Another snowy, cold morning….just like it should be in late November! I’m still sick so I’ll probably stay glues to the couch for another day, planning T-day dinner and pouring over the Seeds of change and Seed Savers website.

I have a couple of holiday fundraisers to share, a portion of the proceeds from each will be going to Stable Movements, the Hippotherapy program my daughter and I volunteer with.

First are the Holiday wreaths. These are fresh wreaths, handmade here with mixed greens. They need to be pre-ordered, that way I know how much I need to gather. We use no pesticides here and our property is organically managed. The price is $25 for each wreath and you can order your wreath here, pickup begins 11/30 and can be scheduled throughout December.  I would be happy to ship your wreath as well. Additional charges for shipping apply and they will be sent USPS Priority Mail.

I will be doing the soap sale this year too…the 10th year! The soap is handcrafted of certified organic ingredients and infused with organic herbs and organic/wild crafted essential oils. Each 8 ounce bottle is made to order and is $11.95 or three for $32.95

Here are the varieties:

Plain- great for babies, puppies, kittens and other sensitive folks

Plain with Calendula & Chamomile - just like plain, but infused with Calendula & Chamomile blossoms for gentle soothing

Soothing Skin- Infused with soothing herbs and therapeutic grade, organic/wild crafted essential oils. Wonderful for itchy skinned people and adult dogs and horses. This is soap that I started with nearly 10 years ago.

Kitchen blend  – Perfect to keep near the kitchen skin for hand washing. Infused with Ginger, Rosemary and Lemon essential oils to remove odors and sanitize the hands.

Cold Season – When used in a warm shower, this blend helps ease stuffy noses and soothe achy muscles.

Soap is made to order and discounts are available for larger purchases.  I can ship soap as a gift, please email with your info.  To order, pop me over an email with the following:

The type(s) you want
the quantity
your name and a valid email
If you are planning to ship this as a gift, please include the city and zip so I can calculate your postage.

I will send you a paypal invoice to your email address you provide. You do not need a paypal account, and you can pay securely using your credit card or bank account.

On the art/design front…

I’ll be loading some card templates for photographers and crafty folks later today. I’ll also be loading some of my favorite black and white photoshop actions.

The Duck Diary…

Our adorable Cayuga Ducks only gave us one egg today, but they have had such a productive week! They continue to become more affectionate each day. I have one who is pretty close to be considered for therapy work, we’ll see. Puddles still might be in the running but he is so enjoying his job as keeper of his ladies that I think I’ll just let him enjoy himself and be a greeter here at the farm for the kids.

A recipe to share…

Magwrit1 who is friend and also a regular on the Pressconnects.com website, shared her recipe for Penne Rigate with Tuna Sauce.

If I could only tell you how many memories Suga al Tonno brings back. I was just learning how to cook while living in Rochester and a friend shared his families recipe with me. Being a young, starving girl on her own for the first time anything that could be made with budget friendly ingredients was a plus! But it was unexpectedly delicious that I fast became one of my very favorites. I will probably make this for Ally and I tomorrow. Todd and Tuna do not get a long!

Suga al Tonno

1 12 oz can of plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 4 oz can Italian tuna in Olive oil, drained
2 T Olive Oil
1 Anchovy fillet, soaked and finely chopped or 1/8 t Anchovy paste (I use the paste these days)
salt and pepper to taste

Add the garlic and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until reduced a bit, about 10 minutes. Mash the Tomatoes and continue to cook until it reduces a bit more.

At this point you are supposed to remove the garlic, however my family prefers a smoother sauce so I leave the garlic and use a stick blender to bring it all together.

Stir the drained tuna into the sauce, add the olive oil and the anchovy. Serve immediately over hot pasta.

Enjoy!

We don’t eat much beef, there are many reasons for that, but when we do have beef we try to make sure it is an exceptional beef. Please excuse the photo, my shutter finger is still numb from my bizarre kitchen accident and in low light…well…it’s not as nice as I would like. Hey, even us photographer people have bad days now and again right?

Let’s talk about this beef shall we? This is a rolled roast from Kingbird Farm in Berkshire. Readers who follow my blog will recognize this name as I speak of their products often. The potatoes, which are Meffford Reds, also came from Kingbird. The peas? They are frozen from the garden. The reduction? Made with the drippings from the roast and our own 2007 Nebbiolo.

The roast comes from a Heritage Breed, the Scottish Highland. Scottish Highland cows are covered in a think blanket of dense, woolly fur.

Image courtesy of Farma Highland Cattle Branišov

Because they rely on the fur to warm them, they don’t have the typical fat layer of most beef cattle. Instead the fat is layered throughout the meat, not in thick bands mind you, but in light ribbons. This produces beef that is tender, so very juicy and that has a big, bold, rich beef flavor.

I seared the roast is a cast iron dutch oven in a bit of oil and then it went into a 325 oven until it reached 125 degrees. Because it was in the dutch oven I removed it early because the pan retains so much heat it finishes to a nice rare while it rests.

The oven fries go in while the roast finishes. They couldn’t be simpler…I used this recipe from Love and Olive Oil and with some substitutions for the dried herbs. I used two small cloves of minced minced garlic and a nice handful of chopped fresh basil. I also used both Parm and Romano. I just really like the zest of the Romano when it bakes.

Because I use no seasoning on the roast, wait, did you read that right? Yes, you did, nothing on the roast but roast.  Where was I? Because the roast was unseasoned we are left with drippings that are pure beef flavor. I add a sprig of thyme, a tiny bit of fresh rosemary, a grind of salt and pepper and a cup of Nebbiolo to the pan. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let the alcohol in the wine cook out.  The wine will begin to reduce and thicken slightly. If you want a more “gravy-like” sauce, go ahead and blend in a bit of cornstarch.

The whole meal is quick easy and really, really lovely.  It is so much easier than you think to eat locally. It just requires a bit of planning.  Next week I am hoping to do a full week of meals that feature local meats to get you thinking and planning.  If you have any suggestions, please email them over!