Returning Back to Homestead Meat Provenance

One of my favorite blogs is The Healthy Home Economist. Her blog is incredibly informative, well written and current on what people need to know about food.

Today's bog post was incredibly fabulous. The title caught my attention - A Return to the Wisdom of Homestead Meat Provenance.  Sarah's first two lines grabbed me  - "The loss of consumer contact with the local butcher whom they know and trust is one of the damaging aspects of the rise of factory farms.  The "butchers" of today are really  not even butchers - they are simple specialty grocery workers who receive prepackaged and precut portions of meat off a delivery truck and arrange them in a desirable manner in the meat cooler section of the store."

I clicked the play link on the below video and from the start I knew I needed to pause and invite Michael to join me in watching it together.  We did and had a few moments of being so proud of the thirty somethings who are taking back the ground and returning to what is good and right. It's as if they no longer want to nor will they believe the lies (we) the older generation told them.

There is an opportunity to make a financial donation to this project and my point in posting this is NOT so you do so - but more so that you become educated a bit more. I'm always leery about making a donation to anything and at this season we run a very tight budget - that given - we couldn't help but financially support this project with our small donation. It was our way in saying - We Believe In You!

If you watch the video - I'd love your thoughts/comments.  Have a wonderful weekend!

My Wednesday Friends. . .

I blogged here today. 

Saturday Morning Beauty

We've had a busy week and took a bit of time this morning to enjoy the fruit of our labor together. This display of beauty caught my eye and then my soul at that point I was reminded where my strength comes from.

On another note, Michael and I love this farming thing and the many many beautiful people we have had the privilege of meeting.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Lemon Souffle Pudding

. . . recent dessert our family devoured in the courtyard at our farm. How do you spell delicious? Here's the recipe we used.  I'm linking up with with Lisa's Sweets Blog here!

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream and Poached Peaches

I'm on the look out for anything with peaches and anything with lemon verbena since our peaches are ripening and  my potager is over flowing with lemon verbena.

Tartlette blog  is my new favorite blog because she has the neatest recipes and the coolest food pictures. Incredibly inspiring.  Instead of getting ready for tomorrow's market, I'm indulging in drooling through her blog posts and particularly her recipe (which I posted here) on Lemon Verbena Ice Cream and Poached Peaches. 


Recently, I found a - just about brand new - ice cream maker and this recipe sounds perfect for my first try at the farm's home made ice cream!  


Oh, I'll be selling lemon verbena at the market this week!  


Lemon Verbena Ice Cream And Poached Peaches:
Serves 8

For the lemon verbena ice cream:

4 egg yolks
1 cup (100gr) sugar
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
1 small handful lemon verbena leaves.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and one cup of sugar until pale and thick. In a saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream, milk, and lemon verbena to a simmer, without letting it come to a full boil. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolks mixture while whisking to temper the egg yolks. Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream coats the back of spoon. It should register 170F on a candy thermometer. At this point you have made a custard sauce, also known as "creme anglaise". Let cool completely, and refrigerate until cold.
Once the custard is cold, strain and process according to your ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions.

For the poached peaches:
4 peaches
1 vanilla bean split in half
juice of one lemon

Prepare the peaches:
Place the peaches, vanilla bean, lemon juice and enough water to cover them in a tall saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and let them simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the peaches are just soft (poke with a toothpick to check).
Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and allow to cool on paper towel or baking rack.

To plate: cut each peach into thin slices and serve with a generous scoop of ice cream. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios if desired.

The Boys

Our boys were all sired from Crow's Dairy Charlie - SG Crow's Dairy Shellly's Debbie and his dam is Six M Galaxy Red Robin

Dam: 
Storm - Her sire is Jacobs Pride Show Me Zanziber and her dam is Reuel Stayce's AM. Stella

Dam:
Marie  - Black Mesa's Cory's Corianne/ and Black Mesa Edie's Huey


All our bucklings are for sale. For more information call Michael at 480.203.9189

Just a little update....all boys were sold to one family.

The Simple Farm's Heirloom Tomatoes

Why an Heirloom?

Heirlooms will offer you a true tomato taste.  An heirloom is full of flavor and you can actually taste the distinct flavor of each variety.

Heirlooms carry a valuable history with those seeds passed down from a few generations. I read once that "heirlooms come to us from another time."  "Heirlooms are true survivors," wrote the founder of Seeds of Change, a seed company that preserves old varieties (and from which we order many of our seeds."

At least 95% of our tomatoes are from heirloom seeds and at least 85% we have grown from our seed starts we began this past December in the sunroom of our farm.  When Michael completed our small green house they were all moved to continue growth there.