When faith in our freedom gives way to fear of our freedom, silencing the minority view becomes the operative protocol. -Joel Salatin, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front | With lambing done, the ewes and lambs are in the corral resting on a fluffy straw bed and enjoying the warm spring sunshine, while the barn they no longer need this year is being converted into a cozy corner for broiler chicks. These little guys need a warm place for the first four or five months, then they'll go onto pasture for a few weeks. When the broiler chicks arrive, first spring has sprung. Being a farm, the work the guys do seems to take precedence. But there's Jeannie, quietly and steadily keeping it together behind the scenes. Most Mondays she's busily stirring up a batch of soap, loading laundry into the washer and dryer, and running errands for supplies. She's squeezed in starting seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and other garden goodies that'll get planted outdoors when we have real spring. We look forward to Mondays and getting LOTS of work done. | The Truth About Public Healthcare This is a controversial subject. We all like freebies. But how free is our public healthcare system? Where does the money come from to pay for the services we get? Public healthcare is actually mandatory health insurance that isn't at all based on any assessment of risk. People need to face their fears and take responsibility for their actions that cause their health issues. Who is willing to do that? Martin challenges the preconceived idea that everyone should get free healthcare. Watch this video and be challenged in your thinking. For more enlightening viewing, subscribe to The Angry Farmer on YouTube and Like The Angry Farmer on Facebook. | An amazing machine! The stimulating companion for the Hot House described in the previous Harvest Haven Happenings. The Sun Ancon Chi Machine provides a relaxing, therapeutic massage that increases oxygen and blood flow, improving your health and quality of life.
Simple to use, effective, and enjoyable. Just lie down, put your feet up, and the Chi Machine does the rest. For more information, go to The Chi Machine and contact us for personal testimonies of what this wonderful device has done for us and thousands of others. | Harvest Haven Pastured Whole Turkeys – Our turkeys are raised on clean green pasture with organic grains and Grander Living water. The result is tender, juicy turkey for a delicious dinner. You'll love the leftovers, too! Harvest Haven Linzer Potatoes – These smooth, thin skinned potatoes are sooo yummy. Perfect for roasting or boiling, served hot or cold, in salads or with the main course. A favorite for sure! Harvest Haven Garlic – What meal is complete without garlic? Not one! Organic Girl Baby Kale – Get a taste of spring with baby kale, a nutritional powerhouse. Enjoy its earthy flavor fresh in a salad or juiced for a refreshing drink. Braise or sauté the tender leaves for a nutty, yet sweet side dish. Harvest Haven Carrots – There's more to carrots than fresh sticks or steamed sides. How about a traditional carrot cake or a rich carrot cake cheesecake? Yum! Organic Walnuts – So good for you, they should be a regular part of your meal preparation. Top your salads with chopped walnuts, make a pesto sauce for pasta, roast with Brussel sprouts for a side dish, use in granola or top yogurt or hot cereal for breakfast. Organic Arla Cream Cheese - So creamy, smooth, and tasty! Perfect for spreading, dipping, and baking. And cheesecake! | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Whole Harvest Haven Turkey, skin on (fully defrosted, washed, giblets and neck removed)
3 heads Harvest Haven garlic cut in half horizontally, divided
3 slices lemon, divided
6 sprigs thyme, divided
6 sprigs rosemary, divided
1/2 cup olive oil divided Herb Butter:
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt
Cracked Pepper Preheat oven to 425°F for standard ovens, or 390°F for fan forced. Lower oven shelf to the lowest part of your oven. Combine the Herb Butter ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Reserve half of the herb butter in the refrigerator for later. Line a large roasting pan with foil or parchment paper. Arrange the 4 halves of garlic cut-side down on the bottom of the pan with 4 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary, half of the olive oil and 1 slice of lemon. Thoroughly pat turkey dry with paper towels. Stuff with the remaining heads garlic halves, lemon slice, a squeeze of lemon from remaining slice, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Melt the butter and rub all over the turkey, including under the skin. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Place turkey on top of the garlic and herbs in the pan BREAST-SIDE DOWN. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes for a small turkey under 13 pounds (6 1/2 kg), or 45 minutes for a larger turkey over 14 pounds (7 kg plus). Turn turkey over (breast-side up) with a clean tea towel or oven mitts (heat-proof gloves) and baste with pan juices. Using the reserved herb butter, use a spoon to spread half of it over the top of your turkey (be careful, the turkey will be hot and the butter will melt nicely over the skin). Pour any remaining juices over your turkey. Reduce heat to 325°F (for standard ovens), or 300°F (fan-forced). Roast for an hour. Slather turkey generously with remaining butter and roast for 30 minutes. Baste again, then continue roasting for a further 30 minutes or so, depending on the size of your bird. 14 pound | 7 kg: 3 hrs
16 pound | 8 kg: 3 hrs 15-20 min
18 pound | 9 kg: 3 hrs 45-55 min
20 pound | 10 kg: 4 hrs 15-20 min For extra crispy skin, broil (or grill) in the last 5-10 minutes, keeping your eye on it so it doesn't burn, until the skin is crispy and golden browned all over. Tent turkey with foil and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving and serving. Remove 2 1/2 cups of the liquid from the pan juices (top up with stock if you need to), strain and reserve for your gravy. MEAT THERMOMETER
Use a meat thermometer inserted between the breast and leg. It should read 165°F. This is the USDA recommended internal cooked temperature of turkey. If you don't have a meat thermometer, pierce the breast meat with a knife. The turkey juices should run clear, not pink. (Note that the turkey will continue cooking once it's been taken out of the oven from the heat inside the bird.) | Lemon Kale Pesto-Roasted Linzer Potatoes 2 cups fresh kale leaves
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts toasted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves Harvest Haven garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs Harvest Haven Linzer potatoes Place kale, lemon juice, walnuts, cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. With food processor running, drizzle oil through top until pesto is smooth, scraping down sides if necessary. Reserve 1/4 cup pesto and set aside. In a large bowl, toss fingerling potatoes with pesto until completely coated. Spread potatoes in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast potatoes at 400F 20-25 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes from oven and gently toss with remaining 1/4 cup pesto. Serve potatoes warm. | Carrot Cake Cheesecake For the cheesecake:
24 ounces Arla cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar packed
3 large Harvest Haven eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon For the carrot cake:
½ cup unsalted butter, barely melted
2 large Harvest Haven eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1–1/2 cups finely grated Harvest Haven carrots For the topping:
2 ounces Arla cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans To make the cheesecake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and wrap the exterior of a 9" springform pan in a sheet of foil. Lightly grease and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer begin to prepare the cheesecake. Cream the cream cheese on medium speed using the paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar, beating an additional 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for an additional minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Be sure no large clumps exist. If there are a lot of large clumps, your cream cheese may not have been entirely room temp and you make need to strain the mixture. Set aside the cheesecake batter while you prepare your cake batter. In the same bowl, now empty, beat the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir just till combined. Fold in the finely grated carrots. Spread half of the prepared cake batter into the bottom of the pan. Spoon about half of the cheesecake mixture on top, taking care to cover every bit of cake batter you see. Do no swirl or spread the mixtures. Spoon the remaining cake batter on top of the cheesecake batter and then finish with the remaining cheesecake batter. Be sure no parts of the cake are exposed or you could have bit chunks of cake burst through the top of the cheesecake. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. If you notice the top of the cake is already dark by about 35-40 minutes into the baking, gently tent the top with a sheet of foil. Cheesecake is done when the center appears set and the cake as a whole only barely jiggles. It won't look liquidy or watery under the surface of the cake. Turn the oven off and allow it to rest in the warm oven for 1 hour, then cool entirely in the fridge. Just before ready to serve, prepare the topping. Cream the cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar until combined and then drizzle in the whipping cream and vanilla. Beat for about 45 seconds or until the mixture fluffs up. Remove the cake from the pan and trim off any severely uneven edges. Smooth the topping on top of the cheesecake and garnish with chopped pecans. Enjoy! | Chickens, Chickens Everywhere! | Jeannie and Konstantijn took me for a lovely little tour of the lambing barn and the sod hen house. As we entered the lambing barn, we encountered a menagerie of critters. There were ewes, lambs, cats, and chickens of all sizes and colors everywhere. Each group had its respective quarter, except the cats and the real free-range hens, who could go wherever they liked. In the open area we had just entered, there were our favorite old free-range hens with their rooster pecking around at the ground, clucking as they scratched the dirt. In the corner pen was the last ewe to lamb with her two newborns. She was munching on sweet-smelling hay while her offspring slept quietly. Checking another pen, there were the motley-colored young chickens Martin had hatched out during the winter. You would have seen the baby versions running around the greenhouse. | While examining this mix of birds, I felt some pricks on my leg just above the tops of my rubber boots. Looking down, there was Stripes, our orange tabby begging to be petted. He wasn't about to be ignored when there were people who could pick him up and caress him. He's quite a favorite and knows it. Slipping through the gate into a bigger pen, which held the ewes with lambs that needed a more watchful eye, we were greeted by sheep, big and small, clamoring for head scratches, bottles of milk, and fragrant hay, of course. "Here's Tiny," said Konstantijn as she tenderly held the cutest little black lamb for me to pet. Its velvety soft ears and diminutive coal black face were irresistible. He was so huggable! Walking towards the manger, Konstantijn grabbed a fork to put in fresh hay. Total bedlam broke out! Nothing else in the world mattered except fresh hay. The cacophony of baaing was deafening as we were jostled in the melee. The lambs knew where it was safe and stepped outside the stampede. Going into the outside corral where there were more ewes and lambs, the same thing happened as the sheep knew why Konstantijn was there. They behaved like they were starving and hadn't been fed for days, even though there was still hay in their feeder. "Sheep are crazy," we all agree. Leaving the flocks to contentedly enjoy their dinner, we sauntered over to the sod hen house that is built into the ground. We lost Konstantijn on the way because she's not so keen on chickens. This earthen structure is an interesting place! Walking through the large double doors, we were greeted by numerous groups of chickens. Immediately in front of us was our colorful assortment of hens and roosters eager to peck at our boots for whatever they thought was interesting. Chickens are curious creatures. Stepping carefully into the middle of the hen house, on one side we saw a fenced area holding about thirty white leghorns with big bright red combs. Gifted to us from a friend who had too many. On the other side of the barn was another fenced pen with about forty brown laying hens purchased from a farmer who also had too many layers. In the back and along the side on the dirt bank was another pen. This held more of Martin's hatchlings that he'd raised for a short while in the greenhouse. Martin started hatching chicks in the summer to increase the numbers and quality of our laying hens. You saw the multicolored results of his endeavours running through the plants in the greenhouse. As the project expanded, it became clear that the greenhouse was not suitable for raising chickens – too many chicks scratching up too many plants, making too much of a mess. The sod hen house wasn't suitable for raising young chicks, either. But, a small insulated building with a large window that let in bright light was perfect for hatching and raising them until they were big enough to go into the sod hen house. This building was our final stop. There they were – more colorful chicks of various sizes hopping and scratching around in the cozy warm building bathed in bright sunlight. And in the corner, slowly turning back and forth, was the incubator with another ninety eggs. More chicks, more chickens to come. More eggs to be enjoyed one of these days! Harvest Haven Hatchery! |  "Caption this!" | | |
