Grilling Between Rain Showers and the Best Turkey Burgers Ever!

Possibly the best thing about frequent and intermittent showers are rainbows. It might make grilling difficult but there is nothing as beautiful as a rainbow. This rainy whether has been challenging for our farmers too. My father has been battling against rain to get the haying done but I think the rain will make our second cutting in August that much better. Nothing makes the end of a long day out on the fields more rewarding then something simple but delicious. Grilling also gives one the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous Catskill evenings.

For the fourth we BBQ'd. The menu included turkey burgers, chickpea salad with feta, traditional potato salad and corn on the cob. So perfect.

Spicy Turkey Burgers
makes 10 burgers which feeds about 6 people

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Rub or a Cajun Spice seasoning
• 1 egg

Preparation: in a large bowl mix ingredients together using your hands and form 10 burgers. grill on a medium heat until well done.

My Ancho Chili Rub

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder or chili powder
• 1 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes(less if you do not like it spicy)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Preparation: Mix together, place in glass jar, use whenever you want a spicy kick!

Notes From Sterling College's Rural Heritage Institute, Part I

Beautiful Sterling College

It has taken me a while to get to blogging about the amazing time I had up in Vermont’s Northeastern Kingdom and at Sterling College’s Rural Heritage Institute. Truth be told the whole experience was extremely inspiring, life changing even. I feel like I left a bit of myself in Vermont; it is a truly special place. The conference was a meeting of the minds, and I left it hopeful for a future where people are thinking, eating and talking more about real food. The two main themes from the conference were raising awareness about sustainable food systems through education, and also the unique and supportive community that Northern Vermont has become: one that fosters instead of hurts small farmers, a community where good food is savored and support is given to those who raise it.

They have created an agricultural system from the ground up and it has become a Mecca for young farmers who are farming differently, and excelling at it. I like that organic and grass-fed farms are good for the environment, I like that they treat the animal better, but what I like best is that farmers can make a living. I have seen too many farms closed and sold because farming is not life-sustaining. It was inspirational to see farms doing well in a time when family farms are an endangered species. They have created a dynamic and thriving system that works.
We need some of that magic in Upstate New York.

What Makes the Northeastern Kingdom Unique? A Community Committed to Creating Smart Solutions

It comes down to community support of farmers but also services and infrastructure that help farmers process their animals, buy specialized feed, and sell their products. There have been big interests at work systemically closing small processing plants, markets and other avenues that connect customers with producers. In Vermont the community is a force by opening restaurants and markets that help, not hurt, farmers. This is all happening in the Northeastern Kingdom of Vermont. Inspiring ,isn’t?

What makes Vermont’s Northeastern Kingdom so remarkable is that non-commodity farms are excelling to the delight and benefit of the region. Andrew Meyer, The president of Vermont Soy, spoke to us about how the region was hoping to become the Sonoma Valley of excellent artisanal American food. Andrew admitted that his product costs more than other products, but emphasized that it was benefiting the community and the health of his customers. Until our public policy makes things fairer for small farmers, we can’t expect them to be competitive in the price arena. In the meantime, small entrepreneurs and farmers need to create niche products to survive.

I have wrestled with the issue of cost on my blog. I know that grass-fed meats can be cost-prohibitive, and for many of my readers unattainable. If you are one of those people, I hope to ease your pain a bit. When you can support local farmers, do it. Better yet, plant a few tomatoes, get a chicken or two, and maybe even learn to can. Be inspired, not guilty: cook more, savor your food, sit down to dinner, have your kids or partner help you cook, learn more and ask more of your public officials. I know many of you are already doing this because money is tight. The less prepared food you buy the better, because thinking about where your food comes from is essential. I feel a collective awakening in America about food. It is exciting, and I know that change is coming. Believe me, there are farmers waiting to feed us when the playing field is made fairer.

Clark Wolf author of American Cheeses, founder and president of Clark Wolf Company, a New York-based food and restaurant consulting firm gave a funny and exciting talk.

When Clark Wolf pointed out how Americans spend as much money on food as Europeans, I was not surprised. People speak of how low food prices have become, but this is not totally true. We are inundated by ads and messages that make us feel as if we cannot cook, that prepared food will bring smiles to our children’s faces and make our lives easier. If you go to any supermarket, prepared food is expensive, and there are large interests making a pretty penny by intimidating us into buying products we could easily make ourselves. The same is true of chain restaurants who feed us terrible quality food at extremely high prices.

Claire's a community supported restaurant

If you go to your local Friday’s or Red Lobster you are not getting good food and you are definitely not getting a good deal. Nor is your community. In Hardwick, VT they have a charming restaurant called Claire’s, which is a community-supported enterprise that nourishes the earth and the community. Claire’s has made a commitment to spending 79 percent of every dollar on local ingredients. I had the pleasure of eating there for my birthday, and I got a perfectly cooked Maine lobster with a glorious ramp pesto finish that was served with a burnt butter basil sauce, roasted potatoes and the most fantastic sautéed spinach. It was possibly the best lobster I have had and definitely the best restaurant meal I have eaten. And get this, it was reasonable!

When food representatives talk about how sustainable foods cannot feed the masses they are right, but not in the way they want us to believe. Their argument is that industrial food is more efficient, and because of this, cheaper. This is not true; their food is cheaper because of subsidies, free federally- funded irrigation, and corporate policies that have promoted consolidation. The system is rigged to make it easier for corporate Ag to feed us. Why have the big packers bought and then closed small slaughter plants? This is not because it is efficient, but because they know that fewer plants benefit their industrial system, not one where local farmers can process their animals close to home and sell to markets and their neighbors. In fact, small farms are more efficient. Vermont is proving this to be true, and I cannot say enough good things about the region and what they can teach America about a vibrant rural economy that creates amazing food!

More to come on the farmers, chefs and most importantly the food of Vermont's Northeastern kingdom!

Tips On Grilling Grass-fed Meats!

Spring Lake Farm's Lamb Loin Chops On The Grill

Now that it is grill season, it is time to talk a bit about the special attention that needs to be paid to grass-fed meats. I have not been doing that much grilling this June because of the non-stop rain but I wanted to share some of my thoughts now that it is officially summer.

On grass-fed lamb:
I have found that grass-fed lamb is not that different from store bought lamb, and in all honesty a lot of lamb in the supermarkets is grass-fed because lamb is not a commodity like chicken, pork or beef in America. I love to grill lamb shoulders: absolutely delicious, their fat gets crispy, and there is beautifully charred marrow in the bones.
Spring Lake Lamb with Dill and Paprika Rub

My favorite spice rub for lamb is:

• 1 teaspoon dill (or a tablespoon of fresh dill)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• A dash or two of garlic powder
• And two dashes of soy sauce...

Another great flavor combo for grilled lamb is fresh rosemary, olive oil, sliced garlic and lots of salt and pepper. (Remember to heavily salt grilled meats because grilling meat decreases saltiness).

On Grass-fed Beef:
Many chefs and cooks do not recommends marinating grass-fed steaks because it can make them tougher, they recommend instead using rubs and grilling them over a medium heat until rare. Basically you want to cook the steaks at a lower temperature for a shorter time. I have had an amazing grass-fed steak at Back Forty where they grilled the steak until medium rare, and served an herb sauce on the side which included cilantro and parsley (I think the Colombians serve steak this way). This is a great way to introduce guests to grass-fed beef because they can experience the grass-fed flavors, but also see how fantastic flavors tastes along with the robust leanness of the steak. I am a big fan of bold flavors; my father thinks all you need for a steak is freshly cracked pepper and salt. He likes to taste his meat and he is proud of it and he is right, but that does not mean that steak rubs cannot bring a steak to another level. Not only that, a lot of grass-fed steaks are not up to the quality that one would like, and rubs are a wonderful way to make a steak fantastic.* In the winter you might feel inclined to cook the steaks French style, with a delicate sauce, but in summer you can ease up and rubs are a great way of kicking up the flavor with little effort.

When I was developing recipes for the grass-fed party, I became enamored with the combinations of ancho chilies and beef, especially on marbled steaks like rib eye or cowboy steaks. Montreal Steak rubs are popular too, and were influenced by Jewish immigrants who spiced their meats with pepper, mustard and caraway seeds; a bit like pastrami but on a steak, the secret is lots of pepper. It is easy to make a rub, and if you leave it in a jar it can be stored up to 6 months. I recommended making a few rubs, I love to experiment, and they do not last long because I use them on potatoes, Spanish rice, baked chicken thighs with crispy skin and even fish. My spicy ancho chili rub is excellent on fish with lime, and can be used for fish tacos. La Cense Montana Steak with and Ancho Chili Pepper Rub

My Ancho Chili Rub

• 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder or chili powder
• 1 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes(less if you do not like it spicy)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
  
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Preparation: Mix together, place in glass jar, use whenever you want a spicy kick!

A note on price. Spices are expensive, I am lucky enough to live in New York where you can find thousands of excellent spices inexpensively. Go to any Chinese, Indian or Mexican market and you can get quality spices for very little. My bi-annual spice runs, are always accompanied with a meal in the neighborhood, which is another source for inspiration! For those of you in small towns, there are more and more ethnic markets opening up that cater to immigrants I recommend going and stocking up on spices, condiments and herbs.

*I mentioned before that consistency in grass-fed production is still an issue that all producers are trying to prefect. For this reason, stews and slow cooked grass-fed beef recipes are always excellent, but grilling can really bring out the faults in a producer's methods. Even with this said when a grass-fed steak is done well, it will tell a story like no other and tastes far superior to its grain fed counterpart. You can taste the herbs, the grass, and you get an intense beef flavor like no other. Look no further then Argentina where grass-fed beef, and especially the grilled kind, has become an art form. I have high hopes for American grass-fed beef. In fact ,there are more and more producers meeting and sharing meat and methods all in the hopes of making grass-fed American beef first class.

What are your grilling tips? Please share!

Rural Heritage Institute, Food Farms and Community Conference.

Our cows with their new calves in the "nursery" just before dark.

My friend Annie Connole and I have been asked to talk at Sterling College for their second annual Rural Heritage Institute, Food Farms and Community Conference for our work creating the Grass-fed Party. We are thrilled, humbled and most importantly excited to talk about our experience! I cannot wait to meet new people and all the other speakers whose talks all sound fascinating.

A bit about the conference from Sterling College's website: "Join some of the nation’s leading scholars, farmers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, artists, and activists at Food, Farms, and Community: Rural America’s Local Food Renaissance from June 16th-18th in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom."

Sterling College has started a blog here. I am going to blog about my thoughts after the conference; going in I have been thinking a lot about how without public policy initiatives we can not have any true grass-fed change. And yet, I become more and more inspired by all those who seek to understand and support America's rural heritage and its grass-fed renewal!

The Perfect Dinner Party: Easy, Delicious and Homemade!

I had a good friend over for dinner the other night, and it was a delicious and a wonderful way to reconnect. Not only that, I was able to serve something seasonal, totally homemade--- that was elegant and inexpensive. Quiches are the perfect spring food because they celebrate our gorgeous spring eggs, and you can incorporate all the spring bounty without much fuss. An easy quiche from scratch, you ask? Well I cheated a bit, this crust is not a traditional French one, but it works fantastically well. You do not miss meat when you have this glorious piece of quiche in front of you. My mother made quiche a lot. I thought it was because she had grown up partially in France, but this is only part of the story. Truth be told that with a little bit of effort, you can create something fantastic for your friends and family with very few ingredients.
I served it with fresh mesclun (which is best in early summer) that was dressed with a light vinaigrette that I put fresh sage, chives, and thyme in. Really brightens up the dish. Luckily, my friend brought a wonderful bottle of wine(I had forewarned her about the quiche) and the wine she choose was the PERFECT accompaniment for the quiche. The wine was from Alsace, France and called Willm Riesling which was bright, floral and tart against the richness of the dish, and its floral notes played with the herbs in the salad. Lovely. Who knew dry Rieslings were so good? I guess the French!

Fresh Spinach and Onion Quiche

For the easy crust

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 stick butter, cut into eight pieces
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons cream

Preparation for easy crust:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. In a food processor process flour, butter tabs and salt until crumbly then add cream until smooth.(you can also use a fork, and a bowl)
   
3. Using a rolling pin, and two sheets of wax paper, roll into a 10 inch circle and place in 9 inch pie pan. Using a fork, prick the crust all over, you can use the fork to make an attractive crust by pressing it against the the pan with the fork.
4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

For Quiche Filling:

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion minced
• 2 handfuls of raw spinach, chopped up
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs or 5 small eggs
• a bit of ground nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Grate the cheese, beat the eggs and chop the onion and fresh spinach, mix all together with cream and milk, and season. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell.
3. If the spinach is sticking out a bit, you can take the quiche out after 15 minutes and press the spinach
4. Bake at 300 degrees for almost an hour until the quiche becomes golden and firm in the middle when wiggled.

Willm Riesling 2007

More on the wine: I love French wines, for me they are the best value for the best quality and not only that, if you are on the east coast they have the smallest carbon footprint. For just over 10 dollars you have a great wine that plays well with summer food. They recommend serving it with oysters and fish. And because I am on an Icelandic fish kick, you know I am going to get more of this wine.

Planting Potatoes with My Mother

I am upstate planting potatoes, it is hard work in the rocky soils of Delaware county, it makes one think about how hard it is to wrench life from the land but also how rewarding it can be. Potatoes are fascinating, and I hope they will do well. My boyfriend's family are Irish, and they gave me advice about what varieties do well, and which tasted best. Kerr's Pink is his mother's favorite and I can not wait to see how well they do up here. We got 8 different varieties, some organic others not. I am looking forward to seeing, which do best, and even more which TASTE best!

Kerr's Pink potatoes an heirloom variety from Ireland via Scotland

Purple Viking potatoes cut up, with at least one eye, and let to rest out for a day before planting!

Kerr's Pink Potatoes with eyes facing up to to the sky!Dig a row 6-8 inches deep, put potatoes 12 inches apart and cover a bit(you will re-cover them when they grow more again!)

Flynn my Irish Terrier hanging out while we dug and planted

The Girl Who Ate Everything's Iceland Posts and Icelandic Fried Dough!

Robyn from the Girl Who Ate Everything did such an amazing job capturing the culinary scene of Iceland, I am in awe. If any of you have any interest in Icelandic food, or being a tourist in Iceland I recommend checking them out! Her photo's and writing do not disappoint!


Because I now have Icelandic food on the mind, I wanted to include an Icelandic specialty which is cardamon spiced fried dough that is so good! Icelanders eat these with coffee mid morning. Back Forty(one of my favorite restaurants) does this amazing homemade doughnut that is covered with a tangy rhubarb sauce. There is nothing as delicious as homemade fried donuts, and they are not that difficult to make. I recommend it to everyone! I have a fry daddy which I can not say enough good things about, it is safe, uses less oil and is inexpensive!

Icelandic Fried Dough or Kleinur

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• canola oil for frying.

Preparation: sift the flour and cream of tartar large bowl, cut the butter into the flour add cardamon and then baking soda. Add buttermilk, then eggs incorporate into dough. Knead into a soft dough but do not knead that much. Flatten dough thinly with rolling pin, using a knife or a pizza cutter cut dough into 2 inch strips and then cut it into diamond shapes. Cut a small slit in the center of each diamond and gently pull one end through the slit, to make the twist in the doughnuts. Heat Canola oil for frying. In a hot oil, fry kleinur until done, they should be a deep brown. Store in tin and enjoy all week with coffee!
ENJOY!

Thursday Cow on Twitter!

As many of you know, I have a big obsession with cows. I love them: how large and gentle they are, and I love how beautiful they are. Their history is just as inspiring, one that is in tune with the environment they were developed in. Each week I am going to devote my tweets to one cow breed; called #thursCow. This week's cow is the Hereford, which are one of my favorite cows because they are so gentle, in fact they were used as oxen so they are extremely calm and do not mind human company at all. I am biased against Black Angus only because of my close call with a bull. And I also resent the successful branding campaign that BIG beef has been able to inflict on America, in most cases Black Angus beef is feedlot beef.

My father has a lot of Hereford cows, but because of their large heads they sometimes have trouble passing calves, so we do not breed the cows to Hereford Bulls. Nonetheless, they are excellent beef cows, and I would love for them to get as much love as the Black Angus here in America.

Even though they were developed in England where pastures are non-brittle (moist and restorative) they excel in brittle grass environments like Australia and Argentina who are possibly the best grass-fed cattle ranchers in the world.

My Twitter
And #thursCow

Adirondacks For Memorial Day!

I had a great memorial day. My boyfriend and I rented a log cabin, and invited friends to come up with us, we grilled, we drank and we climbed a mountain(BUCK MOUNTIAN!). It was great. Some of these friends I have known since I was 18, this means we have known each for well over a decade. We all met as freshman in the honors dorm for the newly minted "Presidential Scholars" program at SUNY Albany. It is amazing how little things change and how much they do. Grocery shopping with 15 people, almost gave me a panic attack, as the resident cook, I had to answer a lot of questions (and frankly I did not feel comfortable being the culinary leader because there are so many different tastes, religious concerns, and not to mention ethical concerns). As Americans, I think we have to be sensitive to so many different ways of eating that it makes us bland and we end up eating chicken breast instead of liver pate because it is safe. Do find that cooking for your friends complicated? Fun? I put my grass-fed diet on hold for the weekend because I had done so much preparation last year. Traveling with food is more work than it is worth. So, we gorged on grocery store meat, smores, grilled veggies, baked potatoes, peanut and jelly sandwiches and lots of Saranac beer. And it was great.

Stuffed Cabbage with Grass-fed Beef and Fresh Herbs

I made these last night and could not wait to share them with you, they were fantastic! I could not believe that with only one pound of beef and a head of cabbage I could create a huge meal for a crowd of people. In developing recipes with grass-fed beef, I have found that traditional dishes work extremely well. Traditional cooking extends meat and also uses tougher cuts! This dish fits the bill, it is a bit challenging but it is WELL worth all the effort. I know this is a very wintry dish but I added a lot of fresh herbs and served it with homemade bread and butter. And I love cabbage all year round! So lovely!

Stuffed Cabbage with Grass-fed Beef and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground grass-fed beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• A few sage leaves
• A handful of parsley, minced
  
• A few spring of thyme, minced
  
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup of uncooked rice
• 2 tablespoons of breadcrumb
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• Some fresh cracked pepper
• 1 head green cabbage

For Sauce:

• 3-15 once cans of dice tomatoes(or a big can of tomato juice or 28 oz can of crushed to tomatoes)
  
• 1 onion sliced
• rest of the can of tomato paste
• 1 juice of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• water to cover cabbage rolls
  

Preparation:

1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, while you wait, gently separate the cabbage leaves from the head.
2. Remove boiling pot from heat source and place cabbage in pot, for about ten minutes.
3. TO prepare the filling, in a large dutch oven saute garlic and onions, add parsley. Let cool, in a mixing bowl, mix meat, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs, salt, pepper, tomato paste, rice and then add onions and garlic.
   
4. to assemble rolls place about 2-3 tablespoons of meat filling into cabbage leave and fold into pockets(they need not be pretty), I had to use tooth picks to keep them together.
5. Place in large dutch oven, add sauce, on a very low heat bring to a boil and cook at a very low heat for about two hours. Enjoy!
   

Roman-Style White Fish! And Recipe Contest!

The folks at Frescobaldi Wines in Tuscany contacted me about this recipe contest and I am going to submit this recipe. Please join me and submit your own recipe! It is a great way to get exposure and a chance to win a Tuscan meal cooked in your home(really cool).
I would love to learn to cook from a REAL Italian chef, New York is filled with Italian American food which is great but it is more comfort food and less elegant Italian fare. I know, I know there are good Italian restaurants here but I always leave a bit disappointed. I love Otto though, so good! From what I gather from Italian cuisine is that it is a tradition that is steeped in history---one that prizes fine ingredients. This dish is fantastic, easy and delicious it is also very elegant. Which is something I think Italian food should be, elegant and light where the ingredients shine through.

Roman-Style White Fish with Capers, White Wine, Parsley and Butter!

Ingredients:
1-pound white fish like haddock or sole(I used frozen Icelandic sole)
flour for dredging
salt and cracked black pepper for tasting
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine, sherry or vermouth
2 tablespoons capers
a handful of parsley

Preparation: cut the fish into attractive pieces, dredge the fish fillets in flour, salt and pepper. In a pan melt butter then add oil, saute fish for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside somewhere a bit warm. Add garlic, white wine, capers and then parsley to pan. Pour sauce over fish! Serve with rice! Enjoy!

A Bit of Stress Relief On Monday!

It has been proven that pictures of animals in natural settings reduce stress, much like having a purring cat on your lap. I hope you find these pictures pleasing!

Spring Is Here! Praise Fresh Herbs!

With all the talk of seasonality on the blogosphere, I have felt a bit left out. DO not get me wrong, I love spring: I love the flowers, the gardening, the animals, the everything ---but when it comes to planning spring food I draw a bit of a blank. There are some bloggers who seem to elegantly transverse spring ---a few that come to mind are Last Night's Dinner, A Dinner Party and What I Like. Maybe it is because in the Catskills our spring does not bring much to eat until late May, but there is one thing that gets me REALLY excited and that is fresh herbs. I am a bit of a cheapo, so fresh herbs in the winter are a no, no. Except for the .99 cent cilantro and parsley that I get weekly at the west side market. I can not live with out that! Anyways, the herbs in my garden are growing: I have chives, sage, thyme and Greek oregano. And I am using them so much I fear I am thwarting their growth. I made this AMAZING omelet this weekend, and the herbs were fantastic, not only that, our chicken's eggs work so well in omelets because of the color: bright green against, bright turmeric. Really wakes up the senses!

Spring Omelet with Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients:

• a whole lot of fresh parsley, thyme and chives
• butter to saute mushrooms and omelet
• 7 eggs
• splash or two of milk
• some cheddar cheese
• paramesan cheese
• 4 nice mushrooms, sliced
• a small tomato, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Preparation: beat eggs, and add milk. Saute sliced mushrooms in butter with minced herbs about five minutes(season with salt and pepper). Take out of skillet add butter if needed, lower heat to low medium, and add eggs mixture. Add cheddar cheese, paramesan cheese, then mushrooms and tomato, let cook for a long while(low heat is the best way to make an omelet) fold and serve with more fresh herbs! Enjoy!
12 inch skillet

My Mother, Temma Bell, At the Bowery Gallery

With mother's day this weekend I want to take the opportunity to talk a bit about my mother. The picture above is one of my favorites, I am looking at my father's camera case (which is sort of funny) and my mother is holding my little sister, we are all standing on a newly hayed field. You can see pride, love and above all happiness on their faces. Their life on the farm was in many ways a big romance, with each other, with us, and the land. We had animals, triumphs and failures but we were always and will always be a close knit family. This is because of my mother: she cooked, painted and raised us to appreciate our surroundings and others. My mother was able to feed us a natural diet on a slim budget, she raised four daughters, tended a big garden, was a supportive farmer’s wife all the while being a painter. I think all of us think our mother's are super women, but I am convinced mine is, no one works harder then her. Not only that , she is a talented painter and cook! Her paintings documented our lives and our farm animals, and the food we ate. She is currently showing at the Bowery Gallery in Chelsea at 530 W25th Street 4^th floor! I recommend it !

My boyfriend helping my father hang the show

One of my favorite paintings of of me and my sisters with two of our dogs!

Mothers Are Love

Newborn Polish Arabian Foal

The farm is bursting with life, and it is in the spring that all the mothers on the farm are hard at work: giving birth and taking care of foals, chicks, lambs and calves. It is a sight to behold; I have seen ewe's face off against border collies, cow's hide their new born calves and horses run in formation to scare of coyotes. It is not only the farm animals that are busy but the bird life on the farm is also in full force, wild ducks are nesting, the cranes too and the pasture birds like kill deers are busy protecting their nests. We rely heavily on the wild pasture birds to keep our pasture's vibrant, they eat bugs and also help to decompose cow pies!

To all the human mother's who read my blog, but especially to my mother: Happy Mother's Day!

The Danish Opened Faced Sandwich!

My Mother's Leverpostej on the Table My Grandfather Made

I have a lot Danish ties because Iceland was a colony of Denmark for many centuries. All Icelanders speak Danish, and there was a time when a big segment of Iceland went to Denmark for College. This was true of my grandmother, grandfather, great grandfather and my father who all studied in Copenhagen; so Danish culture comes from both sides of my family and has really influenced the food I ate as a kid. More so even then Icelandic food because you cannot get a lot of Icelandic ingredients here but you can make great Danish food with things that readily available here. My grandmother would make this amazing pork butt roast with cracklings which was FANTASTIC! I have been meaning to do a series of blog entries on Danish food because they are masters of cheese and all things pork. I would argue that the Danes are so good at producing pork and making pork products that they rival Iowa in production and France with their pate. You have not fully lived until you have tasted Danish liver pate. It is heaven sent. When we have our pigs butchered and we use their precious livers it is a Danish recipe we use not a French one. Not only are Danes food artisans, they have a zest for life, and good humor is of utmost importance to them: if you are ever invited to Danish home be prepared to laugh and be fed well. My family's open faced sandwich with our eggs

The Danes are known here for their pastries and boiled hams but they should be known for their open faced sandwiches. Danes are REALLY serious about their open faced sandwiches; so much so that sandwich chefs devote themselves to the art of sandwich making. A lot like sushi in Japan, and just as good. My parents NEVER, EVER served closed sandwiches in their home (which I found to be extremely annoying and when I was feeling rebellious I would say things like: “we live in America not Denmark!”). The above sandwich is not by ANY means a master's work but it is a meal we ate frequently for lunch, especially in the spring and summer when the eggs were plentiful. The secret is two slices of bacon, two fried eggs, a piece of toasted dark bread, and mayonnaise or butter. You will need a fork and knife to eat this sandwich but that is fine, it makes it taste better!

I would share our liver recipe but my mother does it and I have yet to write down her recipe, all I can do is show you how gorgeous it is! If you were a sandwich master you would serve this pate with butter-sautéed mushrooms and and slices of bacon! SOOOO good!

The Garden is Open For Business!

The boyfriend cutting up the homemade pizza!

Homemade pizza with mushrooms and spring onions!

Greek Salad with my favorite canned stuffed grape leaves!

Did I ever tell you I hate hot weather? I think I am allergic to it honestly. I know so many people pine for the hot weather: the bathing suits, the beach, the sandals. I do not. I burn, I am a very bad swimmer, and if I were ever to lie on a beach I would have to sit under an umbrella with 45 sun block on. Everyone has been talking about how great the weather was the past few days, and yet I am starting to dread summer already, but there is one thing that can not be beat in the summer in NYC---the evenings. There is nothing like eating outside with the noises of the city around you, whether it is at a bistro in the west village, a beer garden in Astoria or your own outdoor space. I just love the evenings of a NYC summer! It was too hot to eat inside, so we ate dinner for the first time in the garden. On the menu? Hot weather food, a lovely Greek salad accompanied by canned stuffed grape leaves and a home made pizza with mushrooms and sliced spring onions. If you are looking for a great homemade pizza recipe check out Cinnamon and Spice and Everything Nice's which looks fantastic!

Greek Salad

My Greek Salad

Ingredients:

• two hearts of romaine(had a bit of baby spinach that I added)
• feta cheese
• black olives
• sliced onions(I like to marinate them in the dressing)
• fresh tomatoes, cut up

For the dressing:

• 3- teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• a handful of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme or dill. minced
• a clove of garlic, minced
  

Preparation: mix dressing, add sliced onions to dressing, assemble salad and add dressing, serve!

Lots of Chicks on the Farm!

Spring has sprung! As you know we have free range chickens, so free range that they sometimes hide a nest of eggs and keep them warm until they hatch. Some of the breeds are more broody then others, but it sort of works out because we get roosters and more hens, and we have become pros at preparing and eating the roosters. Roosters have also become popular with other bloggers. Three of my favorite California bloggers got together to slaughter and then cook a rooster which is just one(of many) cool blogger collaborations that has been hitting the blogosphere; Hank from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, who was helped by Garrett of Vanilla Garlic and also the famous and wonderful Elise from Simply Recipes.

Sometimes I think posting pictures of adorable farm animals and prepared food might seem incongruous to many. My hope is to share the beauty but also to acknowledge the complexity of farming animals. There is beauty in life on the farm, but also there is death. I might gloss over the fact that I love to eat the animals that surround me by showing gorgeous photos but it is not always easy, but life is not, and that is partly why it is so beautiful.

More Blooms and Are You on Twitter?

I have to apologize for my absence, my internet is down and this keeps me off the computer but I am still twittering! Are you on twitter? Please follow me so I can follow you! Happy Spring!

Manhattan Is In Bloom!

Sometimes Manhattan surprises you. It is a jungle of steal, style and concrete but there are days and times of the year when you cannot ignore that there is nature here. Spring is one of those times, when the trees bloom, the tulips and daffodils dot the parks, and the fresh spring air seems to make the city seem somehow clean and new.

I met up with a few NYC based bloggers a few weeks back, and it was a blast! The charming Claire from Colequicial Cooking, Marc from No Recipes, and Stephane from Zen Can Cook and my good friend who is thinking of starting a food blog herself(can not wait until she does!) They all work together in these cool foraging and cooking experiments which are so neat. Have you noticed a lot of blogger collaborations lately? I have, and it only reinforces why I blog and why I am so proud to be part of such a wonderfully passionate and supportive community. So cool!

We talked about how we missed nature and how New York can fool you, like the peace that takes over the city in a blizzard. I think the same aura was in the air today ---we were blessed with a blissfully perfect spring day, not only that the city is in bloom!

In celebration of Spring, I made a curried lentil soup which was fantastic; it is also the perfect mix of winter comfort and light spring flavors, not only that my vegan readers(I know you are out there) can make this by substituting the chicken stock for vegetable stock. What is so nice about this soup is that it cost almost nothing, and it really fills that Indian food craving I sometimes get (and I only have extremely expensive not that that good Indian in my neighborhood), not only that it is healthy!

Indian-Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 cup Indian lentils rinsed and picked over
• 1-14.5 oz can of tomatoes with chilies or two fresh tomatoes and a jalapeño pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 5 cups water
• 2- Carrots chopped up
• 1 celery heart with leaves, or two celery stalks, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric

Preparation: sauté the onions and garlic in a Dutch oven or heavy pot, add spices and then chickpeas and lentil, tomatoes, and stock, bring to a boil and cook until lentils are tender about 35 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

A Late Day Hike Topped Off With Braised Artichokes

April is a big tease in the Catskills, it is sunny, you can feel the sun almost burning your skin ---granted I am extremely pale but it is light until 7:30 now! There is no green really, and it still can be very cold. I remember when I was a freshman at SUNY Albany and I was annoyed at all the Long Islanders complaining about how cold Albany was. I thought they were all soft suburbanites, ironically now I am in love with one but that is a WHOLE other story. However, they were right the truth is that Upstate New York gets two more months of winter weather, but I still think it is worth it. Upstate New York has some of the best pasture land I have set my eyes on, and it requires no irrigation; it is a grass farming paradise, and the long cold winter has a lot to do with this.

With this said, it is still majestic in Delaware county and if you take a hike at dusk you can almost imagine yourself in a Bronte novel: there is something really moody about the dusky light that hugs the brown and blue landscape.

I topped the evening off with tomato and basil braised artichokes along with Ricearoni .I know, I know, not very farm fresh but it was in the house and it sorta had a risotto thing going on, which was perfect with the braised artichokes.

Braised Artichokes with Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Ingredients:

• 4 medium tender artichokes, all dark green leaves removes and quatered
• 1-14 oz can of whole tomatoes or two fresh tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
  
• Olive oil to cover pan
• handful of fresh basil
• salt to taste
  

Preparation: The secret to braising artichokes it to remove all the green leaves, if the leaves are green they will be tough but if they are yellow they will be tender. These artichokes where so tender you did not have to remove the chokes.
I heated the olive oil and added the artichokes, garlic and satueed at a low to medium heat for 10 minutes, i then added the tomatoes and basil and stewed them for about 30 minutes. Enjoy! serves 2-4 people(two people if it is the main dish).

What is In Season In the Catskills?

What is In Season in the Catskills? Not much as you can see from above. The grass is not yet green and the only clue that spring is here are the gorgeous bird songs and lovely strong sunlight. The earth seems paused though, almost still frozen, ugly even . I have already been going on about how eggs are so 'in season', and I have been eating them for breakfast and lunch for a long while! Oh, how I missed our chickens' eggs over this very long, and very cold winter. Another food that is in season but not at all local is artichokes. I am up at the farmhouse at the moment---I have not stayed over in our new house(which is very , very very old) for a few months and I stopped on route 17 at trader joe's to stock up on some crackers, bread and artichokes. These are from California and at 2.99 for four can you really go wrong? Not only that, they are so spectacularly good, so tender that you can eat the chokes! My favorite way to make them is steamed whether they are stuffed or not. You can not go wrong. Just steam them for 40 minutes and serve them with your favorite dressing. Steamed Artichokes with Creamy Lemon-Garlic Dressing

Steamed Artichokes with Creamy Lemon-Garlic Dressing

Ingredients:

• 4 artichokes
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise(or good quality olive oil)
• one clove garlic minced and crushed with the flat side of the knife
• juice of one lemon
• salt to taste

Preparation:
I put about half a quart of water in a dutch oven and placed four trimmed artichokes into them and brought them to a boil for about 40 minutes. Mine while I mixed the lemon dressing.

Happy Easter!

Hard Boiled Eggs for Deviled Eggs Dominique hens

The best thing about spring is that the hens are starting to lay copious amounts of eggs. You feel a bit sorry for them in the winter they lay so little but once spring comes they are laying so fast you can barely keep up with all the eggs! Not only that, our eggs are just the loveliest colors because the chickens are all mixes, so lovely--- we have stopped dyeing eggs because frankly there is no need! Another part of spring, is the clouds in the sky, I just love the spring skies! During the spring months we serve deviled eggs almost every weekend, and do not adjust your monitor, those turmeric colored yolks are not an illusion, our chickens have the run of the barnyard and their eggs reflect this because they are a deep turmeric color! I have included some of our Dominique hens, which are one of America's oldest breeds, who excel in the Catskills because of their layered coats of feather and down.

Spring Lake Farm's Spring Deviled Eggs

Spring Lake Farm's Spring Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen eggs
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce or Worcester sauce
• Salt and pepper

Preparation: Hard boil the eggs. Peel eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl. Arrange the egg white halves on a serving platter. Using a fork, mash up the yolks and add mustard, mayonnaise, spices and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Makes 2 dozen deviled eggs.

Greek-Style Marinated Leg of Lamb For Easter!

Spring is here. Traditionally this part of the spring--- the early part---- was a time of starvation. Lent might have made everyone feel virtuous but this time of year was pretty perilous ;the food stuffs from the fall harvest were down to the very end, and the garden had yet to yield anything substantial. But Easter is all about breaking the fast! It is about eating, and celebrating the renewal of earth’s fertility, oh and Christ’s resurrection for those of you non-heathens!

I have been developing recipes with my father's lamb(I know such a hard job!). I decided to work on a recipe for a slow-roasted leg of lamb that I marinated Greek-style with lots of herbs, garlic, sherry, lemon and salt, and I dare I say it came out just fantastic. The meat was so tender and the herbs and lemon where so lively and still did not overpower the lamb! At a Greek Easter a young lamb would be slaughtered and marinated and roasted over a spit, we do not slaughter baby lambs on our farm because we are a ranch(no dairy animals). I think the slow roasted really compliments the marinated leg because it is as close to a rotating spit as you can get with out going outside. This will welcome spring and all the freshness it brings! This is great with olive oil baked potatoes, and a spring salad! My boyfriend said it was the most exquisite meat he had ever tasted (this is why I love him, he says this to me each meal and means it).

Greek-Style Marinated Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

• 1 leg of lamb with bone
• 2 tablespoons of sherry
• Juice of one lemon
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• cracked black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon kosher salt (I added one tablespoon because I was only marinating it for a day but it was pretty salty which I liked because I made a simple pan sauce with the drippings and added no salt to anything else).
• a few cups of water to add to the roasting pan to deglaze the pan, i had to add a bit of water throughout the roasting because i did not want to have the drippings burn.

Preparation: Mince garlic and herbs mix with lemon juice and sherry. Marinate leg of lamb in for 1 to 2 days. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, roast until leg of lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees, this took about 1 1/2 hours for my parent's leg of lamb, which is a bit smaller then the legs you would find in your local grocer.

Il Mulino Marinara Sauce with Spaghetti and Zucchini Fritters

Blogging is a very neat thing; sometimes I get products or cool invitations to parties or openings where there is good food. I have yet to be disappointed by anything I have received or been invited too( I think this has to do with living in NYC). When I got an email from Il Mulino New York asking whether I would be interested in sampling their new Marinara sauce I said sure, why not! I did not realize I was in for a real treat, granted at 10 dollars a bottle it better be special but it really was. It reminded me of my mother’s homemade tomato sauces, and goodness it was the perfect cure for the kind of week I have been having. My boyfriend has started to train for his Australian rules football so the salty, light sauce was perfect for a post work out dinner. I love my marinara with fresh parsley on top, I do not even need Parmesan just the fresh flavor of parsley against the bright garlicky flavor of a good marinara. I also made roasted broccoli with cracked pepper and fried zucchini in my new fry daddy which were fantastic with the marinara too! What fun! I do recommend this sauce, especially if you were spoiled as a child having vine ripened tomato sauces like I did.

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:
1 Zucchini sliced very thin (I used a mandolin)
2 small eggs
A slash of milk or water
1 cup flour
A handful of breadcrumbs (optional)
Seasoning (I used none and served them with fresh lemon which was great!)*

Preparation: heat oil, slice zucchini, beat eggs and add milk. Mix breadcrumbs and flour together. Dip zucchini in egg mixer then flour mixture. Fry in oil until crispy and golden. Serve with lemon and marinara sauce! Enjoy!

*My mother would make these fritters very simply she would slice zucchini from our garden thinly and dip them in flour and gently saute them in olive oil. Which is really elegant and fantastic but I was not in a patient mood, so I made these which need a lot less supervision because the frydaddy is so easy to use!

Goldilocks' Guide to Iceland II, Reykjavik What To Do!

Random Pictures from Reykjavik 101

Reykjavik is a very cool city, I knew it well before the economic boom (and even after) when the cafes where filled with artists, thinkers and students not to mention all the families meeting for coffee and cakes. Post boom Reykjavik has empty store fronts and struggling high end restaurants but the true soul of the city are the cafes and bars that let you sit for hours with only a cup of coffee or a beer. When I was living in Reykjavik, I was doing a lot of painting and drawing in pastel, going for coffee to meet with friends was the highlight of my day, and I miss that a lot here in New York.
I already did a blog on cafes in Reykjavik but if you are visiting Iceland it is a must to go to one. Another must is to visit an art museum or gallery: Icelander’s are big on visual arts.
National Gallery of Iceland
I like the National Gallery because they have a collection of traditional art from Iceland's painting tradition.
HafnirHusid
Is a stunning museum in downtown that is very contemporary but I love its converted look, and the café has a wonderful view of my favorite mountain Esja. It also has free admission!
Kjarvalstadir
My great grand father, Johannes Kjarval has a exhibition of his life's work on view at this museum named after him until April 13th. He was in many ways responsible for getting Icelanders to view their landscape as not just a natural enemy but one that was majestic and beautiful. It also has free admission!

What do Icelanders do? Icelanders are family orientated they are also very artistic and like to drink. So if “partying” is your thing just head downtown and go to any of the downtown bars, Icelanders party like it is 1999 every Friday and Saturday.
I think Boston is the coolest place right now, but it does not matter where you go Icelanders are never bored and really will make any place fun. Just be prepared to see some of the drunkest people you have ever seen, Icelanders never do anything half way!

Another must is going to a pool, or if you want to make a day trip go to the blue lagoon. I prefer the local pools because they are cheaper and some of them have saunas and all have hot pots for the same price but if you have made your way to all to Iceland you might want to go to the blue lagoon just be forward that it is filled with tourists! Please note if you are going to an Icelandic public pool be prepared to shower naked before you go into the pool! These pools are heated and totally fantastic even in the middle of the winter when it is snowing!

Árbæjarlaug
Hill-top pool with a great view of Reykjavik in the distance. Also boasts an indoor domed area, just in case it starts to rain.

Sundlaug Seltjarnarness

A recently renovated salt-water pool on the Seltjarnarnes peninsula, which means even less chlorine than usual.

Sundlaug Vesturbæjar
Dubbed “the gay pool”, though for no apparent reason, Vesturbæjarlaug has the best hot-pots and sauna in town. I LOVE the sauna here! A great deal for around 3 dollors you can get a spa experience!

Another favorite is to head down to the ocean and take a long walk, it is a fantastic hike and wonderful if the day is nice! You can also see Esja which, is the most beautiful thing to see in Reykjavik! Above is a picture of the ocean, there is a great path, where you can walk the whole of Reykjavik, a great way to see and experience Reykjavik!

More to come on what to eat!

My Sister's Dog

My sister is on a cross country journey with her boyfriend. I am taking care of her adorable dog Zoe. I thought she might enjoy some cute pictures of Zoe on the road, because isn't that what you miss most when you travel? Pets and loved ones? Fortunately Zoe and my dog Max get along really well. As you all know I find pictures of our small dogs with chickens very , very amusing, I hope you do too!
*a note on our toy dogs. My sister and I grew up with wolf and bear eating guard dogs(more on those later), and super smart active border collies. When we moved to the city we wanted small dogs that were suited for city life. I have heard a lot of people say: "I do not like small dogs." Or that looks like a prissy dog, I can tell you that Max might be a Pomeranian but he is not prissy, he is attractive, healthy, very active but most importantly HAPPY. It is important to keep that in mind when you get a dog in the city or even the suburbs if you work a lot. Our pounds are filled with working dog breeds like huskies and border collies who can not handle being idle. Idleness can create bad behavior in dogs that need to be exercised this is true of small and big working breeds alike. I might be wrong but I can not say enough good things about my little Max who is a toy breed, he even goes on 8 mile hikes in the Adirondacks with me!

A Goldilocks' Guide To Iceland, Part I

Everyone has been asking me about Iceland; my friends, my boyfriends' Australian football team and one of my favorite food bloggers. Everyone is asking where to stay, when to go and what to eat. This is of course a hard thing to answer but now is a great time to visit because the Kroner is so low. Iceland is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and if you are not afraid of wind and a bit of cold there is no bad time to visit. Granted you could get stuck with bad weather, but that can happen anywhere. Well, at least that is what Icelanders tell themselves. I will tell you the same, but if money is of no concern then the summer months are particularly special, because the mountains are impossibly blue and the pastures intensely green, and the oceans pastel. The same beauty can be found in the winter but it is transient because the daylight is limited with this said you can experience hour long sunsets where the light is so impossible warm and peachy it can cling to the landscape for many hours.

In terms of where to stay, I recommend the wonderful farm stay Iceland has, where you can stay at various farms around the country, many are set up as stylish hostiles in some of the most breathtaking places on earth. Not only that, they are inexpensive and the farmers are friendly.

In terms of food this is a hard thing to answer. As a food blogger I get a bit stressed about recommending restaurants, because frankly, Icelanders as a rule do not go out that often to eat because it is too expensive and when they do they want something fancy and decidedly not traditional. They do however go out for coffee and cake, which is a great way to spend an afternoon in Reykjavik. With this said there a lot of great Icelandic places to eat, and because Icelandic food is locally sourced you cannot go wrong if you order fish or lamb.

Fishing Boats In Reykjavik's Harbor with a Family of Ducks!

Truth be told, the best dish I ever had in Iceland was boiled fish with butter. It does not get any better than that. I grew up HATING fish, so much so, that I would groan audibly when my mother would serve us frozen cod casserole (sorry mom). When my grandfather told me that Icelandic fish was a whole other story because it was so fresh, I did not believe him (goodness I was bratty!). Going to Iceland with my grandparents at the age of 10 was a seminal experience; it was the first time I had ever been on a real vacation and the first time that I recall tasting fresh fish. I remember waking after the night flight in the afternoon with the smell of fish in the air, I was hungry and skeptical. Boiled fish? Goodness I was proven wrong it was one of the best meals I have ever had. I will always remember it, and I love my grandfather for serving it to me. I cannot say like Anthony Bourdain that he knew he was going to be a chef after tasting a fresh oyster on a boat in France but it certainly left an impression on me; that freshness and simplicity are the key to good food. I remember going on and on to my grandfather about how fresh fish was entirely different then the frozen fish my mother bought at Lloyd’s. As you might guess, I went on and on about things then too, I almost have to wipe a tear when I think about how important and smart my grandfather made me feel. I was only 13 when he passed away but I will never forget that trip to Iceland with him and my grandmother.

You cannot get better cod or haddock or monk fish then in Iceland, so if you are at restaurant order it, you will be rewarded. Or better yet ask the server what fish is freshest. Icelanders’ eat a lot of fish and dairy products; they are also one of the longest living people on earth. Icelandic dairy products are grass-fed and because of this they are packed full of healthy omega 3's just like the fish they consume. This must be the secret to their longevity. My grandmother's oldest friend is an active woman in her 90's. I asked her what she has for breakfast each day and she told me: "Yogurt and toast."

Icelandic yogurt is amazing; it is less sweet then our American version and is made with full fat milk which makes the yogurt creamy. I prefer more fat then corn syrup personally, especially if the fat is grass-fed. If you want to really experience an Icelandic staple, you can try Skyr, in Icelandic homes it is whipped with sugar and served with whole cream on top. Skyr is a fat free, fresh cheese curd type thing. It is hard to explain, it tastes a lot like yogurt but is filled with protein. If you were training for a strong man competition you might want to eat a lot of this! I recommend going to a supermarket and getting yogurt to try, it is well worth it!

This brings me to my recipe which uses fresh whipped cream which is something all Icelanders consume a lot of. Nothing tastes as good as Icelandic whipped cream. Icelandic Pancakes, which are very similar to French crepes but Icelanders serve them either rolled with sugar, or with fruit jam and freshly whipped cream.

My great grandmother's Icelandic Pancakes

Icelandic Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter
Preparation: mix to together making sure not to mix it too well. Using a crepe pan, pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and smooth out and cook until done, flipping midway.
For filling
heavy cream, whipped(no sugar needed)
a nice jam, I like wild fruit preserves
To assemble you place jam on one quarter of the pancake, add cream and fold four ways.

More to come on Iceland!

Lazy But Healthy Sunday Chicken Roast!

Sunday Roasted Chicken with Kale and Potatoes

In my family Sunday dinner was always the prefect end to a weekend, my mother always roasted something and it usually was a chicken. Nothing fancy, it was the ritual of it that made it special. Whenever I hear Selected Shorts, I can almost smell the thick smell of chicken roasting in the oven---- that was the tradition in my house NPR and home cooked meals. I have decided to try to bring the roast back to my home. Bon Appetit magazine even says that roasting an organic chicken is the perfect way to make your home more green and healthy. This recipe is inspired by their recipe, I love the kale with the chicken gravy! So tasty! It really does provide for another meal, and if you are industrious you can make a stock from the bones. Traditionally, a pot pie or a cottage pie was made with the leftovers of a Sunday roast with gravy.

My Icelandic NYC based grandmother would roast pork butt with glorious cracklings and pan juices that we would drizzle over boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables. I can still remember the deliciousness of the skin along with the tender meat and boiled potatoes. This style of cooking pork butt and cracklings is very Danish, and she most have learned it when she was studying art in Copenhagen. What was your family's Sunday tradition? I know all my Italian-American friends would have traditional tomato "gravy" with pasta! Would love you to hear your Sunday traditions old or new!

Sunday Roasted Chicken with Kale and Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken
• seasoning that you like, herbs or lemon(I used garlic and Chinese spicy salt)
• 2 pounds potatoes, pealed and cubed
• 1 bunch kale, par boiled with a bit of stock
• butter to baste chicken

Preparation: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash chicken, and dry. Take the neck and giblets out and put in a pot with water and seasoning(this will make a great stock to make the gravy with).
Season chicken, peal potatoes and arrange on the bottom of a roasting pan, add two cups of water add chicken on top and place in oven. Cook for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 350 and cook for another hour add more water if needed.
About twenty minutes before serving, bring a bit of water to boil in a large pot add kale and simmer for 10 minutes, add a bit of stock. Set aside.

To make the gravy: melt 2 tablespoons butter in a nice pot, add 3 tablespoon flour until it becomes a thick paste, then add chicken stock and pan juices and whisk bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and season with salt and pepper.

To plate the chicken: place the kale at the bottom of a big serving dish, add potatoes and then the chicken.

Caumsett State Park

The glorious ocean!

Mussels, does anyone know how to clean and harvest them? Can you believe this is on Long Island? The old water towers from the estate, are they art deco?

My boyfriend and his family like to take walks on special occasions, so on his father's birthday we all went to this utterly magical park called Caumsett State Park on the North Shore of Long Island. It is an old estate from 1911, and has been left in it original glory. In 1921 Marshall Field III purchased 1750 acres of Lloyd Neck to create one large estate and it really has this spooky gilded age quality---but in a good way. Oddly enough Marshall Field III's grandfather was a big figure in Chicago during the height of the gilded era and has been mentioned in all the research I have been doing on the industrialization of our agricultural system. I highly recommend it, especially if you have children, it will capture their imagination. We packed sandwiches and tea and had a picnic at the beach, simply wonderful.
I got inspired by this blog: I 8 That do to a photo montage! Hope you enjoy!

Tea Sandwiches For Picnic

Artichoke salad for tea sandwichesHam salad for tea sandwichesHam sandwiches

In Ireland we had the best tea sandwiches these are a modest try on my part! These are prefect for a hike or an afternoon spent with friends!

Ham Salad Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 6 slices ham
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 2 green onions diced
• 2 spoonful mayo
• soft whole wheat bread

Preparation: slice ham, dice tomato and scallions mix with mayo and assemble.

Artichoke Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• Marinated artichokes
• some mayonnaise
• fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• soft wheat bread
  
  Preparation: drain and dice artichokes, and mince parsley mix with mayo and assemble sandwiches.

Chickpea Masala

My favorite Indian buffet is not in Manhattan or Queens. I know, I know. I am being a big cheater, I have found a delightful place in Long Island in the town of Valley Stream called Diya Lounge. They are an Indian fusion restaurant which has some of the MOST fantastic vegetable dishes. My favorites are the Italian Eggplant in yogurt sauce, their porcini mushrooms with paneer and this out of this world Punjabi black lentil dish. Goodness it is good. I have tried my hand at a similar creation and it is extremely good too, I try to use the beans I have in the house. Above is pictured a chickpea version but I prefer it with lentils and red kidney beans. This is a great dish to make when you are tired and run down because it is healthy and so good. It also gets rave reviews! Not to mention that it is really inexpensive and healthy!

Chickpea, Lentil and Red Kidney Beans in Masala Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
1 can of lentils
1 can of Red Kidney beans
olive oil to cover pan
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
four shakes of asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
1- 14 oz can of diced tomato or two fresh tomatoes
1 fresh chili(optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup of cream

Preparation: In a large skillet heat oil add garlic, sliced onions saute until soft. Add spices heat all the way through, then add drained beans, then tomatoes cook until thick and reduces. Add cream, season. Enjoy!

*I served this with sauteed spinach and basmanti rice, and tarder joes naan. For the spinach I used two tablespoons of tomato paste, garlic and ginger, asafetida powder, ground cumin and a lot of paprika. Lovely dinner!

Icelandic-Style Lamb Loin Chops

Icelandic-Style Lamb Loin Chops

Icelanders eat a lot of fish and lamb, but lamb is a special occasion sort of food. These lamb chop cutlets are a classic Icelandic dish, and if you are invited to an Icelanders’ home and they make you these, know that they like you, maybe even love you. It is the sort of thing a mother makes as a treat. When I was eating them last night I could not get over how delicious they were, the butter fried into the breadcrumbs and the tender soft lamb loin. I know part of my delight is that my mother would make these for me when I was little. It is mandatory to nibble at the bones in an Icelandic home, but only using one hand(this is more polite), the saying goes: “if you leave clean bones you will have beautiful children.”

I am going to do a bit of bragging about my father's lamb, IT IS SO GOOD! The fat is like butter, the meat is so tender. Then again I love lamb, always will but my father's lamb is special because of the African blood he has breed into the flock, it leaves the lamb free of any taste of wool, much like Icelandic lamb.

Icelandic Breaded Lamb Loin Chops

Serves 2

Ingredients:
6 Loin Lamb Chops
2-3 tablespoons flour
½ stick of butter
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup bread crumbs

Preparation: depending on the thickness of the chops you might want to use a mallet to tenderize the loin chops, my father’s loin chops are thinner than you would buy in the super market so I did not need to flatten them with a mallet. Season flour with salt and pepper and dredge chops in flour, then dip them in an egg and milk mixture and then cover them with bread crumbs. In a nice skillet (I just a non stick) melt butter until melt on a medium heat. Make sure that you do not burn the butter, you will want to fry the chops at the same temperature, slow and steady makes a golden chop. Cook them until done this is all dependent on how thick they are and how done you want them. Let them get nice and golden!
Enjoy!

Note: serve this with boiled potatoes and a nice salad!

Help Say No To A National Animal Identification System

Spring time on the Farm:
we tag our lambs but only for our own records.

Shannon Hayes just wrote a stirring op-ed in the New York Times about how the proposed National Animal Identification System would devastate small farmers, and especially grass-fed producers. Shannon Hayes has become an eloquent advocate for grass-fed farming and the health benefits of grass-fed meats. She is the daughter of an agricultural professor and farmer and has moved back to the farm of her childhood to raise her own family.

In her op-ed she explains why a federally mandated identification system would be devastating for her family’s farm: “These ID chips are estimated to cost $1.50 to $3 each, depending on the quantity purchased. A rudimentary machine to read the tags may be $100 to $200. It is expected that most reporting would have to be done online (requiring monthly Internet fees), then there would be the fee for the database subscription; together that would cost about $500 to $1,000 (conservatively) per year per premise. I estimate the combined cost for our farm at $10,000 annually — that’s 10 percent of our gross receipts.”

The same would be true on my family’s farm and I shudder to think of all the time and headache the identification system would represent to us. Not only would it be a cumbersome costly issue for small farmer’s it would be an almost non issue for mega farms and feedlots because they can catalog thousands of animals as only one unit. The horrible irony of the whole system is that it would give factory feedlots another advantage over small meat producers. Foreign buyers might object to the fact that “downer” cows might be used for exported beef but they also manner in which we produce our meat and what we feed them. Foreign buyers are as suspicious of big beef producers as we are. It is not an identification system that we need it is a new system.

I sympathize greatly with family run cow and calf operations that have been devastated by a sharp decrease in beef exports but an identification system would only exacerbate their plight. It would only give big agribusiness and feedlots the upper hand. It would make small producers like my family waste money and time when the way we raise our animals---on pasture---in a manner that is safe. The beef industry has been successful in pitting small ranchers against the sustainable movement. I feel that there needs to be more cooperation between grass-fed producers and traditional family ranchers that are trying to hang on. I think our interests are shared.

Please Check it out Shannon Hayes Op-ed here.

To voice your objections please visit this site:

http://www.nofamass.org/news/naisalert.php

Are You Organic?

Local but not organic winter squash.

Alice Waters was on 60 Minutes last night. Did you see it? She is a very charming woman but her message seems to really get people riled up. I think it is great that she has been teaching Americans about produce and has been instrumental in making farming not only “cool” but has made people want to know where their food comes from.

I love her local angle and that she encourages people to grow their own food. But all her talk about "organic"? As a farmer's daughter I am skeptical of the organic movement(sorry organic readers, I still love you). I think it is too extreme, granted my parent's farm uses no hormones or antibiotics but we do not go after organic certification because we are primarily concerned with our meats being grass-fed. Actually, I not against modest amounts of pesticides, this is of course in moderation, the way Monsanto has cornered the GM seed market is alarming and sickening, and reason alone to buy organic foods. Yet, sometimes I cannot afford to buy organic nor do I want too. Organic produce and meats are run by big business too, and a lot of the organic produce that is grown in California is done with federally funded irrigation systems that I do not think are that sustainable(sorry California).

There are a lot of farms that are bridging the gap between sustainability and providing a product that is attainable for working families and one such farm is Migliorelli's farm. The farm is 300 acres of produce, is family run, and uses a modest amount of pesticides. I LOVE their union square booth because they have the BEST greens and excellent prices. Not only that, they provide Dan Barber with produce. That is a pretty big stamp of approval. Need proof? Check out Blue Hill at Stone Barn’s cool website function: Meet thy farmer.

The movement I am part of is “beyond organic,” it is based on knowing about agriculture and not branding it. It is about empowering people with knowledge, whether it is the farmer, working family or chef it is about a new system one based on passion and relationships. For this I cannot praise Alice Water’s enough because if it was not for her we might not have had this dialogue. I also understand that her use of the term "organic" is part of the movement she helped found in California. In some ways I think her puritanical view on agriculture is the perfect antidote to the big bad forces like Monsanto. So cheers to that!

Spring is Almost Here! Can You Wait?

Spicy Korean Tofu Soup with Beef? Yes, More Please!

Spicy Korean Tofu Soup with Beef.
Notice the Egg? It cooks while you eat it!

I really like spicy Korean tofu soup. I mean I REALLY like it. Some people are addicted to Japanese Ramen? Me this soup. I just love it. After reading on The Girl Who Ate Everything that a new BCD Tofu House opened in Korea Town. I had to try it. And I did, it was SO good. So I went again, and I will go again. The first time I tried the seafood soup which is usually the best, but I tried the beef version the next time and I dare say it was better. Soft junks of braised beef, so tender, so good! The starters are delicious too! I especially loved the potato salad with crab! I might have to make that for a grass-fed burger BBQ.Beautiful Starters!

BCD Tofu House
17 W 32 St
New York, NY 10079

Brunch at Crema

I love food from other lands. They fascinate me. Not only has that, but eating inspired food, like the food I had at Crema gets me inspired. I have wanted to check out Crema on 17th street (between 6th and 7th ave) for a long while. I have always admired Julieta Ballesteros its executive chef. Being a female chef is not easy and she has made it big which is a feat in itself but she is also making an impact in the appreciation of Mexican cuisine. Mexican food is possibly the most exciting culinary tradition out there. All the fresh peppers and flavors!

So, my boyfriend and I went for brunch. I ordered the Chile Relleno de Papa con Chorizo y Huevo Poblano which for your non Spanish speakers (like me) is a poblano pepper filled with scrambled eggs, chorizo and potatoes, Chihuahua cheese and cilantro. He ordered a fantastic chicken casserole. We opted for the brunch special which was 19 dollars with a side and a mimosa. I think I should have just gotten the Chile Relleno ($14) because the portions where fantastically big! I just loved the crispy flour tortilla and the earthy delicious poblano pepper, and the eggs with the chorizo and cream! HEAVEN!

I am definitely headed back for more inspiration. I want to taste her Carne Asada tacos because with summer coming up I think a good grass-fed carne asada taco would be great for the grass-fed party!

Large Black Pig Crosses!

How cute are these piglets? They are our Duroc/Large Black Crosses. They will be on pasture in the spring. WE are currently looking for a large black boar to breed two of them. Does anyone know of a large black boar? How cute are they?

Irish Mince Meat Stew

Yesterday was one of those days were procrastination started to tug on my mood. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. I went to the market and felt uninspired. I wanted to make a Dublin Coddle but all the sausage was Italian. I wanted something warm, but I was feeling totally BLAH. I know a lot of people feel this way when they are worn out. In New York the temptation is so strong to simply go out because there are so many wonderful options available many at a reasonable prices but I like to cook something grass-fed twice a week so that I have a recipe for my blog and one for my other job making recipes for the grass-fed party. My boyfriend showed up with his smile and big appetite and I asked what he wanted for dinner. He is always up for something soupy. Ramen(the Japanese noodle house soup) is his favorite food, and I can never go wrong with stew. I had ground beef from my parent's farm, and all the ingredients for minced stew and I thought why not try it? Growing up ground meat was always used for spaghetti sauce or meat balls. I think that my mother's rabbit meat balls would have won awards. I think that all families have ground beef or turkey recipes because it is cheep, this is an excellent recipe that is inexpensive and so easy. Did I say easy? This is SO easy! And So good!

This recipe is fun because it is tasty and easy and you can add all the ingredients you want. I could have even added beans (even though that would NOT be very Irish) but this dish is a put what you have sort of dish. I added a bit too much tomato paste but I liked the tangy tomato flavor and it really cheered me up. I served it with mashed potatoes with real cream so good! I was smiling at the end of the night.

Irish Mince Meat Stew

• oil to cover the pot
• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon flour
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 2 cups water
  
• handful of fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 3 carrots roughly chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  
• salt to taste

Preparation: in a dutch oven brown garlic and onion at a medium heat until brown about ten minutes add meat and brown for another 10 minutes. add flour, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Add vegetables and beef broth and water. Bring to a boil and cook for an hour. Enjoy!

Spring is Around the Corner

Tree Buds and IciclesHorses Look On Toward Spring

Everyone is talking about how hard this winter has been. We just got hammered by a big snow storm after all. March is always a bittersweet time for me. I am a winter and snow person. I love vintage coats, wool mittens and hats not to mention snow boots! I love the intense white of snow, the aqua blue skies. I love cold temperatures and most of all I love winter food: roasts, stews and soups. Does it get any better?

As a child, March was a time of birth and sometimes tragedy. If the snow came when lambing was happening we would get a lot of orphans. We would "unfreeze" the lambs in our oven, my father warning us not to touch them so that our smell would not confuse the ewes. Sometimes the mother's would accept them back sometimes not. Spring is a glorious time on the farm but to get to spring you have to brave through the feet of snow the Nor Easter's bring. The saying about March is of coarse: "In like a lion out like a lamb." Could not be more true.

My mother and I were always the cooking team on the farm. I was the oldest of four girls and her "sous chef". Now we call each other and compare recipes and give tips. Recently she called and said: "I made the best rooster!" When I was up on the farm she made it for me, and goodness it was good. Rooster you ask? Well you get roosters when you have free range chickens, and we eat them one by one throughout the winter. They are gamy but extremely tasty. This dish is great because the root vegetables become seasoned with the rooster. My mother loves to use a clay pot because it adds a roasted quality to the dishes. It is the best of both world's it makes things tender and then also lets them get a bit browned.

Rooster with Root Vegetables in Clay Pot
Ingredients:
1 rooster
1 small turnip, cubed
5 medium potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, roughly chopped up
kosher salt and cracked pepper
tabs of butter
Equipment
clay pot
Preparation: Soak the clay pot in water for ten minutes, season vegetables and rooster. Place vegetables at the bottom of the clay pot with a bit of butter place the rooster on top face down and bake for 85 minutes. You can turn the rooster over 15 minutes before it is done so that the skin gets browned. Enjoy!


Correction: My mother wanted me to warn my readers that you must add the clay pot to a cold oven and then heat it up that way. Otherwise you will have a cracked clay pot!

Time to Brine Folks!

Have you ever wanted to brine? Tis the season to do it with St Patrick's Day only two weeks ahead. In fact, brining takes about two weeks so if you do it tomorrow you will be ready for all the festivities! Michael Rulhman's recipe is wonderful! He talks more about brining here.

Interesting fact from Wikipedia:

The consumption of corned beef is associated with Saint Patrick's Day, when many Irish Americans eat a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage. According to the History Channel, while cabbage is a traditional food item for Irish-Americans, corned beef is not consumed in Ireland - it was originally used a substitute for bacon by Irish American immigrants in the late 1800s. Irish immigrants living in New York City's Lower East Side sought an equivalent in taste and texture to their traditional Irish bacon, and learned about this cheaper alternative to bacon from their Jewish neighbors. A similar dish is the New England boiled dinner, consisting of corned beef, cabbage, and root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and potatoes, which is popular in New England and parts of Atlantic Canada.

I am lucky this year because La Cense Beef has provided me with grass-fed corned beef. It is another option but because it is pre-cooked it is best baked. I made it the other night and it came out fantastic!

Food Philosophy

Grassfed Beef Stew with Irish Stout

My recipes are all simple and I hope to be able to inspire everyone with my cooking. I am privileged enough to be able to use the meat from my family's farm and a premier ranch out in Montana named La Cense which I have been working with to help promote grass-fed ranching! Even though grass-fed meats are used in all my cooking I am sensitive to the fact that they are cost prohibitive for some. I am not a radical, but I think that grass-fed farming can help farmers compete in our commodity-driven agricultural system; it is also better for the animals and our bodies. I also favor using non-prime cuts because this is where grass-fed meats are at their best: they are inexpensive, healthy and wonderfully tasty!

The focus of my cooking is creating exciting food with simple farm-fresh ingredients. New York City is filled with glorious ethnic food and I am constantly introduced to and inspired by all the cultures and food New York has to offer. I realize that a lot of Asian food can be intimidating, but all my recipes strive for simplicity and readily available ingredients.

New Blog Design!

My sister kindly redesigned my blog. Does it not it look great? More to come!

Blog Redo!

My sister is almost done with the new design. My blog is not going to be available for a bit, but it should be up and running soon!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I just want to wish everyone a happy Valentine's day. This photo is one of my favorites it is of my dog max, being chased by my sister's dog Zoe. They are in love with each other and love to play. I wish you all love! I am going to Dublin for a week with my Dublin raised man.(I will not be answering comments that much) I hope to come back with a lot of new recipe ideas!

We are all feeling the economic crunch and it makes everyone feel uneasy and stressed. For Valentine's Day, boys why don't you make your girl pasta? I think Rachael Ray's Vodka a la Penne is a great recipe for a novice cook. I have linked to Smitten Kitchen's blog post because I love the post, and I love what she has to say about Rachael Ray who is an upstate girl after my own heart. Going out to eat is another alternative but there is no shame in saving a few bucks and making your love some food.

If you are single, which is something a lot of New Yorker's are get together with friends! It is all about love. See you all in a week!

Old Fashioned Shortribs with Gravy!

Everyone is talking about braising; it is the new 'in' cooking method made possible by the back to the farm movement of the new millennium. It started way before the economic downturn but it is only made more relevant because of it. I cannot think of a better trend, it is about love(braised meat is a group food), cherishing the whole animal and getting back to our roots. It is about tradition and because of this it is the perfect treatment for grass-fed beef which is a bit gamier then the beef American's are used too. Not only that, grass-fed beef is a lot more expensive so getting cheaper cuts and braising them is a win-win situation. It is the "new fancy" and it makes me smile!

Some of my favorite bloggers have been braising up some amazing meals, here are just a few examples:

Smitten Kitchens' braised short ribs

Caviar and Codfish's Beef Rendang

Chef Mike Pardus' Grass-fed Braised Pot Roast

All food bloggers wax poetic about their Dutch ovens, their Amazon stores are filled with all sorts of enameled cast iron beauties. I, myself, am even guilty. I am in love with braising and my bright, lovely Dutch oven beauties. Oddly enough, even though I grew up on a farm where we ate rabbit every week, lamb and mutton we never had a braising tradition per se. My mother had a clay pot that she made magic roasts, where she paired rabbits and chickens with vegetables but the only braised meat we had was pot roast. Granted, it was one of my favorite dinners but we never had short ribs and even our lamb shanks were used in Icelandic "meat soup" which is almost identical to Irish stew but it has turnips in it and is boiled not braised.

So my love of braising is partly about the discovery. It is about patience, it is about a lovely smell wafting through my home and also smiles from those I feed. It is all in all a lovely experience. Not only that it is about taking cheep cuts of meat and turning them into something fantastic. Since Spring Lake Farm has started to offer grass-fed beef my mother and I have been braising fiends. I call her to talk about our successes and our disappointments. She thinks cooking with wine is fraught with difficulty and that adding too much liquid too early is never a good idea. I agree with the wine thing. It is hard to get a wine of good enough quality that it does not over power the meat; I think that beer, sherry and vermouth are a lovely and inexpensive alternative to the wine dilemma. Onions are a must in all braising. Anchovies are another secret ingredient that can make beef delicious.

This short ribs recipe is great because it is creates this amazingly lovely gravy. And the short ribs get this crispy surface that is roast like; you almost forget that you are eating short ribs not an expensive roast. If you have children they will love the gravy, and all the vegetables become these soft savory morsels. So good. A lot of people would serve this with mashed potatoes but because of the gravy boiled potatoes are a healthy alternative and far easier and you will not miss the mashed potatoes because of the softness of the vegetables.

Old Fashioned Grass-fed Beef Short Ribs with Gravy
INGREDIENTS :

• Olive oil or bacon drippings to cover bottom of dutch oven
• 2 pounds beef short ribs
• 5 cups water
• salt(about one teaspoon) and pepper to taste
• 2 carrots cut up
• 2 onions, quartered
• 4 celery ribs cut up
• 1 cup cut up turnip
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• fresh parsley and chives to taste

DIRECTIONS: Season the ribs with salt and pepper to taste and place them in a Dutch oven with one onion and celery bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for two hours.
Remove the cooked short ribs and place them in casserole dish. Place the stock(that you just made with the boiling of the beef) and remove from dutch oven. Cover pan with fat and add flour until smooth then add 3 cups beef stock. Use the reserve stock to pour over ribs. Preheat the oven to 350-400. Place the vegetables on the bottom of the casserole and place ribs on top and bake for 45 minutes until the short ribs become browned. Serve with gravy on the side. Enjoy!

My Blog Has Turned 3!

Anna, one of our Polish Arabians, Born and Raised on Our Farm

My blog is getting older and each season I fall ever more in love with blogging! I want to thank all my readers and all the cool food and farming folks I have "met" through this blog! What better way to celebrate then to show you how big and grown Anna has become(baby pictures after the link)! She was one of our first Polish Arabians born on the farm and she has become a very friendly if not too friendly mare. She was so keen on being petted today I could not get a proper picture of her. I guess there are worse things, the great thing about the horses in the middle of winter is their soft coats! Petting them is a total pleasure!

Irish Lamb Stew

My boyfriend is a very big Irishman: he likes to eat and I like to cook.... so it works out very well. I am not sure whether it is him, or the fact that I love Darina Allen’s cookbook that has made me totally obsessed with Irish cooking in general. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that when I was living in Iceland I met up with my good friend in Ireland and we had a blast! The food was superb, simple and the ingredients were incredibly fresh. Ireland is a small agricultural country where most if not all the food is raised on small farms. You can taste it in their food. Boiled carrots taste amazing because they are fresh not to mention that they are really healthy.

I bought Darina Allen's Irish Traditional Cooking: Over 300 Recipes from Ireland's Heritage and have fallen in love with it. Her recipes are so elemental and because I have so many raw cuts to work with it has been indispensable in my quest to figure out how to use all the cuts our farm offers. She uses it all: lamb kidneys, beef tripe and heart. While the French use this all too, there is something special about the good, honest simplicity that Irish cuisine has to offer. Another aspect of the cook book I love is that it works as such a great basis; the recipes are all hundreds if not thousands of years old, so updating them is exciting and leaves a lot of room for creativity!We are trying to sell meat directly to costumers (we used to sell it to markets and butchers) and creating cuts that people want has been my job. The “Lamb Shoulder Roast” is an odd cut but it is PERFECT for stew or even curries! There are many different types of stew but I recommend Irish style because it is so healthy! You can buy lamb shoulder chops at your local grocery store and in all likelihood this lamb will be grass-fed, it is a great economical way of eating healthier meat! A lot of farm's sell the shoulder roast I cut the lamb off the bone and used the bones to create the stock which was really delicious!

Irish Lamb Stew
Ingredients

• 2 pounds shoulder lamb chops, about 1-inch thick(OR a lamb shoulder roast, cut from the bone into one inch pieces)
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 5 carrots, peeled
• 3 onions, peeled and quartered
• 4 cups lamb stock or water(the bones from the lamb shoulder add a lot to the broth)*
• 2 tablespoons roux
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Preparation: Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking add the chops. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the chops from the pan and set aside. Add the lamb back to the pan. Add carrots and onions to pot. Cover with the stock place potatoes on top so that they steam. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium low add herbs. Simmer for about 1- 2 hours or until the lamb falls off the bone. Stir in the roux and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and spoon into serving bowls.

Easy Lamb Stock

Roast salted and peppered lamb bones at a high heat for half an hour, place in seasoned water and boil for an hour or two.

.

Did You Know You Can Make Homemade Microwave Popcorn?

Microwave popcorn has always fascinated me. As a kid it seemed like a magic treat that I could only partake of at other people's houses(my parent's were very food strict) my obsession with popcorn was so great that I even planted popcorn in our garden. To their credit microwave popcorn is pretty bad, but that does not mean you can not make it yourself! I just use a paper bag fill it with 3-4 tablespoons of popcorn kernels, a tab of butter and microwave it on high for about 3-4 minutes. I then salt it with popcorn salt(which is salt I put into a food processor for a few minutes until it is fine). The secret is to fold the bag a few times. This is a wonderful treat and if you have kids let them make it themselves! It is all about the magic!

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

• Brown paper lunch bag
• 3-4 tablespoons popcorn kernels
• 1 tab of butter
• popcorn salt to taste

Preparation: Place popcorn in lunch bag with butter fold bag tightly; microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Season with popcorn salt. This bag can be used over again the same day if you want to make more.

Michael Ruhlman Says It Better Than I could!

Michael Ruhlman just did a great blog post on how we are unhealthily obessed with cleanliness, and how this all translates into how we prefer processed food over natural food. As a nation we consume chicken nuggets instead of "gross" things like ripe cheese that is ALIVE. The man just says it better then I could, read it here.

Writing About Oneself.....

I am currently doing all the "copy" for my blog redo and the whole process is causing me a bit of distress. I seem to really dislike writing about myself. We are also launching a site for our farm so that in the very least is exciting. More to come!

Shepard's Pie with My Father's Mutton

New York is awash with talk of lamb bacon, I hope that mutton becomes the new trend because this shepherd's pie I made with my father's grass-fed ground mutton was one of the best dishes I have eaten in a while. Rich, complex and hearty. Just delicious. Mutton can be terrible, filled with a strong wool flavor that makes it almost inedible. Thankfully, my father's ewes are crosses with a lot of African blood(Katahdin) so that their wool is useless but their meat is delicious. One of the reasons Americans are have such an aversion to lamb is that during WWII our GI's were fed mutton from Australia, cheap meat from old wool ewes that would turn most off to mutton, and lamb.

But there is good mutton out there, and I really can not say enough nice things about my father's. I like how this pie is called a "Shepard's Pie" because as a kid I was always a bit fascinated by father's role as a blond long haired shepard!
This recipe is based off of a Martha Stewart recipe from everyday food, I have changed the amount of meat, and added more veggies and potatoes. I also cooked it in my lovely everyday pan which made clean up so easy, I browned the meat and veggies and baked it all in the same pan. Just lovely!

Shepherd's Pie

• 1 pound ground mutton or lamb
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas

Potato Topping:

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter

Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°.
In a medium saucepan, cover cut up potatoes with salted water by 1 inch; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
Add milk and butter to pot and whip with a hand mixer. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Heat a large skillet over high heat and brown mutton. Empy pan and reserve
Add ¼ cup water to the skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and carrots. Cook, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add flour and stir well.
Add Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups of water, and browned mutton lamb. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute.
Spread mashed potatoes over pies; use a fork to make peaks. Bake on a baking sheet until tops are browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly; serve.

Icelandic Government Collapses

This story is still developing and we all hope that Iceland will weather this storm. Personally, I think that Icelanders are better off with out the Independence Party. My family has had a lot of experience with their Machiavellian approach to gaining power. This is humbling for the Icelandic nation but I hope this means there will be change and light at the end of the tunnel.

Vanilla Cheesecake Bars From Heaven

I had two extra cream cheeses left after a successful sushi night. Yes, I use cream cheese in sushi it is a trick I learned from my cousin who turned me on to vegetarian -California style sushi. My favorite? The Iron man roll that has cream cheese, spinach and beats. Just delicious.

I like cheesecake just as much but I was not up to a big cheese cake not to mention the fact that I bought this nefty cake pan that keeps brownies and bars fresh all week ---so I thought why not try bars? I goggled vanilla cheesecake bars and I stumbled on this lovely baking blog, Baking Bits. These cheesecake bars are sooo good. I loved how it is totally homemade, I did not need to go out and get cookies of any sort everything was in my pantry and I used vanilla extract not a vanilla bean but they were so good! Thanks Nicole!

Readers! De-lurk!

My good friend Mindy asked her readers to "de-lurk" and comment on her blog! She got a lot of comments and was able to "meet" her readers. I would love to do the same, as I am currently redoing my blog. Well my sister, who is a brilliant designer, is redoing it for me(thank you!). I would like to have links to producers and farmer's who are doing things their own way. I have been getting a lot of email of late from farmers. I have been so busy that I have not been emailing(I will do that this week) but I do want to link farms so if you have a site or blog please comment! And if you are a reader please comment too! I want to meet you folks!

Avocado Omelet with Cherry Tomato Lime Relish

Avocado are always in my home, and I wait to let them ripen, it is not an exact science some take many days and others only a few. There are so many ways to use them, on salads, sandwiches, in dips--- my mother would serve them French style cut in half with a Dijon vinaigrette as a first coarse when they had reach their peak ripeness. You have to be ready for the avocados not the other way around. I have never cooked avocado, which in all honesty is a shame because there are a lot of wonderful savory avocado dishes out there, so I tried my hand at an avocado omelet and goodness it was fantastic! Creamy, luxurious, delicious: this is going to be a staple in my home, that is when the avocados decide they are ripe!

Avocado Omelet with Cherry Tomato Lime Relish

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• A dash of milk, half and half, cream or even water
• Tab of butter
• 4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
• Some monterey jack cheese, grated
• 3/4 avocado, cubed
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, grape or even a plum tomato
• Juice of half a lime
• A small handful of cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Mix the eggs and half and half with fork, in a heavy medium sized non -stick skillet melt butter and reduce the heat to low, add eggs, then cheese, then avocado then the bacon, cook at a low eat for up to 15 minutes then fold gently to create the omelet. The secret to a light and delicate omelet is the low heat!
Meanwhile assemble the relish by cutting the cherry or grape tomatoes in half season with salt and fresh pepper; toss with lime juice, serve as a garish with half the omelet. This serves two people!

Readers and Friends Will You Nominate Me?

Our Hamburg Rooster Timmy

The well feed network is having a blog competition and I would love to be nominated. Here are two categories I think work for my blog: Best Food Blog: Rural and Best Food Blog: Photography. I would prefer to be nominated for the Rural category because I view this blog as a love letter to my family's farm, and my childhood. I am at heart a farmer and a country girl.
To nominate me, all you need to do is make a comment and include my blog address. Thank you in advance! And Please do it before tomorrow, that is the deadline!

Our Dominique hens are just made for the winter they look especially good in the winter, because they have an extra puffy layer of down. Aren't they precious?

Creamy Blue Cheese Pasta

In Iceland they love Italian food especially fish and pasta dishes. I have had transcendent fish dishes done at Italian restaurants in Reykjavik, one fish dish with cream and white wine has stuck in my mind, yes it was that good. This blue cheese pasta is something that Icelanders like too, I am not sure if it is a classic Italian dish or a fusion but it is a tasty alternative to Alfredo and after the holidays I always have left over blue cheese. This dish is perfect! A total pantry dinner. This dish is pretty salty so I like to have steamed vegetables as a side.

Ingredients:

• Half a stick of butter
• 4 ounces blue cheese(I used a Danish blue)
• 1 cup half and half
• 1-box of pasta*

Preparation: Melt butter on a medium heat, add blue cheese and half and half. Cook until smooth. Toss with cooked pasta, serve with LOTS of cracked fresh pepper.

*Rule of thumb: The thinner the pasta, the thinner the sauce - The thicker the sauce, the thicker the pasta! So add more or less of the cream or milk depending on what pasta you have at hand.

Gravlax!

Preparing the Gravlax

In true Scandinavian fashion we have two cold plate lunches over the holidays one Christmas day and then another on new years day. Gravlax is perfect for this lazy feast, it is also easier then you think and exceptionally rewarding---it gets rave reviews! The secret? Start out with very fresh salmon then you can keep the fish for up to a week after curing it!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh salmon
• 1 large bunch of dill roughly chopped, plus chopped dill for serving
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, crushed

Preparation: Cut the salmon in half crosswise and place half the fish skin side down in a deep dish. Wash and shake dry the dill and place it on the fish. Combine the salt, sugar, and crushed peppercorns in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly over the piece of fish. Place the other half of salmon over the dill, skin side up. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Place a smaller pan on top of the foil and weight it with some heavy cans. Refrigerate the salmon for 2 days, turning it every 12 hours and basting it with the liquid that collects.

Lay each piece of salmon flat on a cutting board, remove the bunch of dill, and sprinkle the top with chopped dill. With a long thin slicing knife, slice the salmon in long thin slices as you would for smoked salmon. In Iceland they serve it with butter, white bread and mustard sauce. Enjoy!

Mustard Sauce: Honey Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chopped dill.

My Ode to California

My recipe for the grass-fed party this week is an ode to not only California but my lovely cousin Ramona who got me turned on to not only California cuisine but marinated steak. If one of your resolutions is to be more romantic this dinner is for you, not only that it will not break the bank. Grass-fed Flat Iron Steak is big, juicy and fantastic and not all that expensive. Flat Iron Steak with Whipped Wasabi Potatoes and Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms. Click here for the recipe.

Snow Clouds Nestle on the Catskills

There is something about an upstate winter that can challenge the most cheery among us. Sometimes it feels like one over-cast day blends into another, and the cold takes on this damp character that clings to you when you venture out. Yet there is beauty in these cold, dark days. Like this colored sky that happens a lot, even in the middle of the day something to do with the winter sun fighting against thick snow clouds. It can be lovely, it also makes my photos a bit richer somehow, like these pictures of one of our spring cockerels.

It is winter. It is time to slow down, even the chickens do it. They lay less, and cuddle up with each other, sleeping much more then they do in the summer. There is no reason we should not do the same.

Smiling Sows, A Promise of A Good New Year!

Our Large Black and Duroc crossbreed sows are doing very well, they are in the barn for the winter but we hope to have them fully pastured by spring.

The Christmas Goose: Danish Style

I cooked a goose for Christmas dinner, lets just say it was a learning experience. It came out really well but the presentation could have used a bit of work. You are supposed to pierce the skin 30 minutes into roasting to release all the fat from the skin, I pierced a little too deeply so that some of the juices from the breast got roasted on the skin, not only that, I did not secure the wings under the bird so that when it came out of the oven it looked like a creature from the Paleolithic age, with that said, it tasted fabulous. Decadently crispy skin with a divine layer of fat and a meat that was dark, succulent and extremely flavorful. I made a basmanti and wild rice pilaf, a watercress salad and an excellent prune and apple stuffing. We usually make a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner but we decided to go with our Danish roots this year. My father loves goose so we might have to do this again. I loved the stuffing to my surprise! This also makes for a terrific winter meal.

Danish Roasted Goose with Apple and Prune Stuffing

• Ingredients:
• 1- 8 to 10 pound goose
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cup prunes(dried out prunes can also be used)
• 3 apples cored, and chopped

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the goose well and pat dry, salt and pepper the interior and exterior generously. Mix the prunes and the apples together, pepper them as well. Stuff the goose. It is important to truss the goose well, most importantly secure the wings under the bird and close the legs.
Place the goose in the oven for 30 minutes, remove the goose from the oven and gently prick the skin all over to release the fat, be careful not to puncture it too deeply so that the meat juices do not escape. Roast for another half hour(one hour in all). Remove the fat from the roasting pan(set aside)*
Reduce the oven to 350 and roast the goose for another two hours to two and a half hours. You want to cook it to an internal temperature of about 180, meat thermometers are a bit hard to use on the goose so another method is to pierce the leg meat, if it run clear it is a cooked goose! Let stand for ten minutes and enjoy!

The seasoned goose, the wings look so so pretty here but be sure sucure them under the bird!

A Merry Icelandic Christmas?

This expert from Chrom.com really sums up the Icelandic Christmas tradition: While American children are dreaming of sugar-plum fairies and Santa Claus, wee ones in Iceland are being tormented by visions of a mean mountain hag named Gryla, her ugly troll husband, Leppalud, and their 13 nasty, hideous children.

As the legend goes, these so-called Yule Lads — who bear whimsical names like Stubby, Pot Licker and Window Peeper — come down from the mountains one by one on each of the 13 days leading to Christmas, teasing, stealing, slamming doors and generally striking terror in the hearts of the Icelandic population.

What’s worse, if Icelandic children are naughty, the Yule Lads will carry them back in sacks to be eaten by Gryla, while those who do not wear a new article of clothing on Christmas Eve are fed to Gryla’s Christmas cat, a menacing black feline named Jolakottur.

“This is no joke here,” said Olof Atladottir, director general of the Icelandic Tourist Board. “My daughter gets very scared that Gryla might come at this time of year.”

Even adults are not free of Christmas night terrors, on Christmas eve animals can talk and if you happen to have the misfortune of hearing them talking then you will go mad. Forever mad. Scary stuff when you think about it. Paganism was never squashed by Christianity in Iceland and these old pagan stories did not only survive they live all on.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I am currently up on the farm cooking up a storm with my mother! Hope everyone is having a great holiday week! I made some orange and lemon marmalade as a gift this year! It is tangy and lovely: the perfect gift. It is also extremely seasonal as the orange are just beautiful this time of year! My mother's new kitten Titus helped me with making it, he really is too cute!

Before I scrubbed them clean--- An Orange Marmalade Kitten plays with the Oranges!

This is my mother's emailed recipe:
2 large oranges
2 large or 3 small lemons
scrub well cut into quarters,remove seeds add 3 cups of water bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes
let stand covered for 12 to 18 hours in a cool place
remove fruit and cut into small shreds
return it to the water it was cooked in
boil 1 hour
add 1 cup of sugar for each cup of fruit mixture
boil until it forms a jelly
place in sanitized jars.

Chinatown Style Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy

My boyfriend and I always go out and get Chinese food on Monday night. It is a great thing to look forward to and we hate the maddening crowds on the weekends. It is almost an extension of the weekend. We both love this bok choy dish and I make it a lot. Somehow they make it more elegantly in Chinatown, I think they do not use soy sauce instead they use a salty broth with it. that has a wonderful ginger and garlic flavor. It is extremely healthy too!

Chinatown Style Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil for stir-frying
1 pound baby baby bok choy or regular bok choy
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 slices ginger, minced
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
white pepper to taste
1/2 cup water mixed with
1 teaspoon cornstarch
a pinch of salt
A few drops sesame oil
Preparation: Wash the baby bok choy and drain. Cut them in half. If the bok choy is a on the big side you might want to quarter them.Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry briefly, for about 30 seconds, until the ginger is aromatic. Add the bok choy stir fry. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and stir-fry on high heat for 1 minute.Add the water with corn starch, cover the wok and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil and serve. Enjoy!

I have been a bad blogger. I have been so busy that I have been neglecting this blog. I have been doing a lot of research though, and am excited about all the cooking that the holidays brings! Hope everyone is having a good holiday season!

A White Thanksgiving

Turkey with Lemon, Onion, Sage, Rosemary And Peppercorns

My sister and I hosted Thanksgiving up at our new cottage and it was lovely. The oven broke and my mother was kind enough to tend our turkey for us. I stuffed it with a lemon, an onion a sprig of rosemary and some sage and a few whole peppercorns. It came out lovely. I ended up doing all the sides on the stove which turned out surprisingly well my favorite was the grated yams just delicious! Because I could not do the baked yams, I grated yams and simmered them with ginger, butter and cream! We also had a white Thanksgiving which really makes you think Christmas is around the corner.

View from the top of our hill.Our Cottage at the Bottom of the Hill
Max and My sister's dog Zoe play in the snow!