It feels good at the end of the day to know you made a product that other people are going to enjoy. – Jericho Sanchez | Are you ready, guys? I had the temerity to ask the guys if they were ready for the craziness of the next two months. James teasingly replies, "Why? What's happening?" Martin looks straight at me, laughing, "We let you worry about those things."
James pipes in excitedly waving his arms and pretending to look at his phone, "Yah, we look at our schedules and go, 'OH NO! It's chicken day tomorrow and we're not ready. Yikes! What do we do?'" "James, you're not helping. Now, I'm really starting to worry," I feign concern.
Martin knowingly answers with a grin on his face, "That's your job, Marilyn. We let you do the worrying, so we don't have to." In the past, I had good reason to worry when the fall came with the harvest happening and the animals and poultry being processed. Preparations were not being made for all that needed to be done. Now, I know the guys are teasing me and really are taking care of everything. "Right, guys?" The next eight weeks are flat out busy with processing beef, lambs, chickens, and turkeys. Along with harvesting the gardens, preparing fields for next year's crops, building the greenhouse, and finishing the renovation of the woodworking shop. And more corrals need to be built before the beef herd comes in for the winter. There's no reason to be bored around here. Jobs change faster than the weather. | Bats How often have you thought about bats, those elusive creatures of the night? Probably, when you're being bothered by mosquitos in the summer evenings.
Victor had an interesting story to tell me one morning. He got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and saw the motion sensor light on the deck turning on and off. Looking to see what was moving about outside, he saw a bat flitting back and forth across the light. The question is: was the bat catching insects attracted to the light, OR was he turning on the light to attract the insects? There are over 1300 species of bats worldwide, of which about 19 occur in Canada and about 9 occur in Alberta. Although most of the world's bat diversity occurs in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, Alberta's bats are abundant and are undoubtedly important to the healthy functioning of our ecosystems. Bats found in Alberta can be broadly divided into two major groups based on how they cope with our long, cold Canadian winters. These include 3 species that are long-distance migrants, and at least 6 species that hibernate in the province and are present year-round. Long-distance Migratory Bats – While all bats in Alberta are migratory to some extent, three species appear to leave the province altogether—the Hoary Bat, Eastern Red Bat, and Silver-haired Bat. This strategy may reduce the need to accumulate large fat stores to survive the winter, and may help explain why this group typically gives birth to more than one pup. It is largely unknown where our migratory bats overwinter, but it may include the southern US, Mexico, or even the warmer regions of British Columbia. Bats that leave the province for the winter may still hibernate during cold winter weather, albeit for shorter periods. Year-round Resident Bats – The majority of bats in Alberta appear to hibernate in the province during the winter. This includes the Big Brown Bat and all the Myotis species found in Alberta. Bats that hibernate may still undergo long-distance movements between summer and winter habitat. Banding records from Alberta have found Little Brown Myotis, Long-eared Myotis, and Big Brown Bats moving at least 300 – 500 kilometres between summer and winter habitat (one Little Brown Myotis moved almost 500 kilometres from Warner to Stony Plain). Where the majority of bats in Alberta hibernate is unknown. A few caves have been identified that support hibernating Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis, Long-legged Myotis, and Big Brown Bats. Deep rock-crevices, such as those in some Alberta river valleys are known to be used by hibernating Big Brown Bats. Big Brown Bats may also hibernate in buildings, possibly even moving into the cities during the winter, but this has not been observed in other species. All known hibernacula combined account for a very small portion of the bat population, making it uncertain what Alberta's bats do during the winter. For descriptions of the bats found in Alberta, go to The Bats of Alberta. These elusive creatures are very interesting. | Fresh chicken next week! Get your orders in now. We won't have fresh chicken again until next summer. Fresh WHOLE broiler chicken will be ready Friday, September 16th and Sunday, September 18th. Fresh chicken PARTS will be ready Sunday, September 18th. You can place your orders now. | Harvest Haven lamb is raised on lush pastures, quality, non-synthetic minerals and salts, and Grander Living Water, which produce a tender, flavorful meat you will be delighted to serve. We're taking orders for whole or half lamb, cut and wrapped, or just the cuts you like. Whole lamb, cut and wrapped, is about $600 depending on the size. Half a lamb will be approximately $300. There is a $10 fee if we must freeze your lamb for longer than one week. Lamb will be available on the following dates: Friday, September 23
Friday, October 7
Friday, October 14
Friday, October 28 Order here. | Harvest Haven turkeys are truly pasture raised and free range. Our birds are in the pasture all summer where they get to scratch, hunt for bugs, and eat all the greens they want. If there's one thing we've learned, it's that healthy birds need lots of sunlight and salad. And if a turkey doesn't have the ability and freedom to express every part of its scratchy, diggy-pokey little personality, something's wrong with how they're being raised. We have two dates for fresh turkeys. The first date this year is October 2nd to 7th. We don't have room in our freezer to keep the turkeys, so we ask that you pick yours up fresh that week (October 2nd to 7th). There will be a $10.00 fee/bird for freezing and another $1.00/day after October 8th. Please keep in mind that even if you pay the fees, we are nevertheless limited in freezer space. The second date for pick-up is October 23rd and 25th (we're closed Monday, October 24th). Please make a point of scheduling the date in your calendar. As our business continues to grow, reminding everybody to pick up their orders is becoming unrealistic. The cost of our whole turkeys is $6.49/lb. We require a down payment of $50/bird to reserve your order. You'll pay the balance on pick-up. REMEMBER TO BRING SOMETHING TO TRANSPORT YOUR TURKEY IN. Order here. | Harvest Haven Pastured Lamb Leg Roast – Such a great cut of meat for a special event or a family dinner. Easy to prepare, but so delicious! Maison Orphee Organic Dijon Mustard, 250 mL – A pure Dijon mustard with a lovely creamy texture and inimitable sharpness. Use in dressings and mayonnaise, brush on lamb chops before cooking, spread in sandwiches with cold cuts, or mix into stuffed eggs or potato salad. Harvest Haven Garden Fresh Beets – Sweet and tender, low in calories, and high in nutrients and fiber, this earthy root vegetable is great as a side dish, in a salad or soup. Roasting fresh beets brings out their sweet flavor. L'Ancetre Organic Herbed Feta, 150 g – A Greek Feta made with 100% sheep's milk and packed in a vacuum sealed package without brine, giving it a bold flavor that isn't too salty. Directly imported from Greece, this Feta PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) complies with the highest standards of manufacturing as per the Greek tradition. GMO free and organic, its flavor will transport you to the Mediterranean coast. It's a tasty addition to salads, pasta, and even hamburgers! Organic BC Nectarines – It's time to enjoy the fresh, sweet flavor of nectarines with all their juiciness. Here's an interesting tidbit: at the stem end, you find a yellow stripe across the top that is indented. As the fruit ripens on the tree, it pushes against the branch. This creates the indent and shades it from the sun, preventing the skin from turning red. Tree-ripened nectarines will have a yellow mark from where it ripened on the branch, which means the fruit will soften and have good flavor. Simply Organic Almond Extract, 59 g – Add the essence of almond with Simply Organic Almond Extract. This sweet, organic extract offers a deliciously clean taste and heavenly aroma to your desserts and baked treats. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Grilled Leg of Lamb with Herb Rub 4 lbs Harvest Haven lamb leg, boneless, butterflied, and trimmed of excess fat Herb rub ingredients:
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves Harvest Haven garlic Cut the netting off of the roast. Lay lamb out flat on a tray. Puree all the herb rub ingredients in a food processor. (Alternatively, finely mince the herbs and garlic with a knife and then stir in the rest of the ingredients.) Spread the herb rub evenly over the lamb on both sides. Cover the lamb and put it in the refrigerator overnight. About one hour before grilling, take the lamb out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter. Heat up the grill. For a gas grill, turn all the burners to high and let it heat for 15 minutes. Wipe off most the herb rub from the lamb. Some should still be coating it, but just a thin layer. Turn the grill down to medium high and put the lamb, fat side down, on the grill. Cover and grill for 3-4 minutes, or until well seared. Then turn the lamb over and grill, covered, for about 8 minutes more. Check the temperature and grill for 2 minutes more if needed. For medium rare, the lamb should be 125-130F. When done, let the lamb rest for 10 minutes and then slice. | Roasted Fig and Beet Salad For the Roasted Beet & Fig Salad 1 large Harvest Haven red beet, chopped
4 fresh figs, quartered
2 tablespoons walnuts, roasted
3 tablespoons feta cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste For the Reduced Blackberry Balsamic
3/4 cup ripe blackberries
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey To Prepare the Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar Heat the balsamic vinegar and blackberries in a saucepan over medium heat, covered. Bring to a full boil. Remove cover and smash berries with a fork, allowing the mixture to continue to boil. Reduce the liquid by 1/3. Add the honey and stir to incorporate. Use a fine strainer to strain out the berry pulp and push on the pulp with a spoon to release as much of the juices as possible. Pour the berry balsamic vinegar into a jar and put it in the refrigerator to cool. To Prepare the Beet Salad Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the beet and chop off the greens (you can discard the beet greens or use them in your cooking). Dice the beet into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes. Place the chopped beet on a sheet of aluminum foil. Fold the edges of the foil over on top of each other, creating a package of beet. Put the beet package on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until beets are soft when poked with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. While beets are roasting, quarter the figs and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Roast them for 10 to 12 minutes, until their juices begin seeping out. Remove from oven and set aside. When everything is nice and roasted and cooled, arrange the beets, figs, walnuts and goat cheese on a plate. Drizzle everything with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Drizzle desired amount of berry balsamic vinegar over the ingredients, saving what you don't use for future salads. Serve salad either warm or cold! | Nectarine Crumb Tart 4 medium nectarines, sliced fairly thin
Squeeze of lemon
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sliced almonds (for topping before baking)
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional) Dough Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon water Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350° F, and lightly grease a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom (or spring form pan, if you prefer) with butter; line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Prepare the filling by adding the sliced nectarines into a bowl and adding a little squeeze of lemon, then sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of flour and the 3 tablespoons of sugar, and toss to combine; set aside for a moment. Prepare your dough by whisking together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a small bowl, and set aside for a moment. Add the butter and both the sugars to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix, or "cream" them together until well combined; add in the vanilla and almond extracts, and mix those in to incorporate. Then, with the mixer off, add in the dry ingredients (flour, etc), and mix again until crumbles form; add in the tablespoon of water and mix just until large crumbles form, about 30 seconds. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the crumb dough to use for the topping. Gently press the remaining crumb dough into the tart pan until even; then, top with the fruit, spreading it out to make it as even as possible, and sprinkle the reserved crumb dough over top to create the topping, along with the sliced almonds. Place the tart onto the parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour; allow to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then carefully loosen the tart and remove from pan; allow tart to cool completely before serving. (You can sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar for a sweet and decorative touch!) | Customer Manners We really appreciate the vast majority of our customers whom we consider to be our friends, and with whom we have interesting conversations, exchange stories and recipes, and generally share our lives. We look forward to them coming to the store, and they've expressed thankfulness to us for being here and for the things that they have received. However, we just had a number of unpleasant encounters within a few days that left us feeling unhappy and annoyed with people to the point of firing some customers. It's not true that the customer is always right. Love your neighbor as yourself takes precedence. Being considerate of others, especially of people who are trying to help you, is like gold – precious and rare. Looking forward to more good times and interesting conversations with you all! Martin explains how that can happen. | |
