Sausage making from our pig! First we hung the sausages in our bathroom to keep the temperature and humidity relatively high. Then we smoked the sausages and our bacon using a homemade smoker overtop of a fire pit. The end results were delicious!
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Pig Slaughter Day
For months Pat and I had been planning our first pig slaughter. It wasn’t something we took lightheartedly. Even though we only had experience with smaller animals we knew with some foresight and thought that it was possible. For me, to be able to use the whole animal is one …
Garlic Planting!
We have expanded our garlic plot this year to 4000! This might not be much to some of my farmer friends who plant much more than this, but for me to plant this many, means that we can at least start selling some next year for the first time. This …
Felted Blanket #2!
This summer Pat and I felted another blanket using some traditional mongolian techniques that have been tweaked just a bit. I tried to take photos of almost every step this time so hopefully the method is thoroughly shown. Step 1: Lay the carded rovings out onto another blanket overlapping each …
Roasted Tomato, Goat cheese, Basil and Thyme Tart
The tomatoes in our garden are so plentiful right now, I’ve been trying to find other ways to use them other than delicious tomato salad or sandwiches. I made a tart last night with roasted cherry tomatoes and a few green zebras. We have been milking a couple goats for …
Last weekend we roasted a herb brined chicken on an open fire. We needed a stand to set up the spit, so my boyfriend made one out of a left-behind satellite dish. This was the most delicious chicken we had ever cooked! Brining the chicken for about 12 hours in a 3-4% salt brine, infused with herbs, garlic scapes and citrus kept the chicken extremely tender and flavourful. Cooking it rotisserie-style also help baste it constantly as the melting fat dripped back onto itself as it spun around. To top it all off, the fire gave it a hint of smoky flavour!
Two weeks ago I picked up some used crocks to make vegetable ferments such as sauerkraut, kimchi and cucumber pickles. Last week I received Sandor Ellix Katz’s new book The Art of Fermentation. His first book- Wild Fermentation introduced me to the concept in such an open and inviting way that there was no question that I would buy this next one! This second book is more in depth. It offers researched information on the history, process, and concept of fermentation. Fermentation is so ingrained in many food products and our lives that many people might not even think about it. The main thing that I like about Sandor’s approach to fermentation is the open idea of experimentation. Just try it! Anyone can make sauerkraut. There is no need to worry about getting sick from your ferments. They will tell you if they’re no good. The stench of a ferment gone bad will keep you away, and if there is film of white on top of your ferments, but the innards are good then go for it. If you get a chance to pick up a copy of either of these books I highly recommend them.
Ben Falk on “Good Design”
Great lecture on Ben Falk’s point of view of good design systems and his business Whole Systems Design in Vermont.