Farming at all Ages

August 3, 2017 – 9:28 am

This week we took on farm tasks with teams of nearly all ages or at least from 4 to 75!

Berry picking with the nimble fingers of youngsters (true more berries were immediately consumed than saved, but the speed was impressive), harvesting garlic with our aunt who has her own tiny ag venture in Connecticut, a rage of farm tasks with Laura’s parents (from deliveries to shelter moving to hunting groundhogs) and of course our farm staff, who are here day in and day out.

University of Vermont’s Food Systems program published a nice feature about some of those staff and our UVM-Farm connection.

Who knew that many years after graduating, I would be working with so many great UVM alumni and students. Our current team, some of our longstanding staff early on – Tessa, Anna & Lauren, whose contributions are still felt, utilized and remarked upon as well as some linchpin itinerant farmers and picklers!

UVM’s commitment to local and sustainable food through their main degree programs, food sourcing, the hospital’s amazing work and of course the Extension programs is truly remarkable.

We feel fortunate to have such great partners in the state. And of course we are grateful to have worked with a range of talented and committed people from UVM and beyond!

By Laura | Posted in Stories from the Farm | Tagged farming, staff, uvm | Comments Off

Black Currant Meringue Pie

August 3, 2017 – 8:49 am

Donna made this treat last year and we were all wowed. Now you can do this with frozen black currants as well, but while they are fresh why not pie, and perhaps some Black Currant ice cream and fool and muffins and pancakes and just in your yogurt. Or for a lighter touch, Black Currant and Mint Sorbet. Yep, one of our favorite fruits!

Ingredients:

Pre-baked 9″ pie crust (see Donna’s recipe)

6 tbsps Maple syrup (or more if you like a sweeter pie)
3 3/4 C Black Currants
3 tbsps Cornstarch
6 tbsps butter
4 Egg yolks

4 Egg whites (at room temperature)
1 C maple syrup/1 C sugar
2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Remove stalks from black currants. Place in a pan with the maple syrup and 1 Cup water. Bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the blackcurrants begin to soften. Blend with hand held blender or immersion blender.

Mix 3 tablespoons of this mixture with the cornstarch to make a smooth paste. Pour back into the pan with the rest of the mixture and stir. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to ensure no lumps! Keep stirring over a medium heat, until thickened and smooth.

Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Then beat in the egg yolks.

Return to the heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens again. Remove from the heat, set aside.

For the meringue, whisk the egg whites to medium peaks. Gradually whisk in half of the maple syrup or sugar, a spoonful at a time – VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO RUSH!

Then whisk in the cornflour, followed by the rest of the syrup/sugar. Continue to whisk until the meringue mixture is thick and glossy.

Pour the black currant filling into the pastry case and smooth. Put the pie as it is in the oven for 5 minutes to heat the filling. Remove and spoon the meringue onto the hot filling – spread the meringue to the very edges of the pie crust and swirl to make peaks, then bake for about 20 minutes until the meringue is crisp and lightly golden. Cool before eating.

By Donna Farley | Posted in Eating from the Farm: Cooking Ideas | Tagged eggs, pie | Comments Off

At the Farmstand: Aug 3-8

August 3, 2017 – 8:02 am

Hello August! Summer veggies are starting to roll in, some in snacking volumes this week and others are cranking! This is the week for fresh Black Currants! They are abundant and lovely.

Enjoy your choice of veggies with our pasture-raised meats, including a few turkey breasts & other parts that were deep in the freezer! Some from us and other from our friends at Field Stone Farm. We are partnering with Hannah (who has also worked with us the past few winters) this year to share abundance and what we each grow well and since we have similar farming practices and philosophies!

This week at our Farmstand you can find:

• Eggs (limited to members)

Fresh/Stored Veggies & Herbs

• Basil
• Black Currants (plentiful)
• Broccoli
• Fresh Beets including Chioggia
• Carrots
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Garlic, Freshly Out!
• Garlic Scapes
• Ginger, Baby (frozen)
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Head Lettuce (Field Stone Farm)
• Mint
• Peppers (limited)
• Salad Turnips (Field Stone Farm)
• Scallions (Field Stone Farm)
• Tomatoes – Fresh! A few of the first little ones
• Tomatoes, Frozen
• Zucchini & Patty Pan Summer Squash (plentiful)

Meats

• Bacon
• Maple Breakfast Sausage, Farmhouse bulk
• Bones, Pork & Goat
• Chicken, Roasting
• Chicken, Stewing Hens
• Fat, Pork Leaf
• Fat, Pork Back
• Ground Goat
• Goat Shoulder Chops, bone -in
• Ham Roasts
• Italian Pork Sausage, bulk
• Kielbasa
• Pork Jowl*
• Leg of Goat Roasts*
• Loin Roasts, Goat*(small)
• Offal & Odd Bits – Trotters, hearts, liver, kidneys, necks, Pig Heads, etc.
• Pork Chops
• Goat Ribs/Rack
• Shanks, Goat
• Goat Shoulder Roasts
• Stew Meat, Goat
• Turkey Breast
• Turkey Drumsticks
• Whole Turkeys*

Pantry & Prepared Foods

• Dilly Beans
• Lard (Leaf)
• Lemon Pickles
• Pepperoncini
• Pesto, Arugula & Garlicky Kale
• Heirloom Tomato Salsa
• Soup, Roasted Creamy Spinach, Broccoli-Spinach & Cream of Spinach
• Tomolives (pickled green cherry tomatoes)
• Dried Hot Peppers
• Dried Tomatoes

From our Farm Friends

• Blueberries, Frozen from Spotted Dog Farm
• Honey, Brookfield Bees
• Maple Syrup, Brookfield Bees
• Cider Syrup, Brookfield Bees

This Week’s Member Special

All of the above is available for members and retail shoppers, but we also offer some specials for our members. To learn more about our flexible, free Choice Farm Share memberships, see the details on our website.

• Black Currants on the vine, it is like a pick-your-own that you take home

• Pork Jowl

• Whole Turkeys, large, but lovely

• Leg of Goat Roasts, Great for slow roast

• Goat Loin Roasts, bone-in & quick (see recipe)

By Laura | Posted in Available at our Farm Stand | Comments Off

Mustard and Herb Rubbed Rack of Goat

July 27, 2017 – 11:03 am

This is the quick approach from Bruce Weinstein & Marc Scarborough and their GREAT cookbook, Goat. Wonderful recipes and fun to read as they have a great sense of humor as well. Another good option for the racks is the slow roast approach, resulting in meat that falls off the bone.

Adjusted a bit from their recipe.

Ingredients

1 rack of goat (just multiply if doing more)

2 Tablespoons good mustard

1/3 cup breadcrumbs or other crusty substitute

1/3 cup ground nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts are great)

1 teaspoon minced herbs – sage, parsley or thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Rub mustard on the meaty side of the rack, onto the bones on that side but you don’t need to bother with curved bone- only side, but if you have extra coating go ahead. Mix rest of ingredients in a bowl and then press this mixture onto the mustard coated meat. Set the coated goat racks coating side up in a heavy roasting pan or oven safe skillet. Roast until thermometer in the thickest part reads 140-145 degrees. Probably 20 minutes but with our pasture raised, small racks could be less. Start checking after 15 minutes.

Then remove pan from oven and transfer goat rack to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Best explanation as to why that I’ve read in a long while, from authors, “Here’s why: As meat roasts, internal juices are squeezed out by toughening and flattening muscle fibers: when it sits for awhile, the fibers relax and the juices slip back between the fibers , giving you a more flavorful dinner.”

To serve, cut between the bones with a good knife, separating the chops.

By Laura | Posted in Eating from the Farm: Cooking Ideas | Tagged goat, ribs | Comments Off

At the Farmstand: July 27-31

July 27, 2017 – 10:19 am

This wet, wacky weather (and farmers not responding in perfect timing) has us without our regular salad greens this week as some successions bolted quickly…but lots are on the way, so a good week for kale salads! Some of that same weather does have us still having some snap peas, which are lovely in a kale salad or cooked. And some nice sized beets with greens!

Our friends at Field Stone Farm are not only bringing us more Raspberries but also the freezer will be restocked with a variety of their pizzas! More black currants are coming..perhaps in the farmstand over the weekend, but if not, next week.

This week at our Farmstand you can find:

• Eggs (limited to members)