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Goat and Feta Sandwiches

Here is a recipe from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes with my adaptations.

Goat and Feta Sandwiches

Based on Lamb and Feta Sandwiches recipe from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground goat
  • Salt & pepper, opt
  • 2 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 8 oz. feta cheese
  • Pitas, bread, or English muffins

Method
 

  1. Saute the onion, garlic, celery in olive oil in a large sauce pan until the veggies are soft.
  2. Add the ground goat, salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until the meat browns, 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the spinach; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the feta cheese, sauteing another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is fully incorporated and slightly melted.
  5. Serve in pitas or as sandwiches.

Notes

Any 2 cup combination of sauteed veggies can be used for the onions, celery, and garlic – peppers and grated carrots would be other things to include.
I tend to cook my meat first so that I know it is no longer pink and then add and saute my veggies second.
Any cooking green will work in place of spinach – tatsoi, pac choi, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula.
Any cheese will work in place of the feta.
And if ground goat meat isn’t to your liking, ground pork, ground beef, or sausage will also work.  The key parts are a ground meat, a cooking green, a cheese, sauteed veggies and oregano.
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Goat Curry

Here is the basic Jamaican goat curry recipe that I like to use. It was given to me by a dear Haitian friend. In discussing goat curries he told me that a Haitian curry would tend to have tomato paste and probably straight curry powder as part of the rue (sauce). A Jamaican curry tends to have allspice mixed with the curry powder. I have adapted this to satisfy my family’s mouths (mild) and tummies (a bit more veggies).

This will also work for lamb. A curry is a curry!

Goat Curry

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3-4 garlic, minced
  • 3 lbs goat meat with bone, cubed (or lamb)
  • Salt & pepper, opt.
  • 3 Tbsp curry powder (2 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp allspice)
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 Tbsp cubed coconut milk block, opt.
  • 1 large potato cubed
  • ½ yam or sweet potato cubed, opt.

Method
 

  1. In large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil, add onions, heat until they sweat 3-4 min. (do not fry onion). Add minced garlic, continue to cook 2 min. Remove onion and garlic, set aside.
  2. Add cubed goat to pan with a little more oil and brown all sides, 7-8 min over med heat. Add salt and pepper, if desired, during this process.
  3. Add back onion and garlic with 3 cups chicken stock. Add 2-3 TBS curry powder. Stir and bring to boil.
  4. Lower heat to minimum setting, cover with tight fitting lid and let simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally every 20-30 minutes. After 1 ½ hours add cubed potato and yam and coconut. It is ready to eat after ½ hours or when the potatoes are soft.
  5. Serve over rice.

Notes

I use celery with or in place of onions and garlic.
I have used chicken along with the goat meat, if I didn’t have a full 3 lb. of meat. Lamb also works well with this recipe.
The curry cooks a long time, and the meat will fall off the bones, and bones and meat will separate really well on the plate.
I have used extra chicken broth and added more potatoes, yams, or carrots.  I put these in with the broth and let them cook the whole 2-3 hours.

Here is a link to another recipe to give a more Jamaican version. I would recommend reading this recipe as it has helpful instructions. Enjoy!

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Winter Farming: Planning for Summer – Seeds

Winter Pasture and Garden
Winter pasture and garden

All of life has its ebb and flow. In CNY, winter is less soil intensive, just because things don’t grow in the winter without a cover. That makes it a good time to evaluate the previous season and plan for the coming one.

The Garden Guys – this year Tim and Caleb, assisted at times by the young crew – have thought about things and planned what they want to grow. Next they looked through their seeds to see what they have – mainly squash and pumpkins – and to see what they need to order.  They place the order typically with Fedco Seeds, Maine Potato Lady, and Johnny’s Seeds. Finally the seeds arrive!

Seeds for 2020
Seeds for 2020
Then we wait for the ground and air to warm so we can plant!
Summer Garden
Summer garden
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From Corn to Table

Over the years we have grown a flint corn. [The corn is to the left. The broom corn is to the right. Sweet corn is what you eat as corn-on-the-cob. Flint corn is what you grind to make cornmeal.]This year we are using it for ourselves as cornmeal. Here is the process:

Take an ear of corn.
Oh! Look at the color variation on the backside of that one!
Put the corn sheller on it, twist push from the tip to the back of the cob.
Eventually you get a bucket full of corn kernels…
…and a container of empty cobs.
The kernels we take and grind and get cornmeal.

We have used the cornmeal several ways this year – as polenta, as cornmeal mush, and as cornbread. Polenta and cornmeal mush are just cornmeal mixed with a liquid and cooked on the stovetop until the liquid is absorbed. Polenta is good made with milk or broth. Mush tends to be made with water and served as a breakfast dish.

Here are the recipes for polenta and cornmeal mush and for 2 kinds of cornbread. Enjoy!

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Cornbread recipes

We have recently been using cornmeal. Here are 2 cornbread recipes that we have used over the years.

Basic Corn Bread:

Print Recipe
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt, opt.
  • 2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup dry milk powder, opt.
Wet Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup oil

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then combine. (OR mix dry ingredients; then add wet ingredients and combine.)
  2. Pour into greased 9 X 9 pan and bake 25 minutes.
  3. Serve hot with meal; or with butter, honey, milk, syrup, jam or jelly.
Variations:
  1. To use sour milk (buttermilk, yogurt, etc.) in place of milk, reduce baking powder to 2 tsp. and add 1 tsp baking soda.
  2. For all the liquid ingredients, substitute 1 egg, 3/4 cup of milk, and 1 cup of cream style corn. This makes a more corny cornbread.

Notes

Original recipe is from More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre.  Found at https://becomingmorewithless.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/basic-corn-bread/

Moist, Sweet Cornbread

Having a little more fat and a little more sweetener makes this a moist sweet cornbread.
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted or at least softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk, sour milk, thinned yogurt
Dry Ingredients
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt, opt.

Method
 

  1. Combine wet ingredients.
  2. Add dry ingredients and mix together.
  3. Pour into greased 8×8 pan. Bake at 375 F for 30-35 minutes or until done.
  4. Serve hot with butter, jam, or jelly.

Notes

The sugar seems a lot for the quantity of grains.  And the extra fat does make it a moister cornbread than some.
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Polenta and Cornmeal Mush

Based on my observations and looking at the recipes, it seems that Polenta and Cornmeal Mush are very similar. Both use some cornmeal – 1 part to some form of liquid – 2-4 parts. They are stirred or whisked on the stovetop over heat until the liquid is absorbed. The main difference seems to be in how they are served. Polenta tends to be used as the starch with a main dish, similar to how rice would be used. It tends to be made with milk or broth. It goes under things. Cornmeal Mush tends to be the main dish for a breakfast and would be served with syrup, molasses or honey. It tends to be made with water. So here is the combined recipe:

Polenta or Cornmeal Mush

Cornmeal is mixed with a liquid and served under the main dish or as the main dish.
Print Recipe
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2-4 cups milk, broth, or water
  • 1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, opt.

Method
 

  1. Combine the cornmeal, liquid, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat.
  2. When the mixture comes to a light boil, turn the heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the cornmeal. Whisk every few minutes, so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Add more liquid if necessary to keep the polenta/mush from becoming overly thick.
  3. Serve with cheese or sweetener: honey, syrup, molasses or sugar.

Notes

This can be made with 1 part cornmeal to 2-4 parts liquid.  Using 1 part cornmeal to 4 parts milk makes a really creamy polenta.  I think that you end up with about how many parts of liquid you used – 4 cups, end up with 4 cups of polenta or cornmeal mush.
Original polenta recipe is from   https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/chicken-and-wild-mushroom-skillet/
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Animal Glimpses in January

Here are the animals in their winter environs:

Ted, the calf, resting
Butter and Honey lounging outside
Goats nibbling hay
Goats nibbling hay
Goat close up
Goat close up
Barred Rock Hen
Barred rock hen wandering
Piggie close up
Piggie close up
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Thankful List

Thanksgiving is the season for reflecting on our blessings! From Beth, the face and voice of the farm, here are some of ours –

Butter and Honey
Butter, the mom, and her heifer calf, Honey
Free range chickens
Free range chickens
Cows
Cows
Gaia, our livestock guardian
Gaia, our livestock guardian
Goats
Goats
Pesch, our milking goat
Pesch, our milking goat
Piglets rooting in their pen
Piglets rooting in their pen

I am thankful for the family involved in our farming venture:

  • For The Farmer who is the brains
  • For the Sons who are the brains and brawn
  • For the Young Crew who are the faithful helpers

And most of all I am grateful for our customers, Typically, they are a customer at times and a friend at all times. Relationship is what it is all about!

In this season, may you reflect and come up with your own thankful list!

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Janet’s Chicken BBQ Sauce

Here is a BBQ sauce contributed by one of my regular customers.  I haven’t tried it yet, but it seems simple enough and looks to be tasty.  While it especially works with chicken, I imagine that it could also work with beef and pork.  Enjoy!

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Osso Buco – Crockpot variation

2 meaty soup bones sit side by side in the package.

Osso Buco - Crockpot variation

The meaty shank soup bone is browned, put in the crockpot, then veggies are added and all of it is simmered on low for 6-8 hours. Yummy-licious!
Print Recipe
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp oil, butter, or fat
  • 1-2 meaty shank soup bones
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 18 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups broth Opt.

Method
 

  1. Brown meaty shank soup bones in oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to crockpot or slow cooker.
  2. Add veggies to crockpot.
  3. Cover with diced tomatoes. Add broth, if using. Cover with lid.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  4. Take meat out, cut into fine pieces or shred. Cut marrow into small pieces. Add back to pot and stir it all together.
  5. OPT - If you used up to 2 cups of broth, drain liquid and cook down on the stovetop.  Add back to meat and veggies.
  6. Serve as is or over rice or potatoes.

Notes

This is my stovetop Osso Buco recipe modified to be done in a crockpot.  2 cups of liquid are optional in the crockpot.  The tomatoes, veggies and meat will make their own liquid which will work for this meal.