Willow Hill Farm on Martha Stewart

Big News! We were so lucky to be featured in the November 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine as well as being invited to the Martha Stewart live show. The magazine was filled with beautiful photos taken by Christopher Baker. What a great bunch of fun folks who came to interview us and spend time on our farm.......Unfortunately, for me, I had to process our milk into cheese the day the show was being filmed-and so could not attend. I was the only one in the group of cheese makers who could not attend. In attendance were Blue Ledge Farm, Consider Bardwell, Jasper Hill and Thistle Hill. Happily though, for me, I WAS able to catch the show when I went home for lunch as it's aired here at noon on NBC! What a great show. It began by discussing artisan cheese making in Vermont, continued with Liz Thorpe of Murray's Cheese designing a cheese plate, making goat cheese in the kitchen and then in the finale, Allison Hooper of Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery. Allison has written a fabulous new book, In A Cheesemaker's Kitchen filled with oodles of recipes from her relationships with chefs. And don't forget Liz Thorpe's new tale of her life in Cheese Chronicles. Riveting reading and hilarious adventures she had! You'll have to buy it and see. I'll never divulge..........

After its airing Martha Stewart's cheese show was uploaded in its entirety online. You'll need a high speed internet connection. Check it out!

Or cut and paste the line below into your browser:

http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/the-cheese-show

Vaquero Blue Review on Slashfood

Click here to read a review by Slashfood on our new award-winning Vaquero Blue cheese.

Vermont Fall Means Lamb

I can’t remember the first time I grilled a piece of meat. I must have been in college when the allure of cooking over open flame drew me to buy a tiny Hibachi that sits on the ground. From those early beginnings with charcoal briquets, I moved on to covet the ultimate ‘gas grill’. Years later when I found an abandoned charcoal grill in my garage, I decided to give it a go. I went out to purchase some charcoal, but things had changed since those days in college. There were no longer just briquets, I discovered an array of hardwood charcoal, also known as ‘lump.’ After experimenting with it a bit, I was a convert! I became obsessed with low-n-slow barbecue as well as grilling. Grilling everything from fruit to vegetables, meats, even pizza, it has become my daily method of cooking- spring, summer, fall and even winter.

We got our first official frost here on the farm the other day, and then the very next day, it snowed! Times like this require lamb on the grill, I say. I went in search of a boneless leg of lamb in one of our farm freezers. And there, beneath the pork was a perfect sized leg that just might serve two, I thought. With more light snow predicted- this hill farm is at an elevation- full bodied herbal flavors summon me. A classic, Mediterranean/Greek lamb fits the bill. Redolent of garlic, olive oil and rosemary, its simplicity is what makes this one a gem. This recipe can be sized up to serve more by using a larger leg of lamb. Instructions for both charcoal/gas grills follow.

Boneless Grilled Leg of Lamb
Serves 2-4
Prep time 30-45 mins

Ingredients:
1 Boneless Leg of Lamb (2 ½ -3 lbs)
3 cloves garlic, grated
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon zest of 2 medium lemons
Lemon juice of 2 medium lemons
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
4, four-inch long sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

Begin by firing up a charcoal grill with coals placed only on one side of the grill. For gas grills, turn on the gas to all but one of the burners (medium/high heat). Peel the garlic, and then grate it by using a hand held grater or rasp. I find this often quicker than mincing or chopping. Add this to a medium sized bowl. Zest the lemons and squeeze out the juice into the bowl along with the olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped rosemary. Stir all this together and then using your hands coat the entire leg of lamb on both sides with the marinade/mixture. At this point you can reserve this for about an hour to marinate, or grill it right away.




Grill should be approximately 350ºF.

Place the leg of lamb on the grill (laying flat) directly over the flame to sear for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then move the lamb over to indirect heat. For the charcoal grill, move to the side without coals. For the gas grill, move meat above the burner which is not turned on. Using an instant-read meat thermometer, cook until meat reaches 145ºF for medium-rare. This should take about 25 mins, but make sure to rely on a thermometer, as every grill is different. Take the meat off of the grill and place on a clean sheet and cover loosely with foil to rest for about 10 minutes. It will continue to cook a bit more and the internal juices will come together. Slice on an angle and dig in! Pairs well with Pinot Noir or a fruity Cabernet.


Click here to see Free Press article from my 3rd localvore contribution. Thanks Free Press!

Farmers Market Treats

Well I arrived this morning at farmers market with the bank's clock logging 22 degrees! Yes, that's right. After being there for 17 years, I have never seen it this cold in a fall market. Usually the mornings are in the 40's. Slow to start, it picked up and folks admired my new photos of our pigs listing over like ships in their favorite wallow. One customer asked to buy the poster! I had to laugh as I struggle on my own to market this farm on a shoestring-and that pic was taken with a cell phone. Ah, technology! Small farms typically have neither the funds nor the techno savvy to launch a 'marketing campaign' and thus we all do the best with what we have. Our 'marketing' has morphed over the years from trifold brochures made on my IBM huge computer, to poster board pics mounted on a display, to photo albums, to flyers with at least 5 recipes for the meats I was selling each and every market. Things have changed so much over the years with an ever-changing repertoire of cheese styles and meats-we used to raise the only certified organic grass fed beef for market. And brought recipes for that too. It just became too much. Why this explanation? Due to a lack of a marketing budget, back in 1998, we needed a website. So I took a course and made one. It too had undergone many changes, mistakes, improvements. So when my last hosting package became close to expiration-with my archaic software- I decided to move my site and re-design. Herein, the apologies. Our site www.sheepcheese.com is down as I re-build it. It should be live again in the next few days.

So after market and a longggggggggg shower, I decided to treat myself to some goodies and delve into the website. I bought a Sarabande, made by Dancing Cow Farm, a bottle of Lunetta Prosecco, and a lovely little almond buttercrunch cake from Farmhouse Kitchen for afterwards from the farmers market. Cheese was fantastic, wonderfully meaty flavors married with the subtle sweetness of the prosecco and the cake-well, heavenly.

Vaquero Blue at World Cheese Awards

We are excited to announce that our newly released blended sheep & cow milk blue cheese was garnered a Bronze at the World Cheese Awards in the Canary Islands, last week. With more than 2400 entries, 150 judges and 34 countries having entered, it is an honor to receive an award from this most prestigious organization awarding cheese makers for over two decades.

Vaquero Blue was loosely modeled after a Spanish cheese made by a master cheese maker I met through the folks at VIAC. I discussed my recipe with him in private, as ironically it was very similar-except that it was solely sheep milk at that time- and then tweaked it a bit and made it a blend! Who knew it could award at WCA 2009?! Still a bit under development, what a great start.

This one gets its name to pay homage to the Vaqueros, Spanish cowboys, who migrated to our ranch over 160 years ago. Spanish style cheese. Spanish name. First award in Spain. Hola Vaqueros!

Harried on Hardscrabble

We live on Hardscrabble Road. And believe me, they didn't name this road without reason. It's hardscrabble livin'! The soils are rocky and loamy up here on the hill but with somewhat poor drainage. What basically Mother Nature wants to grow is trees. Our road was paved a few years back and the town put in large and deep ditches on either side to collect the excess water from runoff-after all we are on a hill with lots of brooks coming from every direction. Every so often I see cars off the road in one of those ditches like this summer-and come to think of it, lots in the winter after snow covers the ditch and folks don't remember exactly where it is....... I was heading off the hill to the hardware store and spotted an SUV flipped on its side in one said ditch! Then on Fri afternoon going down to do evening feeding chores, lo and behold, I could not believe my eyes! A school bus in the ditch.



Luckily there were about 4-5 teens on the bus and no one was hurt. I quickly drove up and saw one of our friends' sons standing there. I offered to give him a ride home and he said his mom was on the way. Don't forget the odd times we live in-every single kid was on his/her cell or texting away! They were all sort of chuckling. So later after chores, I heard the rumble up the asphalt of the wrecker (country speak for tow truck) and ran to voyeur that one! This was the biggest wrecker you have ever seen. It took about an hour for them to suck the bus out of the ditch.

Vaquero Blue Cheese Tasting

Last week we were invited to a Mediterranean wine and cheese tasting hosted by VIAC which featured Mediterranean cheeses and some local Vermont cheese as well. Our Vaquero Blue, a sheep and cow blended blue cheese was featured along with Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery's Feta, and Vermont Shepherd's flagship cheese, Vermont Shepherd. The pairing began with an introduction from Jeff Roberts with the goat Feta from VT Butter and Cheese to taste with Shelburne Vineyard's Gewurztraminer. I really like the Gevurztraminer and I am not usually a fan of this varietal as it is normally syrup-y and excessively sweet. This one is light, medium bodied and had almost stone fruit flavors. At the end of the evening, was our blue. Which is typically how one tastes cheeses-the strongest flavor profiled ones are last as they can dampen the palate if eaten early on and confuse the brain for the milder flavors to come. Delli Rex, sommelier, paired the Vaquero Blue with a Tuscan red, La Mozza 2006. Was great! Then she advised those in the audience who had the Shelburne Vineyard Gevurztraminer remaining to try it as well. And then even the Marquette, from Lincoln Peak Vineyard, another Vermont winery. Who knew?! So much wine, so much fun! Check out these Vermont wineries when in Vermont. The Gevurztraminer from Shelburne Vineyard is only available at the vineyard. Time for a drive!

Pastured Pork A-plenty

Well it's officially fall now and I would swear that yesterday there were no leaves dropping and today they fall like a busted open down pillow! Well, when the wind's blowing anyway. Haha! Colors are starting here on the farm and the days have what we call a "fall light." It begins somewhere in late August and all of a sudden about sunset, things look more red, pink and crisp? Did I say crisp-yeah, that's right. I know no other way to express it but the trees look more green or yellow or brown, depending on the species. More crisp-or maybe........more vivid is the term.

Now is also the traditional time to 'put up' foods for the upcoming winter, which by the way Farmer's Almanac predicts this one approaching to be very snowy. When we have a garden, not decimated by said generational woodchuck family, I can,freeze and dry all foods that I am able to-unless I don't get it all harvested. Which happens.....we're all human, right? I am therefore not as constructive as a squirrel, I admit. Imagine if as humans we could just dig holes in the garden and bury our cache-pate, cheese, prime rib? I guess that would lure all critters except the acorn hypnotized.

Anyway...everyone who knows us is aware of the woodchuck debacle of this year's garden. But good news on the horizon is that our pork is ready again! Please feel free to phone 802.893.2963 or email info@sheepcheese.com to find out how to order.

Heavenly Free Potatoes

I have a secret to tell......well! It's no secret, no longer! I tell everyone in sight. I purchased organic potatoes to plant in my garden about two years ago from Maine Potato Lady . I searched out unique varieties that stored well into winter, had excellent flavor and high disease resistance. I planted them and harvested huge yields due to adding lots of our own composted animal manure. So the following year I attempted to plant the little unused potatoes to continue it on. It wasn't to be. Tiller was broken and no garden happened. So then later in the year, my husband, dumped out the tub filled with those little unused potatoes from 2 yrs ago and this year they started, much to our shock, to come up. Then as we needed to add more compost to the garden, load after load with the tractor, they still grew! As I eagerly planted my garden with heirloom varieties, several basils, heirloom tomatoes, beans etc a dastardly woodchuck ate the entire thing to the ground overnight. Alas, it was also too late to re-plant this year due to cheese making and starting up the new sheep cheese season.

But! Lo and behold, my cheese making assistant and I discovered a few random potato plants creeping up thru the soil even though my husband continued to add compost on top of the baby shoots. We decided to watch them. And believe it or not, the woodchuck either didn't want them or didn't see them. I really don't care which it was but finally the other day on a summer-like afternoon, I dug 'em. Much to my thrill, there they were! Free potatoes, organic, beautiful, not diseased...and plump. My heavenly free potatoes, I call 'em-thanks Mother Nature. You do pity me sometimes. It's the little things like this that keep a farmer going.


And then the bounty of 'free' fries............cooked dry, salt and pepper, on a cookie sheet 400 degrees F for about 45 mins. To die for!

Tailgate Tart

When the first crisp fall days sneak in, think nights in the 50’s making for good sound sleep. Others get excited for apples- I go for savory treats. Dishes that are fun to make, creative, and easy to travel with. Easy enough to bring to a friend’s house for a party or a tailgate………let’s see…….what can I make? I often ask myself. Something that will catch the eye, is within my budget, adult friendly/kid friendly and most of all easy to transport. Enter, the tart. There are many variations of the tart. Some savory, some sweet. Some made with a pâte brisée, pâte sucrée, and even a pâte sablée, or sandy pastry. Never mind. But I really like one with a light and layered, puff pastry. I make no demands on myself to make the pastry as experts have mastered frozen ones in the freezer section. I love making all kinds of pastry with homemade pastry dough, like the pâte brisée, but this time I need something in a hurry. I usually do not make things in a hurry. Cooking is my therapy, if you will, even though I make cheese all day long and look forward to standing in my kitchen and putting things together while listening to some Diana Krall or even Latin guitar. I know, nerdy. Perhaps, not so. It all comes down to being able to turn off the TV, news, doom and gloom of our lives and just relish the chopping, grating, and ritual of the ‘cook’. And be silent. And not to mention the scents. Scents affect our lives in mysterious ways from our deepest emotions to launching memories from our childhood-good or bad. So I snatched up some newly harvested River Berry Farm onions at farmers market and made my way back to the farm. Waiting for the ‘idea’. This is how I cook. I await the thought that comes to me on my way home from long farmers market days. It eventually will slide to the forefront of my brain, as it sits on hiatus while driving. Oh! A caramelized onion and blue cheese tart. Hmmmmm. I have puff pastry (the frozen kind) in my freezer, just got the onions from River Berry, and our own blue cheese in the fridge.


Caramelized Onion and Honey Blue Cheese Tart


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 medium/large onions, sliced into approx ¼ inch rings
splash of balsamic vinegar (for deglazing pan)
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed 30-40 mins
1 large egg, slightly beaten for egg wash
¾ cup Willow Hill Farm ‘Vaquero Blue’ blue cheese, crumbled- rind cut off (can substitute many others-gruyere, cheddar, brie, chèvre…..)
drizzle of honey to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Begin by caramelizing the onions. Heat both olive oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed skillet (necessary to prevent sticking and overheating when you want it to cook slowly). Add sliced onions and cook on medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking every 5 minutes or so.




Cook this way for 25-30 minutes. The onions will become golden in color, sweeten up, and become soft. Turn up the heat to high and deglaze the pot with the balsamic vinegar.


This loosens all those brown tasty bits on bottom of pot. Set aside. Up to this point, you can keep the onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days -to prep ahead of time for an event.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Meanwhile, take the puff pastry out of the package and using a small amount of flour roll this out to any shape you like. I like the look of rectangles so I roll out to a 9 inch by 14 inch. This is approx. You can shape it however you like...........Then using a paring knife, cut ½ inch strips from each edge and set those aside. These will be borders for the tart. Brush the egg on each edge of the puff pastry and lay the ‘borders’ back on top. This helps 'glue' the border slices of puff pastry dough to the tart itself. Now, using the tines of a fork, ‘dock’ (poke the pastry all over) the whole bottom inside of puff pastry.


This is essential to prevent the entire bottom of your tart from puffing up too much in the oven. Then brush the tart, borders and all, with the egg. Put this in the fridge to chill about 30 minutes. Then bake 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the onions, and blue cheese. Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes. You just want it to heat thru.


When ready to serve, drizzle a fine stream of honey over the top. Serve warm or let cool and bring to a tailgate party and serve at room temperature.

Note: Any cheese can substitute-for the kids make one with cheddar and one with blue cheese for a tailgate party. Let your mood guide you!

First Annual Vermont Cheese Maker's Festival Success

Well, after prepping hoards of cheese, making displays and signage-different than that from farmer's market, in order to fit a tiny 4 foot table- and not to mention the over 90 degree temps that day and perhaps more inside the coach barn at Shelburne Farms... we did it! We were placed next to Red Hen Bakery and what a spot! Still oh-so sweaty, but Red Hen's bread is fantastic and a great pairing to Willow Hill Farm cheeses.

For those of you who were unable to get a ticket as they sold out rapidly..what did we bring?

Alderbrook-soft sheep milk pyramid- ripe and milky
Autumn Oak-our flagship semi-hard cave aged earthy mushroomy sheep tomme
Butternut- Alpine style that boasts both toasted nuts and butter on the tongue
La Fleurie- cow's milk bloomy rind more decadent than a Camembert in the nutty arena
Summertomme-herb crusted sheep milk similar to a Brin d'Amour with heady floral notes
Vaquero Blue- a sheep/cow blended blue cheese, cave aged on planks harvested here on the farm-it is both buttery, and sweet, and someone with a press pass I didn't catch his name.....called it the "best cheese there." And then Slash Food blog named it among the Top 10! Quite a compliment, however I defer to so many other beautifully well made cheeses. We got it goin' on in Vermont when it comes to cheese!

Congrats to all the cheese makers that made this first festival the place to be-my only fantasy would be for it to move next year to the breeding barn at Shelburne Farms (another gorgeous building with much more room AND air flow). Many thanks to Shelburne Farms and Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery (aka Vermont Butter & Cheese Company) for their hard work and determination to make this a destination. I'm sure it will become one-it already did in its first try.

I would also like to thank my assistant cheese maker, pictured here with my husband,


and my other cheese assistant, Tim, unfortunately I was unable to get a picture of him later in the day. Thanks Willow Hill Farm team for coming and making this a pleasurable and great time-and on a Sunday! What a work ethic. 4 out of 6 on payroll serving and cutting cheese to over 1000 people in over 90 degree temps. Even folks from Georgia were hot! Many thanks again, you guys did great!

Cheese Festival Open House Today

Today we are participating in the open studio on farms coordinated with the Vermont Cheese Makers Festival. We have cheese samples, pre-picked blueberries and self-guided tours from 9-5. Come join us!
We hope to see you also tomorrow as well at the Cheese Festival at Shelburne Farms-Aug 23rd, Sunday, from 10-5. visit www.vtcheesefest.com

Grunts & Slumps

Here at Willow Hill Farm, we have a small certified organic blueberry U-Pick operation. It took me a bit to recall when we planted those first small bushes back in 1992. I remember gathering the help of two friends to dig holes by hand and plant into stony, not so well-drained land. Our farm has changed directions over the years beginning with mixed vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, and greenhouse plants. Then we began milking sheep and cows in the mid-90’s. The raspberries, strawberries and currants are no longer as they too suffered the poorly drained soil’s demise. Not so, for the blues though. We are routinely graced with bumper crops in those fields due to our North facing glacial till soil and rocky hills. Sounds like it flies in the face of good gardening? Actually not. Blueberries thrive in an acidic, high water table soil that is a bit rocky or even stony. One imagines the wild ones in their almost shady, raised hummocks in somewhat wet sites. I call it its own ‘terroir’…..Not river bottom, which is what one normally would hope for in the best production of vegetables. Our sole remaining crop 17 years later stands over 7 feet in some spots!

When the weather in July is usually hazy, hot, and humid….alas, maybe not this year- I still hope for it. I become awash in blueberry grunts, slumps, cobbler, pie, crisp, blueberry sauce, and I need to find a simple, fresh and easy recipe that takes the heat out of the kitchen, body and therefore, mind. Something to take me away. Mmmm. sorbet. I like this recipe since it is simple to make, beautiful to look at, and fantastic to eat! And I repeat, oh-so simple. Why sorbet and not ice cream you ask? No custard to make- it’s mix, freeze and go. Less is more.

BLUEBERRY SORBET
Serves 4.

2.5 lbs fresh blueberries/frozen works too (thawed, drained)
2/3 cup water
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

NOTE: Do not omit the corn syrup. It prevents crystallization and makes it creamy and not grainy, like a granita.
Put sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sugar is dissolved.. Allow to cool off completely.
Place blueberries and lime juice in a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Then transfer blueberry mixture to a fine sieve to remove seeds. Press out all seeds.

Combine this with the cooled sugar syrup and corn syrup .

Success hint: pre-chill blueberry mixture at least overnight. Chill ice cream maker bowl 24 hours ahead of time too. When ready, follow manufacturer’s instructions for the ice cream maker.

This spells summer to me! The almost onyx deep blueberries with their inherent antioxidant health benefits fused with lime and chilled? It’s sublime. Take me away sorbet!

Farmers' Corn Foibles

It's a miracle that in '09 Vermont summer history, farmers market yesterday was pleasantly steamy. Without complaint all vendors sort of plodded along lacking physical acclimation to the heat. At day's end while packing up, David Zuckerman (Full Moon Farm) asked me how our blueberry crop was faring. Many Intervale farmers have come to pick berries at our farm for over a decade and as a farmer he is no stranger to the vagaries of Mother Nature. As late afternoon traffic criss-crossed as we chatted, he offered to give me some corn that had not sold at the market. What!? How can one go home with corn, I say! I offered to pay for it and he gracefully refused. This is vendor speak. So then I point to some blueberries. Subtle dance is on. He accepts my move. Loads me up with husk after husk. Almost like a medieval fencing ritual, eh?


So today, stuck inside due to soaking rain (which is now the norm- I crave the time to 'cook' as that is basically what I do 5 days a week making cheese) I decide to do up some chili on a Sunday. Sauteed up our grassfed beef, onions, peppers, spices, and black beans.

Then I thought of David's corn. He gave me so much, I'll never be able to use it all before it goes by. Homemade corn bread with bacon and cheddar cheese is a staple in our home, my mom IS Southern, but well, I'm too tired due to the soporific-ness of rainy day, so corn fritters may be something to try in a pinch!

Found a great recipe from King Arthur Flour and made the call that this would satisfy as well as any comfort food. Sorry mom.

From KING ARTHUR FLOUR: (using Full Moon Farm's corn kernels):

CORN FRITTERS

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon butter, melted
3-4 ears fresh corn kernels, cut off the cob and set aside
1-3 cups veg oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter and them stir in the corn kernels.

in a large skillet, heat up the frying oil over medium heat. Drop fritters into frying oil (approx 350 degrees F) and fry until tops puff up. Then turn over and finish cooking on the second side. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.


Chili, tequila, corn fritter............what better way to end my week. Thanks Full Moon Farm!

Hail Storm

This year MUST be the wettest on record during the summertime. I have lived in Vermont for 21 years, farming most of those years and have never seen slugs the size one finds in the Northwest! Literally they are happily growing to 5 inches or more. Then again, not to sound too whiny, but it's sacrilege to me, that as a farmer I cannot even have a garden-there is a new litter here to add to the grandpas, grandmas and cousins of said woodchuck lineage at Willow Hill Farm. And someone in his family devoured my entire garden to the ground! Arugula, lettuces, heirloom tomatoes, beans, fennel..........all that I started from seed. Then again, perhaps a blessing in disguise-as most are getting hit by severe blight in tomatoes and the excess water is causing blossom drop and rotting sorts of diseases in most crops. So I really shouldn't fret as we are very lucky to even have a blueberry crop. As I watched a late spring frost affect neighboring farms with strawberries and raspberries, we were dealt some slight frost to the tips of the shoots-apparently nipping only new growth of leaves. Not the flowers, which would have been their death knell. The blueberry flowers in the crop are set the preceding fall and then a confluence of universal factors must be in place to effect a cluster of berries-the next year. It's a wonder there can even be crops?! First, the bud set must happen the fall before, then a winter not too cold or icy, then just enough snow cover, then in spring, a bloom at the proper time without frost-and good weather for our wild bumblebees to pollinate. Which means not too much rain during their peak flying hours of 10-3.....Honeybees are not good blueberry pollinators. The flowers are bell-shaped, hence the honeys are unable to reach inside like a plump bumble can.

So here I am driving to the Intervale a few weeks ago for a Slow Food cheese tasting (hosted by Mara at Half Pint) and all of a sudden I thought we were going to meet up with the Ark! The sky thrusted a downpour and then radio weather warnings screeched on babbling to seek cover and not drive across wet roadways or drown. Back on the farm in Milton, hail was a-flyin' and luckily for us-just our house window screens were shredded but no damage to the solar barn. It's a greenhouse type structure and could have been decimated by Mother Nature's little marbles. Doesn't it seem as though Mother Nature is playing with us this year? Game on, Mother Nature. Us farmers are too stupid to quit.

Brewers' Best

Each year I volunteer for a bit to help out with the Vermont Cheese Council's booth at the Burlington Brewfest. Microbreweries from around the country and into Canada attend this ever growing event. Typically each year for some strange reason, there is torrential rain and steamy sultry heat right after. This day promised different. When I arrived I thought I was overdressed with muck boots on and a heavy rain coat. But within 20 minutes looking across Lake Champlain one could see black rolling clouds heading our way. Boom. It poured and sogged up the already spongy grass filled with long lines to taste the brewers' best on this day.

Back to why I was there. No, not to drink in the middle of the day on a sun filled Saturday when I am always working my stand at the farmers market..........wait! Why not? I was actually there to help prep and plate 100 tastings for the public to be conducted by Ruth Miller and the Vermont Cheese Council's new coordinator, Calley Hastings (Fat Toad Farm). Calley, Mark Fischer (Woodcock Farm), Masha Stern, and myself squeezed under the dripping EZ UP tent to cut assembly line style. What was on tap?

At 12 o'clock position on the tasting plate... Woodcock Farm's bloomy rind sheep cheese, Summer Snow paired with Alchemist's Saison
Around the clock as follows: Willow Hill Farm Butternut Cheese paired with Switchback Roasted red
Boucher Farm Gore-Dawn-Zola paired with Bobcat Baltic Porter
Fat Toad Farm Herbed Chevre paired with Rock Art Magnumus
Shelburne 2-Yr Cheddar paired with Gardner Ale Hard Cider
Why was Boucher Farm in the 3 o'clock position, I asked? Typically blue cheeses are tasted in pairings last as the flavor profiles tend to dominate one's palate and block all others following.
Ruth explained that the beer used in this pairing was the reason for its placing.
Word has it that it was very well attended and all had fun!

Not a Pesto Season

Well, I hate to sound like a broken record, but this may not be a pesto season due to the evil R---! I relish the thought of sensating its heady sensuous and healing aroma to fill my kitchen with bundles to put up for winter in the form of pesto jars-but alas, it's NOT to happen! I complained as much as possible to get husband to 'rent' a tiller, since ours was "broke", and as fortune has it, or not! He cared not to. So finally I won out with threats of not being able to eat like a king through the winter, our own, organic, homegrown, "just think of all the money we'll save........"! Until it occurred. Works every time.

Well, not really. Not in 2008. I went without a garden in 2008 since said husband exclaimed tiller was broken and that was that. I am not capable of lifting a tiller out of my truck so I "just dealt". Worked out fine. We had a CSA share with River Berry Farm, which was great! But........I adore growing my favorite varieties that I used to seed in my own greenhouse business here on the farm (1990's)....... they are not necessarily readily available in greenhouses around here or are classified as 'weirdo' veggies for Vermont. I love on the fringe vegetables like fennel, broccoli raab, bok choy, hon tsai tai, kyona mizuna, asian eggplants, radicchio, fava beans, artichokes, heirloom French musk melons, arugula, savory, and other ethnic herbs........

But not to worry. Enter, Burlington Farmers Market. I managed to lasso the first of the season basil from Lewis Creek Farm (vendor next to me) and greenhouse tomatoes for salad from River Berry Farm (next to me on other side) and arugula from Digger's Mirth. Not to mention the largest perfect radicchio from Arethusa Farm. All local, all fantastic.

In a hurry as ever, I prepped the basil by tearing it up into medium pieces, and yes, I do use the stems unlike purists, throw all into a food processor, with garlic cloves, salt and pepper, fresh squeezed lemon juice (key to taste and keeping it BRIGHT GREEN) grated Autumn Oak cheese, walnuts and extra virgin olive oil.

Sauteed the radicchio, cut into quarters, and then quick braised in chicken stock. Done! Boil up some penne pasta and all's well with the world-even when it's raining.

Make a Summer Dish and Change the Weather in Vermont

After trying to usher in summer by grilling snapper and imagining it to happen, I do think it just might have. Today is Sunday. Blueberries were in dire need of mowing in between the rows where pickers stand, and it was HOT! The sun blaring and bees buzzing (some of our varieties are still being pollinated) I went out there sunscreen in hand and mower all jump started........things frequently don't work on a farm......and mowed the first 11 rows and then said mower stalled. Hmm. What now? Went to prune heritage rose bushes with bare arms! How silly was that?

Then I remembered some nasty molds that needed attention in my cheese plant. You see, cheese making is such a harsh environment that molds just wish to form on the walls constantly (I believe they have a mind of their own). So I then forayed into the room with mold killer and gloves and all necessary protection to be permeated by the only man made chemicals that can kill those prolific molds.... All scratched up and pondering dinner.......my mind often focuses on the next meal as I had missed lunch.....perhaps the lack of food brings on some dementia? Ha!

When finished, I rushed home to do some yard work and enjoy what remaining daylight I had-while still pondering dinner, of course. I decided, to tackle the refrigerator. What the? Maybe an extra dose of energy from the Vitamin D being outside all day? I came across some Peppadew peppers I bought while on delivery at Healthy Living this week and some wonderful mesclun mix from Arethusa Farm at the farmers market.

Something light and summer-y is indeed in order since I changed the weather personally, and what won out was shellfish. I found some mussels (I am a mussels addict) and some 8/12 shrimp in the freezer. 8/12 shrimp just means there are 8 to 12 shrimp per pound. That is big! I adore these as they have a unique sweet saline flavor and texture similar to lobster. When they are on sale, I dive in! Then again being from Hawaii I can't seem to resist ocean foods on sale.

As most people who know me understand, I also am too lazy to cook inside most of the year. Yes, even in Vermont. I have written about the grill I use before and suffice it to say, I am smitten. Gotta wax poetic for a bit. Please excuse this.......I have owned a charcoal grill, several well known gas grills with all the accoutrements and then the Primo grill. They are ceramic grills/cookers. Not inexpensive, they are made in the USA and boast the largest cooking surface of any ceramic cooker. What is so wonderful about these units is the ability to grill with uber heat and slow cook as well as the best competition barbecue team. Even in winter in Vermont! Now, now. I have no affiliation with this company nor do I receive any compensation from them. I just mention this for the grilling/barbecue addicts out there in search of something better. For a sport that has largely been dominated by men, hypnotized by flame as if looking into Svengali's eyes, I would challenge any man to barbecue, even Bobby Flay, unless of course he had a Primo. Haha! No, this is not a challenge. I only wax poetic, remember?

On to dinner. I pulled out the shrimp to thaw and some grillers like eggplant, zucchini, scallions, radicchio (these are my standbys). Then made the peppadew salsa. 'Peppadews' are tiny peppers from South Africa that are somewhat sweet as well as a tad spicy. Bright red and round in shape, they are usually pickled or canned and cut in half.

PEPPADEW SALSA

3 sprigs parsley, chopped fine
1 sprig mint, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, zested on rasp or cheese grater
3 peppadew peppers, diced
1 small scallion with green tops, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, juiced

Mix all together and let flavors develop about one hour.

GRILLED MUSSELS

1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, sliced thin
7 peppadew peppers cut in half
1 cup dry white wine
2 lbs Maine Mussels, debearded

Put all ingredients except the mussels in a cast iron skillet and begin to heat on the grill.




This can be done on a charcoal or gas grill. Medium heat. About 350. Close lid. When all are simmering nicely, as in the photo above, about 5-7 minutes, throw in mussels.


Close lid and wait about 4 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY. They are done when they open and mussels are just barely cooked through and mustardy-beige in color. To quote Rachel Ray, YUM-O!

Enjoyed a summer feast of grilled mussels, giant shrimp, zucchini, eggplant and radicchio served up with some grilled Gerard's bread.

Apologies for no 'after' pictures, it was so hot we entertained margaritas with the meal and hence no photographs in tow!

Feigning Caribbean

With summer on its way, I can say I don't remember a season such as this one-rain rain rain. Then again, the seasonal changes in Vermont are not to be understood! When much of the US enjoys wafting cherry blossoms and bright tulips in tandem, in Vermont, lemon yellow daffodils go on and on. Then the tulips rush in, did I mention they were supposed to happen together!......Tulips' blooms last about a day here. Then all of a sudden we're in summer with days in the 80's-no spring in between. So as summer 2009 should be approaching I have been having urgings for HHH. What is HHH? Hazy Hot and Humid, I say. So to feign Caribbean I thought even though it's pouring out, then stops, going to a drizzle again, then sun then rain............I'm gonna make food and usher in HHH! I pulled out some whole snappers that I had in the freezer. Fish tacos? Naw, too much work. I would have to clean and chop heads etc. Whole snapper on the grill with some salsa and couscous. Just the thing to pretend we are in sunny country. Rhubarb season just ended here and I have a bunch of rhubarb from the farm that hasn't been used or frozen yet. Maybe a salsa with the rhubarb-use it up I was thinking. I played around a bit and came up with this:

RHUBARB SALSA
1 medium rhubarb stalk, peeled and diced fine
1 scallion, diced fine with green tops
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced-set aside
1 cup finely diced peeled/seeded cucumber
2-3 sprigs Italian parsley
1 sprig mint
salt to taste
olive oil to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and let sit at least one hour for flavors to come together. If you like it spicy add some hot pepper.

Next, the snapper. Just a simple marinade of garlic, olive oil and a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Coated the whole thing and stuffed the snapper with remaining sprigs of herbs (parsley and mint).


Heated up the charcoal grill to about 350 degrees and cooked until done-I press with my finger and peek inside where the fish should appear a bit opaque and slightly firm.


Grilled up some scallions to go along with them-Israeli couscous was the starch. To drink? Casal Garcia rose wine (vinho verde) from Portugal. It was a nice pairing with just enough floral/fruit to marry with the spicy herbal notes from the fish and rhubarb salsa.


Trinidad Tobago here I come!

H.O.G

That's Harley Owner's Group, not hogs as in pigs. And yes, we do have our whey fed pigs available again. Now. Back to the HOG's. Farming is each day. Saturdays consist of lugging my 75 lb tent all by myself and serving up to 1000 passersby a selection of cheeses. Only to have the energy sucked out of me, so to speak, by Sunday. So on my way to town in search of libation for the celebration (Memorial Day) I got trapped in a funny intersection that was blocked off-there was a parade of about 500 Harley Davidsons rumbling thru town. As far as my eyes could see. And rumble they did! My father, now deceased, was a Marine, and a H.O.G. He loved all things that rumbled. Powerful boats, sports cars, and Harley Davidson. There were flags alight and Support Our Troops signs as well.

I dedicate this post with a moment of my own silence.........to all the women and men who sacrifice their lives each and every day to protect us and allow this country to continue to have liberty. Now, on to the libation. A cold fresh Mojito on my deck. Deck! What deck? Oh yes that was a fantasy. My husband's. And where do the extra hours occur to build this deck in between milking sheep and cows, feeding pigs, lambs, calves, making cheese, pruning blueberries, moving pasture, cleaning the house, mowing lawns, weeding the garden.......ok, on to the mojito.

I got the idea for the mojito from Hannaford. They publish an in-store magazine with some great recipes and this month includes a Puerto Rican chicken with mojito sauce......since I already thawed some of our grassfed beef for the grill it's going to be beef with mojitos and mojito sauce. And also I'd like to mention a thank you to Hannaford-a major sponsor of the first ever Vermont Cheese Makers Festival on August 23, 2009 and Shelburne Farms. Gotta go! Heading for the mojito in the grass.......

Work is Easter

As springtime brings lambing on our farm, Easter brings work. Lambing is defined usually by a slow start and then climaxes to a furious frenzy of multiple births one after the other, and the shepherd must attend or watch over if assistance is needed. So like the proverbial new mom, lack of sleep is guaranteed.
This spring's weather has been so wacky whatever happened to global warming? It's more like global cooling. Rain, then sun, then snow, then brutally cold winds! This ain't right.


Most people experience Easter egg hunts and parades with pretty dresses and bonnets, but not in Vermont. I have lived here almost 20 years now and it still shocks me each Easter when we see some flurries. As seasons change, so do our milking and cheese making chores. Some of our cows have dried off in preparation for the next calving and milking season, so we are supplementing our milk by buying a bit in the interim, from our friends, the Bouchers. If you visit their blog, you'll see some piglets they are graciously housing until we can bring them home. I also located some heritage piglets not far from here, but they are a wee bit young to bring home yet. With so many interested now in raising their own food and purchasing locally, we have had a hard time locating young stock to raise ourselves. So after morning lambing chores we loaded our milk cans and ventured off to the Bouchers to pick up milk.



Upon our return we then had to unload the milk into the tank to keep it cool and then on to more work, wrapping several hundred La Fleurie cheeses for sale.



Then on to feeding chores again. And when it was all done? Time for the humans to eat! Alas, I was too exhausted and frozen to make our ham on the grill, so conjured up a pot of homemade chicken soup from a roasted chicken a few nights before. Ummm. Soul food. I didn't miss the ham a bit. I'll make the ham in preparation to meet with Uncle Sam.

Cheese Demo Healthy Living

A few days ago I was scheduled to do a cheese demo at Healthy Living Market in Burlington. What a great place to do a demo! They have an actual demo 'station' where there is a commercial oven, sinks, granite counter, and a refrigerator. The coordinator, Gerta, set me up with tulips, bowls, signage and cutting boards. I brought three cheeses with me: Butternut, Paniolo and Mountain Tomme. It was such fun that the 5 hour time frame went by quickly as I gabbed away with customers and even some regulars of mine from Burlington Farmers Market. I was told at the end it was a record for sales of a demo. I brought so much cheese and it was almost all sold while I was there! Perks of doing events like this? Gerta fed me from a separate demo! Amir Habib's shiitake mushrooms on flatbread pizzas.

Gluten Free Fish Fry

With all the gloomy, grey, grim early spring weather I had a craving for a Paula Deen moment: FRIED FOOD! Supreme comfort food, fried food has the ability to squelch even the poorest moods, if but for a moment when the indigestion kicks in. But it's well worth it. A close friend is gluten intolerant so I thought I would try a 'dry run' of the menu before inviting her over for dinner. I have made a lot of fried foods from many cuisines and usually use regular flour-which means it comes from wheat.

Many people do not know this or perhaps the information is located somewhere deep in the brain as wheat products are so pervasive in almost every single ingredient list on supermarket shelves today. I began by purchasing the protein ingredients which I decided were going to be Asian and brought home some shrimp, cod, mussels and locally made tofu. Vegetables on the list were zucchini, eggplant, button mushroooms and Napa cabbage.

Most important part of the menu was the Gluten Free flour I would need to use. I chose rice flour as it gives a wonderful light crispy texture to the finished product. Sadly I can't give precise measurements here as I am a cook that doesn't measure unless baking breads or cakes. But I can illustrate some descriptives. When using regular flour (i.e, wheat based) one must mix the frying batter and let it rest for about 30 mins to let the Gluten develop. Well here with non-gluten frying that's not an issue. In fact, it can hurt the final texture and make it less crispy. Therefore less time involved. Yay! I made up a classic tempura batter of ice water, rice flour, club soda and two egg yolks. Basically you want to wait until the last minute to mix this up right before frying. I decided with all the fried goodies I needed a palate cleanser. That's what the Napa cabbage was for. I shredded it up, added some fresh ginger, garlic and rice vinegar and let it all steep together until the food was ready.


While that awaited me, I prepped the vegetables by cutting them up and drying them on towels. This is a must for frying otherwise it will spatter and come out soggy and not as crispy crunchy.


Next up was cutting the fish, and tofu. Same process, making sure everything was dry and ready to fry.





I discovered a great product to make prep time even quicker. This frozen package of mussels, cleaned, debearded and ready to go!



The local tofu is made by Vermont Soy a bit north of here, and what great packaging!



All that was left was a dipping sauce for all and to get fryin'! I grated some fresh ginger and garlic over a bowl,


added some tamari sauce (San-J wheat free), sesame seeds, sesame oil, scallions and rice vinegar all to taste.


Meanwhile the rice was cooking and the oil in the fryer was heating up.



Next I made up the fryer batter which consisted of ice water, rice flour, 2 egg yolks and some club soda. I do this by sight and it should be made right before frying. Asian cooks actually mix it with chopsticks until barely come together with lumps left in. I used a fork as I had no chopsticks on hand. The thickness should be that of thin cream. And I actually put the ice right in with the water.
Below is tofu being dipped in the batter before lowering into the fryer.



And some cut up cod fillets in the fryer.


I got so fry crazy I began to fry everything in sight! I even fried little cuts of scallions. Just to hear that sizzle and take in that wonderful fried food smell. Unfortunately as time is of the essence in this sort of meal, I stopped taking photos when it was done. And the food was on! What's next? Fish and chips. This time a beer batter for the cod. The gloomies are gone.

Endnote: everything was fried at 375 degrees F.