the buck is a Flemish Giant.  The offspring from this crossing these two breeds make really nice meat rabbits.  Mostly white meat, but very tender and ready to butcher at around 10-12 weeks. 

Roasted bunny with apples, onion and carrots

One roasted rabbit goes a long way.  Dinner for two the first night, along with roasted vegetables.  Lunches for two the next day from the leftovers.  A sandwich the next morning for my breakfast, and anything left that I can pull from the bones tonight will go into some sort of soup. Quite a few meals from one young bunny!

Roasted bunny with roasted carrot, mushroom and new potatoes

Bunny sandwich on homemade bread with tomato, lettuce and mayo

To me, the rabbits taste somewhat similar to a cross between chicken and pork, leaning more toward the side of chicken in texture.  This also makes them extremely versatile when it comes to using them in recipes.  The possibilities are endless!  Do you have a favorite rabbit recipe?  I'd love to know how other people like to cook with them. Have a lovely day ~ A

Making Goat Cheese

We've been milking the Boer goat for a month now.  I thought it was high time to attempt making cheese.  There must be a million recipes and demonstrations on You Tube, which is where I found my recipe.  The cheese came out great, resembling mozzarella.  I highly recommend visiting You Tube and giving it a try yourself, even if you have to use cow's milk instead.  I love learning new skills, and now I have one more DIY food item to add to the list of things I can make myself, rather than having to fork over major cash at the grocery store. : )

If anyone out there has a favorite cheese making recipe they'd like to share, I'd sure be grateful! Have a lovely Wednesday!  ~A

Basic Goat Cheese Recipe

¼ C. Cider vinegar

½ Gallon fresh goat milk

Bring milk to nearly a boil (about 200-208 degrees) stirring constantly so not to scorch it, remove from heat, stir in vinegar, let sit until curd forms.  Drain curd in cheesecloth, smash apart, season accordingly (salt, herbs, etc.)Wrap in cheesecloth into cheese mold or colander and press down with all your strength.  Wrap and store in fridge.

What do you consider to be "Fast Food?"

I am often asked what kind of meals I eat since I live on a farm and grow and raise some of my own food.  Because I work away from the farm and commute all the way into the city during the work week, most things I make are what I consider "fast food."  "Fast" to me means salads, pizzas, soups, and simple grilled vegetables and such.  So I thought  I'd post a few photos from "typical" meals, so you can see what fast farm food looks like. Enjoy! ~A

 

Pizza is always fast, easy and awesome!

 

Yes, bread is fast.  Five minutes to make, 30 minutes to bake, at your leisure.

 

Grill some of that bread you made, rub with garlic and top with fresh tomato and basil from the garden!

 

Relaxing Weekend

I made some progress this weekend, even though the weather is still not quite cooperating.  I sorted eggs and loaded the incubator with 41 of them, due to hatch March 23 (give or take a day).  And because I had so many eggs laying around (no pun there) I decided to make a lovely frittata sort of thing for my breakfast.  And that turned out to be a very good decision.

 

 

Then, I had to butcher a young rooster, who was approaching his 6 month birthday.

I also made some soup for my work lunches for the week.  How productive is that? 

I hope you all have a lovely week, ~A

No Name Chili

My company held their annual "chili cook-off" this past Monday.  I didn't win.  But this chili recipe that I entered with, under the classification if "most unusual," was a very good recipe any hoo.  Expensive because of the amount of meat involved, but very good and filling.  The "heat" was just right.  I don't appreciate fire-house type chili that is so hot you can't taste any of the flavors anyway.

And, I got to try out my new meat grinder attachment for my mixer.  Fun! I ground my own pork for this recipe, which you can find at Food 52.  Anyone have a great chili recipe they'd like to share?  I could use one.



Beer makes it better!

(the wine was not part of the recipe - it was for the cook!)

 

 

And the "Polar Vortex" continues...

Yep, its still c-o-l-d...  I know because I checked this morning, and the temperature read -23 degrees.  So it is true!.  This was the first time the big dog ever had frozen, stinging paws after running outside for a quick poop this morning. Poor Louie.  Because it was too cold to let the dog play outside, I took him along with me to the feed mill to pick up some grain.  He looked a tad concerned with my driving skills.  But in my defense it was snowing, and icy!



Louie riding" shotgun"

Snow and cold.  Cold and snow.  More cold, more snow. Cold snow. It appears never-ending. I'm going to loose my mind.  Have I already?



Heading to the Feed Mill

What have we been doing to get through all of this polar despair?  Drooling over spring seed catalogues and eating of course!  Lately we've just been hanging out in the kitchen, throwing ingredients together and playing around with our food to see what we could come up with.  So far the results have not been disappointing.



Perfect Seafood Soup



Red Skin Mashed Potatoes with Bacon



A little bit of everything omelet



French Toast and More Bacon!



Sausage Bean and Veg Soup (Spicy)



Simple Salad with Feta and Chickpeas

Autumnal Equinox 2013

Sunday marked the first day of Fall (Sept. 22nd this year), also known as the Autumnal Equinox. I celebrated the changing of the season by taking a stroll around the farm, preparing (and eating) some good food, admiring nature's subtle changes, and bidding farewell to Summer.

Start with a good Breakfast!

Fall's Wild Flowers