Soup of the Week: Cannellini Tomato (0.55/pp serves 10)

Don't let this soup fool you into thinking it isn't filling. Slightly thick and the simple flavors really satisfy. Again, this recipe shows off the fantastic local produce, that we all took the time to preserve.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some crusty bread.

16 oz of dried cannellini beans, soak over night and drained
1 qt turkey stock (preferably your own made from Sweetgrass backs)
2 c water
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (Russia Corners or The Farm)
1 sprig of rosemary
1 qt whole heirloom tomatoes
s/p


Place the beans in a large stock pot with stock, water, garlic and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour, or until beans are tender. Remove rosemary sprig.

Add in heirloom tomatoes. Stir to combine. Using a immersion blender, puree until smooth. (or use a blender and do in batches). Season with salt and pepper to taste, heat through.

Soup of the week: Greek Lentil (Faki Soupa) $0.85/pp serves 10

This soup is a great example of why it is important to use good, locally grown produce! With very little for ingredients you must depend on the flavor that only local quality can provide. As with every recipe that has history, there many ways that each family would make this soup. Some use carrots instead of celery, some don't add tomato at all. This my favorite version, traditionaly it calls for red wine vinegar, but I like what the balsamic brings to the table. I serve some hot sauce, crumbled feta and of course Psomi Bread, a dense crusty Greek bread.

1 16 oz pkg of lentils
8 oz of  crushed tomato (use some of those great heirlooms you canned)
1/2 c  extra virgin olive oil
2 onions (I used The Farm B/B red) diced
2 The Farm B/B celery stalks, finely diced (or use 2 carrots)
2 garlic cloves, minced (Russia Corners or The Farm)
10 c cold water
s/p
1/4 balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar or even just red wine)

Rinse and pick over the lentils, set aside.

In a large stock pot heat enough oil to cover the bottom of pan. Saute onion, celery and garlic until soft, about 5-7 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and remaining oil. Stir to combine. Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, covered. Simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Stirring often and adding water if needed.

When the lentils are cooked through, stir in vinegar. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Crazy Cummin Cheese Crackers

I call them crazy, because when I used a pizza cutter to cut  the dough, I couldn't keep a good straight line! So crazy it is! I really enjoy the cumin cheese from Dutch Girl. I make a black bean/raisin bread that I make grilled cheese. It is delish! These crackers go great with the Chick pea and potato soup. Or just as a snack!

1/2 c Whole wheat flour
1/2 c unbleached AP flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 Tbsp Kriemhild Butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/4 lb Dutch Girl Cumin cheese, grated
4-6 tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place flours, salt, pepper and grated cheese into a food processor. Add in butter, and pulse 7-8 times. With processor running, add in water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a ball.

Roll dough out between to sheets of parchment paper, about 1/8" thick. Once the dough is rolled out, remove top sheet of parchment and slide the dough sheet onto a large baking sheet pan. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut into desired sizes (avoid very small ones, so they don't burn).

Prick holes, using a fork, all across the the dough.

Sprinkle with kosher salt or sea salt.

Bake for 20-ish minutes (rotate tray half way through baking time). Or until lightly golden and slightly crisp.

Allow to cool on sheet for 1-2 minutes. Then remove crackers to a cooling rack. (they will crisp more as they cool.) Break along cut lines. Store in a air tight container.

Soup of the Week: Chick pea and Potato ($1.60/pp 8-10 servings)

The addition of the HN4Y lemon/garlic hummus, is key to this soup! Take in account the time for preparing the dried chick peas. Or like me, every week I cook up a batch of dried beans, the kind changes all the time, but I have them on hand. (will last about 5 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months). Dried beans are better, then canned ones. They are more cost effect, you control the amount of salt, none of that slimmy - whatever- that stuff is and they stand up better to reheat, less likely to get mushy.

4 c cooked chick peas
1 onion, diced (choose your favorite, from Old Path or The Farm)
4 c The Farm B/B german potatoes, cut into 1" cubes (I leave the peel on)
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground corriander
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or none)
1 8 oz container of HN4Y Lemon garlic hummus, room temperature
3 tbsp olive oil
4 c chicken stock
8 c water

In a large stock pot heat oil over medium heat. Add in onion and saute for about 7 minutes. Stir in chick peas. Sprinkle turmeric, salt, cumin, corriander and cayenne stir to coat peas and onion. Let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in potatoes, stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Let cook for 1-1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are just fork tender. Thin the hummus with about 1/4 c of water. Slow drizzle and stir into soup. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes, don't let it boil.

Serve with cumin cheese crackers.

Winter Squash Buns

Admittedly, I do have a sweet tooth, so I am always revamping so many of my recipes that I have had for years. This one, even to my surprise I must admit, turned out exceptional. The use of the maple syrup in place of reg.white sugar, actually lends a tenderness to the dough. I know many stay away from sugar, but when I want something sweet, it will be something that satisfies me. Sweets, like this or any other, should be savored, be a treat not a meal. When my days get crazy, I take the time, to treat myself. Maybe a cup of tea and one roll, I make myself really linger, slowly chew and taste all the flavors. Better then any power nap! Can use pumpkin, acorn, butternut or even a  Hubbard as I did!

2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet)
1/2 c milk
1/2 c Mill Hollow Maple syrup, grade B
1 Egg (JFF, The Farm, Sweetgrass, Mountain View or Wintergrass) room temperature & lightly beaten
1 c of squash puree, room temperature
1 tbs Kriemhild butter, melted
4-5 c  unbleached white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

FILLING:
8 oz Kriemhild butter, softened
2/3 c raw sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves

MAKE THE DOUGH:

Heat milk and syrup to about 110 degrees F. Pour into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over and stir to dissolve. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

Whisk together the cinnamon, ginger and cardamom into 1 c of flour.

Add in puree, egg, and butter. Blend together well. Add in spiced flour and 1 c flour. Knead with machine for about 5-7 adding in flour until the dough clings to hook and the side of bowl is fairly clean.

Turn dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel. Set in a warm place for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (I put mine on top of my refrigerator or in the oven with the light on). While dough is rising make filling.

FILLING:

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, raw sugar, brown sugar and spices until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Line a 17x13" baking sheet. Set aside

When the dough has rested, roll out on a lightly floured work surface to approximately 12"x16". (the 12" edge facing you)  Using an off-set spatula spread the filling to within 1" of the edge of dough. Tightly roll up dough. (squeezing together occasionally), tuck in ends. (Mine ended up rolling out to 15", so I trimmed of 1/2" from each end to make it 14").Using a serrated knife cut into 1" sections. Place on prepared sheet, cover with a towel. Let rest for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes. Remove from sheet pan to a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle with your favorite glaze. (mine was just powdered sugar and milk). Enjoy!!

Rendering Lard and Tallow

I have been rendering lard and tallow for a bit now. For me, both are worth the effort and time. Neither one is particularly difficult to do, but they do require time. (and time is based on the amount you are rendering).

I use my Lard for pie crust, biscuits, popovers, home fries and such things. I have had many tell me that they use their lard for deep frying as well, yup you guessed it, I will be trying that too.
The Tallow I use for deep frying, so far. I will be trying my hand at Mincemeat pie this year, and I am not talking about the stuff from the store. I have done research on the old fashion traditional way of making it. The steps for rendering for lard and tallow are the same for the most part.

I will start will lard: Thaw the lard overnight in your refrigerator. It should still slightly frozen. Using a very sharp knife, cut into about 1" cubes (or the best you can) the smaller the faster it will render.

Place in a large stock pot. For every pound of fat, add 1/8 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Take the time to stir often so that the lard doesn't burn on the bottom of pan.

As the lard cooks down, the liquid will become a light golden color. You can use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of crisp lard. Drain on a paper towel, and enjoy your cracklings. I use mine to make dog treats. I guesstimated that for each pound of lard, I yield about 1 pint rendered fat. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth lined sieve, into jars. You will see that the lard turns to a white color as it cools. It will also remain soft (softer the tallow), so you have no worries about what type of jar you store the lard in. Store in refrigerator, for indefinitely.

Now the tallow, I leave the suet frozen, but place on the counter, oh about an hour before I will start to chop it. If you have a meat grinder, you could easily use that to grind into small pieces. My tallow I do in a turkey deep fryer, there is scent of suet that is not pleasant for me. Chop as you did the lard, add in the water and simmer away. Now I do not want to scare you away from rendering suet.(oh I think I scared Shulamis...my bad) Some people, say they don't notice the scent, some do. You don't need a turkey deep fryer, you can render suet down in a slow cooker, or stove top and even in the oven. The process is the same for each, time changes for each. If you choose the oven option, the best temp is 325 degrees F. The suet will not run the risk of burning like lard, it is much more forgiving there.

The liquid will also become golden in color. When the pieces have given all the can, strain through a cheesecloth lined sieve, into a heat-proof bowl. The tallow becomes harder as it cools, so I find it easier to cool in a large bowl, then cut into chunks and store in a bag.

Occasionally tallow may need to "cleaned" after it has hardened. Fortunately (or unfortunately) mine did not need it. (of course I would liked to have shown a picture of what it would like) Once the tallow has cooled, I refrigerate it over night. The next day, you will invert the bowl over (I do this over a large cutting board) and there may be some water and sediment. The tallow will eventually slide out, and then you can, using a sharp knife, scrap off any sediment.

It will split very easily into pieces, using a sharp pointed knife to cut. Store in bags in refrigerator or freeze. When you deep fry, it will smell like a lovely beef roast cooking in your house. After each use, strain through a cheese cloth, to remove impurities, tallow can last a lifetime. (repeat the last step of rendering).

Lard and Tallow have beaten up pretty badly for many many years now. And this, after research, is very disturbing to me. Would you be surprised to learn that most of the "bad" info around these fats, were never based on studies, and if a study was done it did not give all the information accurately or  the study wasn't done properly. Both fats are extremely stable, 400 degree smoke point, tallow if properly cleaned after each use, never goes rancid. Lard will not go rancid if properly stored. So not really a money maker there, which may explain why veg oil companies campaigned to give it a bad name. Food for thought...

Now if the use of animal fat has decreased on average 40% over the last 80 years, and if they, as it has been stated, were a major contributor to CHD (coronary heart disease), why have CHD increased in deaths, by 40-60%? Pre 1920 CHD was so rare that when the electrocardiograph was invented, they literally had to look high and low for people to use this machine on, which detects blockage in the heart. Yes CHD was a rarity, until over processed foods, margarine, veg. oils were introduced.

One study that had subjects go on a low fat, low cholesteral diet and quite smoking and the other half did not, actually showed that the cholesteral levels were only marginally effected. But the group that was on the "good"diet actually had a increased death rate of other conditions (stroke and cancer). One study also showed that the over health of the "high" fat diet was far better then the "low" fat diet. Prehaps due to good qualities of animal fat?? Common sense tells me yes. Can it be bad if you over indulge? Yes but so can spinach...too many greens can raise you potassium level. So I say this everything can be good and everything can be bad, but common sense tells me I benefit from natural vs chemical.

Animal fat (saturated fat) is important and helps carry vitamins A, D, E and K through the system. It also converts carotene to Vitamin A and aids in mineral absorption. Animal fat also contains CLA (conjugated Linoleric Acid) which has been proven effective in fighting all three stages of cancer(initiation, promotion and metasis). Most anti-cancer agents only block one. It is important for skeletal growth, animal fat helps incorporate calcium into bones properly. As it also helps the body retain Omega 3, it is vital to the immune system. This is why it is worth it to me to render both suet and leaf lard.

The first time I used tallow to make chips, I was amazed by how little fat was left behind on the paper towel. When I used other oil, there would be lots left behind, and I noticed that things like doughnuts became soggy. It was a pleasure when I used the tallow and they did not!

I do hope if you render either lard or tallow, you drop a comment and let me know what you think :)

Leek Soup ($2.53/pp serving 10-12)

This is a version of a Scottish leek soup. Traditionally it is called Cock-a-Leekie soup. And as with many nationalities, there are a few different ways it is done. My friend tells me true tradition would have used the "cock" or as we know it rooster, in place of the chicken. Some add barley or rice. The shank (they used a beef shin) is also optional and some add all the chopped chicken or just a little back in. Every week in this weather, I make a large pot of some type of soup, soup is very cost effective, a great way to use leftovers and to have meal ready at anytime.

1 Sweetgrass stewing hen
1 Sunnybrook beef soup bone (you could use any shank you prefer)
1 lg Old Path yellow onion, diced
6 c The Farm B/B leeks, separated in 4 c and 2 c
2 oz Scottish whiskey
1 c prunes
1/2 lb  Bacon (Wintergrass or Sweetgrass), chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp dried thyme or tarragon
2 1/2 qt of water
s/p

In a large stock pot, saute up the chopped bacon over medium heat. When the bacon is crispy, remove with a slotted spoon to a platter; set aside. Saute 4 c leeks and onion for about7 minutes or until soft. 
Add in herbs, whiskey, brown sugar, bacon, shank, stew hen and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, covered.

Skim off any scum that may rise to the surface and allow the soup to simmer for about 2 hours.

Remove shank and hen. Allow to cool enough to handle. Remove shank meat from bone and finely chop meat, return to pot. Remove skin from hen, and finely chop the meat, return to pot. Quarter the prunes, stir into pot. Finely chop remaining leeks and add to stock, season with s/p. (if you are adding rice or barley, do so now) Let soup simmer another 20 minutes (rice or barley will cook in this time).

Serve with crusty bread.

Collard Greens and Chorizo Lasagna ($4.22/pp serves 6)

My husband was so skeptical of this dish, he doesn't care at all for greens, of any kind! But once again I changed his mind about such things, he even liked that I used crepes in place of the traditional noodle! I will post recipe using traditional noodles, but if you ever get the chance to use a basic crepe, please do, I think you will like it, and each crepe only has 10g of carbs.Don't be fooled though it is just as filling as a traditional lasagna.

1 bunch The Farm B/B collard greens
1 lb  Sweetgrass Lamb Chorizo (or your favorite sausage), removed from casing
1/2 onion (pick your favorite from The Farm B/B or Old Path, finely diced
2 garlic cloves (pick from Russia Corners or The Farm B/B), finely minced
1 qt crushed tomatoes (your own canned is best)
1 c Maple Hill Creamery Plain Yogurt, room temperature
1 JFF 4 oz Smoked Goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 lb Mountain View Dairy Feta cheese, crumbled
1/8 lb Dutch Girl Mixed cheese, grated
12 cooked lasagna noodles


Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Strip leaves from stems of collard greens, rough chop. Blanch in boiling water for about 4 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out all water from greens. Finely chop; set aside.

In a large heat 1 tbsp oil, add in sausage. Over medium heat brown off meat. Remove with a slotted spoon to a platter; set aside. Add onion and garlic to skillet, saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in greens and heat through. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt and goat cheese. Pour this into greens, and stir through to combine well. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 11x7" pan. Spoon tomato sauce into bottom of pan, just to cover. Place three noodles over sauce, spread 1/2 the greens over noodles, place another layer of noodles, then 1/2 sausage and more tomato sauce. Repeat these layers until used up. (once the last noodle layer is set, top with remaining greens/sausage).

Sprinkle top with feta and then mixed cheese. Place pan on a baking sheet (to catch any spill over) and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Turkey Avacado Hummus Burger and Fries ($5/pp feeds 4)

This turkey burger is so moist and full of flavor that my guest from out of town almost considered moving back here, just to have access to such good food. I told her that it not my cooking that makes it good, it is the great products from the vendors at the Shed! As I always say we are very lucky here in the Mohawk Valley!

1 lb Sweetgrass ground turkey, thawed
1 8 oz container of HN4Y Avocado Hummus, room temperature
1/2 pkg of HN4Y onion crackers, crushed
4 slices Red onion (the Farm B/B or Old Path)
Lettuce slices
4 rolls

4 med/large, the Farm B/B potatoes, cleaned
olive oil
s/p
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp JFF Caldwell cheese, grated


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut potatoes in wedges. In a large bowl, drizzle the potatoes with oil, to coat. Sprinkle with s/p, paprika and cheese. Toss to coat each potato well. Spread out on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake another 15-20 or until crisp and fork tender.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine turkey and hummus. Sprinkle crushed crackers over mixture, and gently mix together. Cover with wax paper and let stand for 20 minutes in refrigerator. Form the mixture into 4 equal burgers.

Heat a large skillet pan over med/high heat. Drizzle with olive oil (or melt 2 tbsp lard). Carefully cook burgers in pan (2 at a time, to prevent over crowding). Flip over after 5 minutes. Cook until golden on other side, about 5 minutes.

I served my burger with a roasted pepper aioli.

Leeks: theirs vs. ours

It is funny how things work out sometimes. I had plans (still do) to post a soup recipe with leeks. At pick up Friday, Shulamis shared some info that had been passed along to her from Laura at The Farm B/B. A local market (which I will not name) had leeks for $3.99/lb, of course the price alone scared me!

Now I have to share this part, the store is my very least favorite, I had a very bad experience there many years ago, and since I refuse to spend any money in that store. For many years, I wouldn't even enter that store! But as I do take my Mom shopping, and it is her store of preference, I have been in there. But my purchase yesterday, was the first money I spent in that store in over TEN years! I also have to say, things had not improved there. As I pick out the leeks, I was looking for a scale to weigh, kindly asked where one was (I was just out sorts being in there!) reply: I don't know, but they will weigh them at the counter. So I hunted down the scale on my own. While I was there I decided to look at a few other prices, when a worker asked me: What are you doing? So I told him: I am price comparing you products to local products. (I was taking photos with my phone as well). I was asked not to take photos and was hinted at to leave. I said ok, took my leeks, paid for them and left. But I did make a stop and spoke to a manager before I left. "As a photographer I find beauty in many things so to see me taking photos in a store or whereever used to be common for me, and if you nothing to hide what's the big deal? I would bet my life that any farmer, or farmers market would gladly allow me to take photo's for they have nothing to hide.( I understand that photos can be taken in such a way to make things look bad or even with digital age, them be altered.) I was told that for santitary reasons photo's are not allowed! Ha the rebel in me said....do you need ask me again why I support local?

The bunch on the left weighed in at 3.5 lbs. Cost $4.25. The bunch on the right weighed in at 3.34 lbs. Cost $13.32. Oh did I mention that the ones on the left are organic as well!
Here is after each bunch was trimmed to usuable sections:

Thanks for tolerating my rebel side, I try not to let it out very often, but sometimes it happens! Continue to support local, go price check for yourself as well!  And share this knowledge with anyone who will listen and encourage others to flock to the Shed! But keep in mind that it is just not about saving money (although very important) it is about flavor and quality! Something we all know that the Shed farmers and local farmer markets have plenty of!

Veal Shoulder with roasted vegtables and fruit (3 meals)

You all read about the Slow Food challenge, maybe took part of it even. Since that challenge I have even more behind me to show that it can be done, you may have noticed the $/pp for my posts, I really want people to know that it can be done. The Foodshed is such a great thing, Shulamis is providing such a needed service and I want as many people that I can reach to know about this. I was talking with a group of people not too long ago about how to stretch a dollar, support local and eat healthy. One person challenged me, so I accepted. Call it a mini iron chef type of thing, I let them pick $60 worth of Foodshed/farm market items. I had to make 3 meals and serve at least 4 per meal. This is what I did.

Meal #1 $2.70/pp serves 6

1 Gaia's Breath Boneless Veal Shoulder Roast
1 bunch Gaia's Breath radish
4 apples, core and cut into 6 wedges
3 pears (I had Asian pears), core and cut into 6 wedges
2 the Farm B/B red onion, peel and slice
6 the Farm B/B Keuka Gold Potatoes, cut into 2' chunks
1 the Farm B/B rutabaga, peeled and cut into 2" chunks,
1 bunch the Farm B/B celery root, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
2 the Farm B/B fennel, quartered
4 large Old Path carrots, cut into 2" chunks
s/p
olive oil


Bring veal to room temperature for about 1 hour before roasting.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place vegetables and fruit into a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat well. Spread these out in a large roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Season veal with salt and pepper. Place on vegetables. Let roast for 90 minutes. (35 minutes/lb).

When roast is done and veggies are fork tender, remove the roast to a platter for about 15 minutes. Slices about 12 thin slices.
Place 1/2 the veggies on a platter and place meat on top. I drizzled with a balsamic/maple glaze.

Glaze: (Thanks Deb)

1 c good quality Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c Mill Hollow Maple syrup, grade B

In a sauce pan, reduce the vinegar to 1/4 c over medium heat. Once cooled stir in syrup. Pure heaven!

Meal 2: Roasted Veg Soup  (approx 12 servings for $1.00/pp. This depends on how thick or thin you make the soup. Should easily serve 8)

Leftover roasted fruit and vegetables
1 qt turkey stock (chicken or veg)
2 tbsp garam marsala
1 c good apple cider
croutons (optional)

Place the veggies in a large stock pot with stock of choice. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour. Carefully puree veggies and stock in a blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in garam marsala and cider, heat through. (may be necessary to add extra stock). Serve with croutons.

Meal #3 Veal panini ($2.70/pp serving 6)

6 ciabatta rolls
remaining veal roast sliced thinly
3 pears (or apples), cored and thinly sliced
1 c grated Mountain View Dairy Colby cheese
balsamic/maple glaze
olive oil

You don't need a panini press, you can use a cast iron pan (wrap a brick in foil for weight or us another cast iron pan)

Cut rolls in half, spread glaze on both side. Place a little cheese on roll, then divide meat evenly among rolls, top with pear slices then cheese. Place the top on cheese. Brush with a little oil.

Preheat pan over medium heat, when hot place sandwich in pan. Place brick (or pan) on top to weight down. When cheese starts to melt, flip sandwich and press with weight. Continue to toast until cheese is melted. Let cool slightly before slicing. (You can do 2 sandwiches at a time)



Goes to show you can eat very well and support local!

Liver Curry (lamb, pork, chicken or beef) $1.75/pp serves 4

I have made this dish with all the liver, but the lamb is my favorite. You can serve this over pasta or rice, even wheat berries are good. Liver has had a bad rap for many years, but the health benefits are amazing. Liver is a high protein food, helps increase your energy, high in CoQ10 (yup that pill everyone is taking), which is necessary for cardio-vascular function, it is a great source of vitamin A, D, E, K and B12. Also good for folic acid, copper and iron. And last but not least, if eaten 1 time a week, you can prevent anemia. Give it a try, it is not like the old days of rubber liver and onions!

1 lb liver
1 onion, thinly sliced (Old Path or the Farm B/B)
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp kosher salt
2 the Farm B/B garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil

(cooked rice or pasta)

Mix together the mustard, turmeric, chili, black pepper and salt. Rinse and drain liver. Cut into thin strips.
In a large skillet, over med heat saute onion and garlic until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add in ginger, spice mix and liver. Toss to combine, simmer with a tilted cover. Stir often, cook for about 20 minutes.
Serve over rice or pasta.

French Onion Cube Steak ($3.88/pp serves 4)

 Sunnybrook Farm has made me a believer in cube steak again. After having, you all remember I am sure, the "tire chewy" cube steaks from the store, I all but gave up on using that cut. This dish was made in a hurry one day, when I had one of those, "I had to be everywhere, things to be done at home and eat dinner," days. These cube steaks don't have to be cooked for ever like those other ones, so it made dinner quick and easy (I also had them defrosted, that helps too).

4 Sunnybrook Cube Steaks, thawed
1 c Mountain View Dairy Emmenthaler, shredded
4 lg onions (Old Path or The Farm B/B), peeled and sliced.
1/2 c beef stock, preferably your own
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
2 tbsp Kriemhild Butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wheat flour
s/p to taste
2 tbsp Gaia's breath lard (or your own)


In a large skillet melt butter into oil, over med heat. Add in onions and toss to coat with oil. Let these caramelize over low/medium heat for about 30 minutes. Stirring often.

When onions are nice and dark golden, sprinkle in flour, cook for 1 minutes. Turn heat to med/high. Slowly stir in beef stock, stirring to prevent lumps, let boil for a minute or two, then reduce heat to simmer.

Set your oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil, place the 4 toasted slices of bread on sheet pan; set aside.

In a large skillet, melt lard over med heat. Season steaks with s/p, fry the cube steak, until nicely brown. (do two at a time, to prevent steaming them).

Divide the onion mixture between the 4 slices, top each with a cube steak and then top with cheese, equally. Place under broil until cheese is nicely melted.

(this is great with the July18,2011 buckwheat honey-ginger carrots. if carrots are bigger, just cut them smaller)

Veal Stew with Roasted Turnip, Carrot and Potato ($4.25/pp serves 4)

If you canned some heirloom tomatoes this dish will be easy to create anytime! Using a variety of cherry heirlooms brings a diverse sweetness to this dish. You can taste each flavor! If you only having just regular ole tomato go ahead and use those instead, it will be equally as good.

1 lb Sweetgrass Veal stew meat, defrost and at room temperature
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 c cherry tomatoes (or 2 c large diced tomatoes) fresh or canned
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 c chicken or veggie stock
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Kreimhild Butter

2 Old Path carrot, cleaned and sliced about 1" thick
2 lg The Farm B/B potatoes, cubed about 1" chunks
1 bunch Gaia's Breath Purple top Turnips, tops/ends removed and quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 garlic clove minced
olive oil
s/p

Preheat to 375 degrees F. Place all veggies on a large baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast for about 1 hour, or until fork tender and slightly golden.

In a large pot over med/high heat melt butter into olive oil. Pat veal dry with towel. Add to pot and let brown on all side, about 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove veal to a platter; set aside. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp oil to pan. Saute onion and garlic, for a 1 minutes. Add in tomatoes, rosemary and thyme. (leave on stalk). Cook for 5-7 minutes. Return veal to pot and add in stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Remove herb stalks. (If you like, you can thicken stew with a Beurre Manie`: equal parts fat and flour. This is basically the same as a Roux, except it is not cooked and is added at the end of cooking) 1 tbsp unbleached AP flour and 1 tbsp softened butter, mash together to form a paste, then bring broth to a boil and whisk in paste. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Allow to stand for 5 minutes off heat before serving with roasted veggies.