SUNNY DAYS

The sun came out to play this weekend after a very long and very, very, very rainy spring season here on the Eastern Shore.  I had to forgive myself for not being very inspired to sit at the computer and work on editing my book.  I just wanted to be outside and have some fun in the sun.  And so I did.  

My son literally spent the entire weekend outside with this Dad.  At one point he went into the house to put on some "shorts" and came out wearing his underwear.

The smoke in the distance is Scott getting a nice bed of hot coals ready for grilling our Saturday evening meal.

Grilled asparagus and pork chops hot off the grill.

It was so hot I was inspired to brew up a batch of Classic Iced Tea.  Unfortunately I was too busy having fun to take a photo of it, but here is the recipe...

CLASSIC ICED TEA
Makes 1 quart


So easy to make, you'll never buy packaged again.


2 cups water
3 organic orange pekoe tea bags
local honey or organic sugar to taste (I used about 2 generous tablespoons)


Method:  Bring the water to a boil.  Remove from heat and immediately add the tea bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags, sweeten with honey or sugar to taste.  Pour the tea into a pitcher, adding 2 cups of cold water, or less if you want a stronger brew.  Allow tea to cool before refrigerating.  Serve over ice, garnished with a wedge of lemon.

The turkeys playing in the grass.

Late Sunday afternoon, the turkeys decided to fly up into the trees and peer out over the land from above.

Today was a cold, blustery, windy, and rainy day that was somehow so much easier to swallow after a weekend of solar battery recharging.

SETTLING IN

My neighbour Catherine took a couple of great photographs of the goats.

 The goats are settling in.  They are part of the family now, part of our rhythm, a part of our lives.  As I write this I am listening to their goat song, their tragic cry as they learn to be separate for a little while each night.  We are gently weaning the kids from momma each night for 4 hours to build up her milk.  Then Scott goes out and milks Cassie (the momma), and the family is then reunited for the night and all of the next day in the pasture.  It is an interesting journey into home dairying, especially being an actively lactating mammal myself right now.  I am face to face with the reality of animal husbandry.  To be in the front lines, in direct contact with the process of extracting milk from an animal and then consuming it is pretty intense.  I often wonder what it would be like if I was the mammal being kept by another animal for the same reasons.....As you can imagine, my mind then begins to wander in all kinds of interesting directions.  Suffice it to say, getting goats has been a very eye opening experience.

This first week was also a bit stressful.  We had to figure out how much to feed the goats, when to feed them, and when to milk Cassie.  Scott has also been busy building housing for the goats, as well as a goat stand. Then Cassie's pooh got all clumpy, which freaked me out because it is supposed to be like little beans or pellets.  To top it off, we then discovered she has an infestation of some sort of flea or bug.  So off I went into the city to purchase some bulk herbs to concoct a formula to rid her of those, along with some other herbs to keep her worms at bay.  I think everything is under control.....for now.  My current concern is whether she is too thin.  It's like having another child!  In a good way though.  I love having them here.  I know it was kind of crazy to get goats when I have a such a young baby to take care of too.  Our lives are definitely "full" right now....but it is also wonder"full", thought"full", and bounti"full".

Goat accommodations.

Super comfy goat accommodations.   The new wood and straw smells so good.  I could live here.

My husband Scott is hilarious.  He is definitely getting into this.  Maybe too much.  The other night he was milking Cassie in his "shop", which temporarily housed the goats.  He had the radio going, he had Cassie's udder all greased up, and he was milking her in time to the rock song on the radio.  He then proceeded to tell me about how when you stroke her in a certain way, her eyes kind of half close in ecstasy.  Oh my, what have we gotten ourselves into?

On a totally unrelated note, here is picture of our lovely turkeys.

NEW ADDITIONS

     We are so delighted to welcome the newest members of our family - a nanny goat and her two kids.  They have yet to be named.  The day was so full of activity; driving to Angelhoeve Organic Farm in the valley to pick them up, and of course trying to learn as much as we could about caring for goats in the short time we were there.  Once we've settled into a more familiar routine and get to know the goats better, I am sure the perfect names will naturally arise.  We aren't sure how our son will react to his little friends suddenly "disappearing" one day, so are debating whether or not it is a good idea to name the male kid.  Male goats are aggressive, and well, really only useful as sperm donors, soooooooo he probably won't be frolicking in our fields for too long.

     Needless to say, we are all very excited to have these lovely animals around.  I am a little overwhelmed and worry that we are too inexperienced.  I really want to make sure we take care of them properly so that they thrive and live happily.  I am sure they will, yet I can't help but wonder how it will all turn out.  There is also the whole experience of learning to milk her, while keeping the process sterile and clean so we don't consume tainted milk!  EEEEEK....it's one thing to romanticize keeping goats, and another to actually have the animals in your care.

     Once we master the milking thing, you know I am going to be all over the cheese making process.  I am very thrilled to have our own dairy goats to provide us with milk.  So long Superstore, you won't be seeing me much anymore.  Seriously, I pretty much only went there to buy dairy products.  Plastic wrapped, pasteurized, very non local organic dairy products.  I look forward to reducing our family's plastic pollution even more now that we have goats.  Tomorrow will be my first day home alone with the goats, and it is my job to let them out into the back yard and put out some hay and dairy ration - with two kids in tow (my two kids that is!).  Wish me luck!  I hope she doesn't jump the fence!

Our nanny goat in the milking stand at Angelhoeve getting her nails trimmed before she says goodbye.

The HUGE pig at the farm, getting a little scratch on the head.

Our little farmer boy, getting ready to load the goats into the trailer (which had no ventilation, so Scott had to drill holes into his poor trailer.  It has also been lovingly urinated in big time!)

Our sweet lovelies eating hay.  I just want to hug them.

LIFE ON THE LAND

Spring is such an exciting time of year.  Each day brings new delightful discoveries on the land.  I am especially enjoying witnessing the asparagus  I planted last year find their way out again.  Although they are not ready to eat this year, already they are looking like the real thing!  I was also pleasantly surprised to locate fiddleheads unfurling all around our land, poking their heads out of the moss.  The garden is being planted, a little more each week, and I can't wait until the seeds we sowed start to sprout.  I love going out each day and checking in on all the gardens to see what's happening!  Life is good.

Some dandelion leaves I picked from our yard.  I made a lovely Dandelion Vinegar with some of the leaves.  The rest we ate in fresh salads or boiled and then drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Our new little chicks in the tanning room.

The new turkeys are catching some rays too.

Lovely fiddleheads abound.

Garlic is one of my favorite things to grow.

Scott's very organized garden markers.

Our new homemade cold frame.

The rhubarb appears to have survived the winter.

As did the strawberry plants.

My delicate currant bush.

Bergamot.

One of my favorite herbs for tea in the summer - Lemon Balm.

Tarragon.

Prolific oregano.

Healing comfrey.

Cute little parsley.

And my lavender came back!

Sweet blessings from the earth.  Happy Spring!

ENOKI ROLLS

As you can probably see, I am still addicted to the Real Women of Philadelphia contest.  But the contest is over now so I can be honest and recommend you actually use goat cheese or organic cream cheese....

Enoki rolls are delicious and elegant appetizers to serve to your guests this spring. Thin slices of prosciutto enclose creamy cheesy creminis, chives, and crunchy enoki mushrooms. A "must try" recipe, you won't be disappointed!

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• |
• Cook time: 5 minutes
• |
• Total time: 15 minutes
• |
• Servings: 16

• 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup(s) of minced shallots
• 1/2 pound(s) of fresh cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
• 1 tbsp. of brandy
• 2 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
• 8 ounce(s) of organic goat cheese (chevre) or organic cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tbsp. of minced fresh chives
• 1/2 tsp. of sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
• 12 slices Italian prosciuotto, each cut into 4 rectangles
• 1/2 pound(s) of fresh enoki mushrooms
• 32 2" pieces of fresh chives

Steps

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil, shallots, and mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are nicely browned and soft.
3. Add the brandy and lemon juice, and stir until the liquid is absorbed, about a minute.
4. Remove from heat and spoon into the bowl of a food processor.
5. Process until the mushrooms are finely chopped. Be sure to use a spatula to scrape down the sided of the bowl.
6. Blend together the cream cheese and chives with an electric mixer.
7. Stir in the mushrooms, sea salt, and pepper.
8. At this point you can refrigerate the mix until you are ready to assemble the rolls, or you can proceed to the next step.
9. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese blend onto a piece of the prosciutto. Lay a few of the enoki mushroom on the end closest to you, along with a few chives.
10. Ensure that the chives and mushrooms stick out on either end for visual appeal, then roll them up tightly in the prosciutto.
11. Arrange on a serving dish with grated lemon zest and chopped chives around the edge of the plate.

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TYROPITA - Phyllo Cheese Triangles

I am addicted to the Real Women of Philadelphia contest......here is my second submission...

TYROPITA - Greek Phyllo Cheese Triangles

2 eggs

4 ounce(s) of organic Cream Cheese

1/2 pound(s) of feta cheese
1/4 cup(s) of fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp. of fresh chives, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. of fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 pound(s) of whole wheat or regular phyllo
1/2 cup(s) of extra-virgin olive oil
11 ounce(s) of fresh spinach or other salad greens
1 1/2 cup(s) of grated carrot
12 sprigs fresh oregano
12 fresh whole chives
1 cup(s) of extra virgin olive oil
9 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
3 pinch of sea salt
3 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp. of finely chopped fresh oregano

Method:  Preheat oven to 350* F.  Beat the eggs with a mixer until fluffy.  Add room temperature cream cheese and continue to blend until well incorporated and creamy.  With your hands, crumble in the feta and stir.  Add the fresh parsley, chives, pepper, nutmeg and stir to blend.  

     Place the large phyllo sheets horizontally on your counter, so that the shorter edges are to the right and left.  Cut the phyllo sheets, (making vertical cuts) in strips, about 3 1/2" wide with a very sharp knife.  Stack them on top of each other and cover with wax paper, and then a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.  Using a clean pastry brush,  brush each strip with olive oil.  Then place 1 heaping tsp of cheese mixture at one end of each strip.   Lift a corner of the strip next to the filling and fold it over the filling so that it touches the opposite long side and forms a triangle enclosing the filling. Continue to fold up the pastry, maintaining the triangular shape. Fill and fold remaining strips.  Place the triangles on a greased baking sheet, and lightly brush each triangle with some olive oil.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

     In a small bowl make the salad dressing by whisking together the 1 cup of olive oil, lemon juice, the 4 Tbsp chopped oregano, sea salt, and pepper.  To plate: Place a handful of fresh spinach on a serving plate. Sprinkle with some grated carrot. Drizzle with some salad dressing, top with 2-3 cheese triangles, and then garnish with a sprig of oregano and a chive. Enjoy!