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!