We met with Milton the last weekend of January to go over the items we wanted to get done at the beginning of this season, to include:
Clearing the back property line – so that we can get the place fenced off
Moving the piles of mesquite into rows – so that the discing and raking can be done
Discing and raking the already cleared 13 acres – that we can get seed in the ground so we can get cattle out there this year
As luck and the weather would have it, none of this has been done yet, because it has been pretty rainy the last month. In the next week or so I think we can get this party going and get some things done out there.
Speaking of the weather, there is a book that I would like to recommend, “The Contrary Farmer” by Lodgson. It speaks a lot to what we are trying to accomplish here and some of the issues we face with this project.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Farm Update
Monthly Ingredient Project Update – March
March – Barley
I am excited about this ingredient. I know that I have a recipe in mind. Granted it is one that I have made several times and LOVE it, and that is why I want to share it with you guys. It is a little time consuming as it is made like a risotto, but it is amazing!!
Mushroom Barley Risotto
Bon Appétit November 1997
Barley replaces rice in this twist on the classic Italian risotto.
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as oyster, stemmed portobello and stemmed shiitake), sliced – I like button mushrooms in this just fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Bring chicken stock to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
Melt 2 teaspoons butter in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cups warm chicken stock; bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most of stock is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until barley is tender, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in another large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Mix in parsley and barley mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into bowls and serve immediately.
I am excited about this ingredient. I know that I have a recipe in mind. Granted it is one that I have made several times and LOVE it, and that is why I want to share it with you guys. It is a little time consuming as it is made like a risotto, but it is amazing!!
Mushroom Barley Risotto
Bon Appétit November 1997
Barley replaces rice in this twist on the classic Italian risotto.
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as oyster, stemmed portobello and stemmed shiitake), sliced – I like button mushrooms in this just fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Bring chicken stock to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
Melt 2 teaspoons butter in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cups warm chicken stock; bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most of stock is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until barley is tender, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in another large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Mix in parsley and barley mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into bowls and serve immediately.
Monthly Ingredient Project Update – February
February – Broccoli
Okay…I will be completely honest here. I didn’t do anything with broccoli this month. Partly due to being busy, partly due to being lazy, and partly because I think that broccoli is a culinary curmudgeon. In fact, the only way I really like broccoli is smothered in ranch dressing or Velveeta cheese. Perhaps, then, it was the perfect candidate for this experiment and I may move it to coincide with another ingredient in a later month.
Okay…I will be completely honest here. I didn’t do anything with broccoli this month. Partly due to being busy, partly due to being lazy, and partly because I think that broccoli is a culinary curmudgeon. In fact, the only way I really like broccoli is smothered in ranch dressing or Velveeta cheese. Perhaps, then, it was the perfect candidate for this experiment and I may move it to coincide with another ingredient in a later month.
Monthly Ingredient Project Update – January
January - Quinoa
I can tell you that my first experience with quinoa was not a pleasant one. I tried it at a spa retreat that Doug sent me to for my birthday several years ago. To be frank, it was just plain gross and only one spoonful made it past my lips. So, to say I was apprehensive about this ingredient is an understatement.
The goal was to make 3 or 4 different recipes with this ingredient throughout the month. In actuality what I did was make one recipe four or five times because it was so amazing. I will, however, post the other recipes I was going to try for anyone else that might want to make it for themselves.
These recipes were taken from cookbooks at a Border’s store here in San Antonio. Unfortunately, I did not write down the names of the books or author, so I don’t know who to give credit to. I will do that in the future. It was hard enough standing in the store trying to copy down the recipes in shorthand while the store manager glared at me, but I was not about to buy three different books for one recipe (especially experimental ones). Perhaps that’s from my low moral fiber, but I will deal with my Karma when that day comes.
So without further ado, here are the recipes…
Aztec Quinoa – this is the one I made repeatedly
1 tsp butter
1 lg onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 poblano chile, diced
3 c. vegetable stock
Salt
3 med. Potatoes, peeled and cut in ½” cubes
2 carrots, sliced in ¼” rounds
1c. quinoa, washed
1 c. corn, frozen whole or cut from 2-3 cobs
1c. whole milk
Pepper to taste
Minced Italian parsley and cilantro
Grated Pepper Jack cheese
Sour cream
Tobasco or hot sauce
Melt butter in a large soup pot on medium heat. Sauté onion and cumin 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add poblano chile and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes, carrots, and quinoa to the pot. Return to a boil, stir well, and turn down to simmer. Cover pot and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add corn and cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Turn off heat and pour in milk. Stir once and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and cilantro. If you like, pass the cheese, sour cream and hot sauce to add at the table.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
1 c. quinoa, raw
2 c. water
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 red, green or yellow bell pepper
4 scallions
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ c. lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Rinse and drain quinoa in a fine mesh strainer to remove any residue of bitter coating. In a covered sauce pan on high heat, bring quinoa, water, salt, and mint (if dried) to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender (approx. 15 min.). Fluff with a fork and place in a serving bowl.
While quinoa cooks, finely chop bell pepper, mince the scallion and garlic and finely chop parsley and mint (if fresh). Add to the serving bowl with cooked quinoa. Pour on lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well. Salt & pepper to taste.
Menu ideas: Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, chopped toasted almonds, grated feta and or kalamata olives. Goes well with all things Greek.
Asparagus Quinoa Salad
1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
Salt
12 spears asparagus
½ c. kalamata olives
1 lg. tomato
1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
4 oz. crumbled feta
Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water. While quinoa cooks, cut asparagus into 1” pieces. Place in saucepan and ½” of water and bring to boil. Cover and cook on medium low heat 3-4 minutes or until barely tender. Drain under cold water for 1 minute to cool.
Cut olives into thin slices. Seed tomato and cut into ½” pieces. Zest lemon and strain for 3 tbsp of juice.
Combine quinoa, asparagus, olives, tomato and zest. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together and pour over mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and top with feta.
I can tell you that my first experience with quinoa was not a pleasant one. I tried it at a spa retreat that Doug sent me to for my birthday several years ago. To be frank, it was just plain gross and only one spoonful made it past my lips. So, to say I was apprehensive about this ingredient is an understatement.
The goal was to make 3 or 4 different recipes with this ingredient throughout the month. In actuality what I did was make one recipe four or five times because it was so amazing. I will, however, post the other recipes I was going to try for anyone else that might want to make it for themselves.
These recipes were taken from cookbooks at a Border’s store here in San Antonio. Unfortunately, I did not write down the names of the books or author, so I don’t know who to give credit to. I will do that in the future. It was hard enough standing in the store trying to copy down the recipes in shorthand while the store manager glared at me, but I was not about to buy three different books for one recipe (especially experimental ones). Perhaps that’s from my low moral fiber, but I will deal with my Karma when that day comes.
So without further ado, here are the recipes…
Aztec Quinoa – this is the one I made repeatedly
1 tsp butter
1 lg onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 poblano chile, diced
3 c. vegetable stock
Salt
3 med. Potatoes, peeled and cut in ½” cubes
2 carrots, sliced in ¼” rounds
1c. quinoa, washed
1 c. corn, frozen whole or cut from 2-3 cobs
1c. whole milk
Pepper to taste
Minced Italian parsley and cilantro
Grated Pepper Jack cheese
Sour cream
Tobasco or hot sauce
Melt butter in a large soup pot on medium heat. Sauté onion and cumin 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add poblano chile and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes, carrots, and quinoa to the pot. Return to a boil, stir well, and turn down to simmer. Cover pot and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add corn and cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Turn off heat and pour in milk. Stir once and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and cilantro. If you like, pass the cheese, sour cream and hot sauce to add at the table.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
1 c. quinoa, raw
2 c. water
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 red, green or yellow bell pepper
4 scallions
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ c. lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Rinse and drain quinoa in a fine mesh strainer to remove any residue of bitter coating. In a covered sauce pan on high heat, bring quinoa, water, salt, and mint (if dried) to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender (approx. 15 min.). Fluff with a fork and place in a serving bowl.
While quinoa cooks, finely chop bell pepper, mince the scallion and garlic and finely chop parsley and mint (if fresh). Add to the serving bowl with cooked quinoa. Pour on lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well. Salt & pepper to taste.
Menu ideas: Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, chopped toasted almonds, grated feta and or kalamata olives. Goes well with all things Greek.
Asparagus Quinoa Salad
1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
Salt
12 spears asparagus
½ c. kalamata olives
1 lg. tomato
1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
4 oz. crumbled feta
Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water. While quinoa cooks, cut asparagus into 1” pieces. Place in saucepan and ½” of water and bring to boil. Cover and cook on medium low heat 3-4 minutes or until barely tender. Drain under cold water for 1 minute to cool.
Cut olives into thin slices. Seed tomato and cut into ½” pieces. Zest lemon and strain for 3 tbsp of juice.
Combine quinoa, asparagus, olives, tomato and zest. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together and pour over mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and top with feta.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Foiled Again...
Doug and my mom were supposed to be meeting with the guy today to talk about getting our back property line cleared for a fence and having the other 16 acres he cleared disked and raked so we could get some grass seed out there for the cattle. Unfortunately, due to this cold front, he had some work he had to get done for another guy before the cold front came in. So we have to postpone the work a little while longer. GGGRRRRHHHH!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Zen And The Art of Farm Maintenance
We got a lot of work done one the property this weekend. In fact, aside from the stock tank, I think we got more done on the property this weekend than all of last year.
Doug and my mom put t-posts along the fence line where there were just twisted spacers. Then we went in and wire clipped the barbed wire to the t-posts. Wire clipping the barbed wire to the t-posts is actually really meditative. But, after awhile, you forget to meditate because your hands can't even grip the plyers anymore.
This was Thursday and Friday. Saturday we continued down the fenceline, removing prickly pear and pencil cactus, along with some mesquite trees, as we went. I HATE CACTUS! (insert footstomp here) I know it serves a purpose...but when you have to dig out entire neighborhoods of it that are older than you are, it gets tedious. Plus I think I have stickers in places that have never even seen the light of day and I was stuck using The World's Heaviest Shovel. On a side note, yesterday Doug and I saw a shovel with teeth marks in the blade...I was ready to give up our first born for it, to not have to use the other one again, but Doug said he'd rather take a saw to the other shovel and do it himself. Foiled again...
Our tractor was in a low spot where it was moved 30 feet by rainwater overflow the last time it rained 3 inches. Our friend James was wonderful enough to come out with his Jeep and help Doug move it up the hill, where we don't have to worry about it floating down to our neighbors property and can get it fixed.
Getting that done actually felt like the biggest accomplishment of the weekend, though, clearing 165 feet of cactus and mesquite and fixing fenceline is nothing to sneeze at either.
Doug and my mom put t-posts along the fence line where there were just twisted spacers. Then we went in and wire clipped the barbed wire to the t-posts. Wire clipping the barbed wire to the t-posts is actually really meditative. But, after awhile, you forget to meditate because your hands can't even grip the plyers anymore.
This was Thursday and Friday. Saturday we continued down the fenceline, removing prickly pear and pencil cactus, along with some mesquite trees, as we went. I HATE CACTUS! (insert footstomp here) I know it serves a purpose...but when you have to dig out entire neighborhoods of it that are older than you are, it gets tedious. Plus I think I have stickers in places that have never even seen the light of day and I was stuck using The World's Heaviest Shovel. On a side note, yesterday Doug and I saw a shovel with teeth marks in the blade...I was ready to give up our first born for it, to not have to use the other one again, but Doug said he'd rather take a saw to the other shovel and do it himself. Foiled again...
Our tractor was in a low spot where it was moved 30 feet by rainwater overflow the last time it rained 3 inches. Our friend James was wonderful enough to come out with his Jeep and help Doug move it up the hill, where we don't have to worry about it floating down to our neighbors property and can get it fixed.
Getting that done actually felt like the biggest accomplishment of the weekend, though, clearing 165 feet of cactus and mesquite and fixing fenceline is nothing to sneeze at either.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Farm To Do List
1. Clear back property line and install fence
2. Clear roadways around property
3. Buy and spread road base on all cleared roads
4. Rake and disk the 16 acres cleared 6 months ago
5. Continue perimeter and interior fencing
6. Plant native grasses on disked 16 acres
7. Repair tractor
8. Build water troughs and install in paddocks
9. Buy cattle and release on property
10. Build cattle shelter on South corner of property
11. Buy and install solar fence charger
12. Build garden shed that will sub for temp. shelter
13. Install culvert at water feature on easement
14. Improve water quality in tank and stock with fish
15. Dig second tank
16. Cut channel from 1st tank to 2nd tank
17. Improve channel between tanks for improved drainage
18. Improve dams on both tanks
19. Dig water well
20. Improve paddock fencing
21. Buy and release goats on paddocks
22. Establish rotation and implement
23. Disk the garden and plant
24. Install irrigation
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