[Government] regulation is an imperfect substitute for the accountability, and trust, built into a market in which food producers meet the gaze of eaters and vice versa. – Michael Pollan | Clean-up in the machine shop is done, the lambing barn is ready for the new arrivals expected next month, and we think we're ready for the flurry of activities when spring arrives. With more time on Mondays, the farm folk are taking advantage of a generous offer to learn self-defence from one of our martial arts friends, Jordan Mein. After the first workout, some of the guys were groaning from being too aggressive and rigorous in defending themselves. They'll learn. Everyone is very appreciative for the superb instructions and Jordan's patience. | Joel Salatin's Folks, this ain't normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World is a must-read! In this book, he discusses how far removed consumers are from their food source (the farmer) and the irrational demands they are making on the government for food safety. In response to these egregious pressures, the "food police" are introducing and enforcing unbearable laws on the small producers. As consumers and producers there are simple steps we can take to ensure our food is wholesome, nutritious, safe, and raised with the utmost care for the livestock, people, and the world. In this video, Martin describes how raising animals in a healthy and humane environment prevents disease. As you'll see part way through, the "food police" told him not to make certain claims about our beef. This video is a precursor to Martin The Angry Farmer series. For more enlightening viewing, subscribe to The Angry Farmer on YouTube and Like The Angry Farmer on Facebook. | A bureaucratic organization highjacked the word, "organic." Consequently, even though Harvest Haven production standards are higher than what certified organic requires, we cannot call anything we grow "organic." Our freedom of speech has been taken because an organization has claimed ownership of the application of the word. By law, we can no longer use "organic" to describe our products because we haven't paid a governmental body to give us their stamp of approval. Fine! Then, we'll have our own certification. When you see Harvest Haven Certified, you're guaranteed a product that has been grown and produced considering the best choices for everything and everyone concerned, founded on morality and love for God and man. In this video Martin elaborates on what Harvest Haven Certified means and why it's important to raise the bar of requirements for farming. | Harvest Haven Pastured Ground Chicken – Moist mild-flavored ground chicken can be used for tasty lean meatballs, spicy burgers, super sauces, and so many other delicious recipes. Harvest Haven White Onions – A mild, crisp ivory white-fleshed variety that you can use thinly sliced in a sandwich or a salad, finely chopped in fresh salsa or guacamole. Use in cooked dishes where you want just a hint of onion flavor. Organic Quinoa – This versatile whole grain is rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals. Its great taste and nice crunch make any meal interesting, from breakfast with milk and honey, to light and healthy salads for lunch, and flavorful sides mixed with whatever veggies you have on hand. Prana Organic Machu Pichu Mix – A delightful mix of organic raw nuts, seeds, and exotic dried fruits such as Peruvian goldenberries, white mulberries, and goji berries. We love this exotic sweet and tangy raw trail mix! Arla Organic Cream Cheese – So creamy, smooth, and tasty! Perfect for spreading, dipping, and baking. Frozen Organic Cranberries – Don't limit cranberries to seasonal dinners. There are so many delicious ways to serve them, you need to start with some right now. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | French Onion Chicken Meatballs FOR THE MEATBALLS
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, for baking sheet
1 lb. Harvest Haven ground chicken
1/2 c. shredded Gruyère
1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 large Harvest Haven egg, beaten
2 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper FOR THE SAUCE
4 tbsp. butter
2 large Harvest Haven white onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, minced
2 c. Harvest Haven beef broth
2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded Gruyère DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and rub with oil. Make meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, Gruyère, bread crumbs, parsley, egg, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 16 meatballs, then place on prepared baking sheet and bake until golden and cooked through, 25 minutes. Meanwhile make sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until very soft and golden, 25 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add broth and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Add meatballs to skillet and sprinkle with Gruyère. Cover and cook until meatballs are warmed through and cheese is melty, 5 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with thyme. | Quinoa and Rice Salad with Mixed Nuts and Seeds 1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 bag Prana Machu Pichu Mix
1 large Harvest Haven white onion, julienned
a handful parsley, chopped
mixed greens of your choice (arugula, baby spinach, baby romaine etc.)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste Dressing:
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 Harvest Haven garlic clove, mashed
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste Prepare the dressing by combining the ingredients listed above. Boil the quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging, place it in a large bowl, fluff with fork and allow to cool. Cover the rice with plenty of water, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until 'al dente' (about 15 minutes, depending on the type of rice used). Drain rice and rinse with cold water then allow to drain completely. Add the rice to the quinoa together with the dressing and the chopped parsley. Toss gently to combine, taste and adjust seasonings. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent and some of the thinner ones start to turn golden. Add in the Machu Pichu mix, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the nuts are lightly toasted. Garnish the quinoa and rice salad with the nuts, seeds and mixed greens and serve immediately. | Cranberry Cheesecake Bars 2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick or old fashioned oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temp
2 cups white chocolate chunks
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cranberry sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons cornstarch In large bowl, combine flour, oats, and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly and then stir in white chocolate. Set aside two and 1/2 cups of this mixture to use for the topping later. Press the rest into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan to form a crust. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add in sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat again until smooth and creamy. Pour over crust. Stir together cranberry sauce and corn starch with a fork. I know it seems like it won't stir together before you get started but it is really very easy. Spread this over the top of the cream cheese mixture and then sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the top of that. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely (but they are delicious warm! Don't ask me how I know this...). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into bars and enjoy! Cranberry Sauce
12 oz cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white sugar Combine cranberries, orange juice and sugar in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and cook stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 3-5 additional minutes, or until it is the "chunkiness" you desire. The longer you cook the more smooth it will be. Remove from heat and cool in fridge until needed. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. | Our Milk Cow Cherry and Our Milk Woes Cherry is our favorite milk cow. Actually, she's our ONLY milk cow. A pleasant animal, gentle-spirited, giving copious amounts of pure white milk that seems to be partially homogenized. (Most cows produce milk that when left to stand for a few hours, will have a layer of cream on top. This cream can be used for whipping or to make butter or cheese. Not Cherry's milk. The cream seems to stay suspended in the milk.) I've been waiting for Cherry to calve in order to share some cute little story about her adorable calf. Well, I gave up on the cute calf part. Cherry's making us wait. Martin stopped milking Cherry at the beginning of December, expecting her to calve by the first of January. During the interim, we are compelled to order milk for our personal use. And here's the story. In the past, we've ordered from our wholesaler just enough milk to meet our needs for two weeks. The first order was fine. We had what we needed with a bit extra, in case some customers wanted to try some. Then, the second order came in. When the delivery truck arrived, the produce was unloaded, the dry goods came off, and then, there were the crates of milk! Crates and crates of milk! FOUR times what we had ordered! "What are we going to do with ALL this milk?" exclaimed Jeannie. "It's the holidays. We're not going to have many customers over the next few days."
"We can't freeze it because it's in glass bottles. What are we going to do?"
An idea did come to us and we shared the "wealth" with many of you. Thankful to be able to do so. Our wholesale rep said there was a bit of a kerfuffle in the dairy department at the warehouse because there wasn't enough milk for their other customers. No surprise! We made our way through that overload, hoping Cherry would calve and relieve us of having to order more milk. No go. One more milk order. This time we didn't get an overload, BUT the milk we did get was only a couple of days away from the best before date. "What do we do with this?! We can't sell it to our customers and it's too close to the due date to even give away." Jeannie collapsed in despair and screamed in agony. Thankfully, the milk does keep for some time after the "best before" date AND, Martin and James were needing to gain weight. Bring on the smoothies! Still no calf, so do another order. This time we did just a very small amount of milk. No issues. "Martin, can you tell how close Cherry is to calving?" "Nope!" Okay, make another order of milk for us and now, some of our customers are enjoying it, too. So, we order a bit extra. The phone rings. It's Jeannie, almost in tears. "What's up?" "The Pro order just arrived. It's a disaster." Jeannie takes a deep breath. "The pallet must have been dropped somewhere in shipping because the yogurt containers are smashed, boxes are wrecked, produce has been spilled, and some of the milk bottles are broken. There are broken bottles, glass, and dried milk all over the place." Even the delivery driver was apologetic for the mess, though it wasn't his fault. The catastrophe had happened before he'd picked up the pallet.
Cherry, we really hope you calve soon. We've ordered more milk for this week. What's going to come through that delivery door? | |
