The Good Egg, One Bad Egg, and the Ultimate Egg Sandwich

Eggs are a big deal on our farm.  We make a living by supplying farm meat, dairy products, veggies, and prepared meals to the members of our CSA.  The vast majority of them request a dozen eggs with their weekly order, so it is important for us to have healthy, happy chickens laying wholesome, delicious eggs on a consistent basis.  Unlike eggs from "Prison Chickens," Free Range eggs tend to have a bright yellow yolk due to the nutrients they are able to get as they forage along the pasture.  They are fresher and definitely taste better.  Eggs are a wonderful source of protein as well as 13 essential vitamins and minerals---and all for about 70 calories.  The Good Egg is the perfect food!

...but I digress!  

Eggs are important to the Farm, for reasons of both Nutrition and Finance.  The condition of the egg shell can often reveal information about the health of our flock and when an egg looks funny, it is time to check the gals closely to make sure that nothing is amiss.

See the egg in the middle?  The funny wrinkled one? What's up with THAT?

Nothing to worry about, in this case!  The ripples and wrinkles you see on the pointy end of the egg are indicative of an egg that has been "body checked."  This is typically seen with older hens and results when an egg has been damaged, and then repaired, during production.  It tastes just fine and is perfectly safe to eat.

We have about 85 laying hens, which means a whole lot of egg collecting.  There are eggs in the barns, eggs in the coop, eggs in the tool shed!  The biggest challenge we face is getting to the eggs before the dogs find them!  Egg collecting has also been impeded by the four broody hens who have taken up residence in the nesting boxes.  A broody hen is one who wants to sit on her eggs until they hatch, which takes 21 days.  Broody hens will steal eggs from under other chickens to increase the number of eggs in their clutch, which can get ridiculous.   Some will actually carry the egg in her beak or roll it a long way to the desired destination.  

Once they start sitting, broody hens will only leave for a few moments each day to eat and drink.  I decided to label the nests after The Farmer came into the kitchen one day thinking that he scored the Mother Lode of Egg Hauls.  Truth is, he had just swiped a broody mama's clutch while she was taking a two minute break to eat!   Yikes!  Can you imagine a CSA shareholder baking  with her child, cracking an egg and having a half formed chicken fall into the Brownies? 

It is important not to disturb a broody hen because she might decide that it isn't worth the trouble and will abandon the nest for good.   Our broody gals have been in some sort of competition to see which can sit on the most eggs....they flatten down their bodies and puff out their wings in a futile effort to keep 30 eggs incubated.  Once the babies start hatching they will be so busy chasing the little ones that many eggs will remain unhatched and will have been wasted!

Rosie Belle Farm Grilled Ham and Cheese 
One of my favorite comfort foods is a grilled ham and cheese and yesterday  I made a more grown up version using goat cheese and an easy Goat Cheese Mornay Sauce. It is fast and delicious...the best part is that almost every ingredient can be found in a Rosie Belle Farm CSA box!

Good Bread is the Start of a Great Sandwich!

Ingredients for 2 Servings
3 Tablespoons of Butter, plus more for pan
2 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
2 Cups of Milk
1 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg
One Cup of Farm Goat Cheese
4 slices of White Bread
4 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
6 slice of Cooked Pork Product of your choice...ham, bacon.  I used Collar Bacon, a leaner, sweeter cut.
2 large eggs

First, gather the ingredients to make the sauce.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over moderately low heat.  The butter should NOT brown.  Whisk in the flour and stir constantly for three minutes or so.  Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil, whisking the entire time so as not to scorch the milk.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and about 1/2 of the cheese and stir until melted and incorporated.  The goat cheese is not a super melty cheese and you might see pieces of goat cheese in the Sauce...no worries!  It will be delicious.  Remove from the heat.

Now for the Sandwich!  I am going to keep directions simple by building one sandwich.  Get two slices of bread.  One will be your Foundation Slice and the other will be the Top Slice.  Spread Mustard on the Foundation, then cover with a generous slather of Cheese Sauce.  Put half of the goat cheese on top of the sauce, reserving the rest for the second sandwich.  Add bacon/ham/pig part of choice on top of the goat cheese and finish off with another generous dollop of Cheese Sauce.  Repeat with the other Sandwich.

Preheat the broiler.
Heat up a frying pan and melt some butter.  Add the sandwiches and grill them on medium high heat until the Foundation slice is nice and brown.  Take the sandwiches out of the pan to melt a bit more butter and grill the other side.  Looking tasty, isn't it?  We aren't done yet!

Spread more sauce on the top of the sandwiches, put them on a cookie sheet, and put them under the broiler for two minutes or so.

While the sandwiches are in the broiler, fry up the eggs in the pan you used to grill the sandwiches.  They should be just about perfectly done when the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Slide the egg on top of the sandwich, grab a fork and a knife, and enjoy!

I just took a break to check on my broody hens...our first chick of the year has hatched!

Goat Balls, Spinach Balls and Finding Udder Peace....

The Cow almost did me in....I can handle 12 dogs, 75 chickens, 45 goats, and a bunch of hogs, but one little old Jersey cow damn near made me turn in my muck boots and high tail it back to suburbia.  Yeah, I know.  I was very excited by the prospect of The New Cow just a few short weeks ago, but that was way back when I was young and naive.

I am a hardened realist now.

Elsie came by way of an Animal Trader....not a recommended way to buy an animal, by the by....it is just one step up from the Sale Barn, which is where old/infirm/bad tempered animals are often sold for meat. The Trader mentioned that her teats were "kinda tore up" but our budget was limited, the timing was right, and SHE WAS IN MILK...so we took a chance.

Frankly, it was much tougher than I thought it would be.... physically demanding and Kind of Scary.  She was in pain when I tried to milk her and acted out accordingly.   Turns out that the Animal Trader used her to feed six hungry calves.  She was tied up and the ravenous little mouths went in for mealtime twice a day.   Animal Traders view animals as commodities that must be monetized and a cow in milk helped keep feed costs down.  Most cows feed one or two babies, so six put a lot of pressure on Elsie and her teats were a chewed up mess.   One of her teats looked like it might actually slough off from the damage.  Regardless, she needed to be hand milked twice a day to keep the milk flowing and to guard against the development of mastitis.  Ugh.

Milking  was clearly very painful for her and I was an inept Newbie.  She bled and she kicked. I dodged and swore and dodged some more.  It is a bit intimidating to have one's head in the direct path of a 1200 pound kicking animal, yet I needed to apply medication and earn her trust.  

DOES GEORGIE SEEM DISDAINFUL OF MY MILKING EFFORTS?

The situation was made more challenging by the fact that the muscles in the forearm that are used to milk cows are very clearly not muscles that I have ever used in my lifetime.  Plus, I am really old.  Too old to be learning new tricks?  It surely seemed so!  One frustrating morning I dropped the milk bucket because my hands were rebelling. I watched the milk literally go down the drain and I leaned against Elsie's big warm cow body and cried.  Pretty pathetic but True nonetheless.  Fortunately, Georgie was the only one around to witness my shame and he was too busy lapping up the spilled milk to pay me much mind.  

I slogged forward.  The Farmer gave me pep talks and did a great job of keeping Elsie entertained and well fed while I bumbled and fumbled through those first weeks. A tense time was definitely had by all.  

Happily, we seem to have gotten to the other side.  Elsie's injuries have healed and the kicking has stopped.  We have developed a nice rhythm and she stands patiently while I milk her.  

Whew!  Ya know, I think I've got this!

IN THE FARM KITCHEN....

A few week's ago I pulled out a well loved recipe for our CSA shareholders.  Spinach Balls are a tasty treat with a very  pedestrian name.  Try it in French...

Boules d'Epinards.  

Much more sophisticated, dontchathink?   Spinach Balls  stand alone as an appetizer or can be added to pasta for a meal.   The recipe will make about four dozen balls. They freeze really well and are consumed with gusto, so don't be afraid to make a big batch!

A BIT OF FARM GOAT CHEESE GARNISHES THIS QUICK APPETIZER

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups of chopped spinach (About 8-9 generous handfuls of fresh spinach)

6 cups of panko

15 eggs, beaten

3 cups Parmesan Cheese

2 cups of Softened Butter

4-6 cloves of garlic

3 cups of chopped onion

THE SPINACH VOLUME IS GREATLY REDUCED BY CHOPPING

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Chop the spinach.  I did it in batches in my Food Processor.  Don't pulverize it or turn it into juice, just pulse a handful or two at a time. Put all of your ingredients in a really, really, big bowl and mix well.

Once you have the ingredients well mixed, stick the bowl in the refrigerator for an hour or so.  The butter will firm up just enough to make it easy for you to work with the spinach "batter."  I rarely follow my own advice in this regard because I am always short on time.  C'est La Vie. They always taste great, they simply fall a bit flat on occasion.  Happens to the  best of us.

Anywhooo...Grab some mixture, form it into a ball, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  I use an ice cream scoop so that the balls are a uniform 1/4 cup.  Pack those little suckers close and personal.  The proximity will keep them from spreading out and losing their shape if you have skipped the refrigerating step. 

Pop they cookie tray(s) into the oven and set the timer for twenty minutes.  This is a good time to clean  your mess, put on a load of laundry, or have a glass of wine.  Tick tock, tick tock.

Timer went off!  Check your balls!  They should be nice and crispy on the bottom.  Take the tray out of the oven and use kitchen tongs to turn over each one of them.  Don't try to do this while the tray is in the oven.  You WILL burn yourself, which will make you not want to make Spinach Balls  Boules d'Epinards...which would be sad....because they are really, really good!

NOTICE THE NICE BROWN CRUST?   MMMMMM!

Once you have flipped the balls, set the timer for another 20 minutes.  Rotate the cookie sheets if you are using more than one and wait patiently.  Tick tock, tick tock. 

Prepare to be dazzled!

YUM

So while I was cleaning up my Spinach Ball mess it occurred to me that I had out two of the six ingredients necessary to make another favorite appetizer, and figured out that I might as well make that one, too!

I present to you.....

GOAT BALLS

Goat Balls are ridiculously simple to make but the process does involve Deep Frying.  Don't judge me.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Cup Panko

1/4 Cup Flour

Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder

Goat "Farm Cheese"...available from your local goat farmer

Oil for frying

Chili Aioli 

Combine the panko, flour, seasoning in a bowl.  Take 1/4 cup of Farm cheese and form into a ball, then dredge ball in panko mixture.  Repeat.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or small pot, bringing temperature to 350 degrees. 

While the oil is heating, take a minute to whip of some quick Chili Aioli by blending a spoonful of Mayo with a bit of Sriracha sauce. Voila!

Has the oil reached the proper temperature?  If you don't have a thermometer, sprinkle some panko into the oil to see if it sizzles.  Using tongs, gently release the balls into the hot oil.  Cook just until golden brown and drizzle with the Chili Sauce.

Life is better with Goat Cheese...and melted Goat Cheese is just about the best thing around!

Motherhood, The Nashville Farmer's Market, and My Pesto Addiction

Motherhood is serious business.  Humans tend to think that we are the only species to experience the intensity of the bond, but Farmers know otherwise. One aspect of farming that never ceases to amaze me is the closeness that exists between Mama and Baby that extends well into adulthood and beyond. While there is the occasional case of rejection, it is the exception not the rule.  Mommas take care of their Young 'Uns...be they chickens, goats, hogs, sheep, or cows and the connectivity continues for generations. Most of our goat herd is divided into smaller familial herds...babies, moms, grandma...happily hanging together and foraging. Frankly, I wish that all humans were as devoted.  

Grand Dame Daisy rests on a rock ledge with her daughter and granddaughter.

Why the focus on mothering?  I am worried about a girl I barely know.  She is a woman, really, but seems so very young.  I have been looking for part-time kitchen help. This is a busy season on the farm and there are not enough hours in the day so finding someone who can help with slicing and dicing would give me more time in the barn during the active kidding season.  She called for an interview and I liked her through the phone line.  I liked her even more when we met in person.  She has no skills in the kitchen and very little in the way of formal education but she told me she could take direction, was quick to learn, and she really needed the job...she has a six month old baby and a no account ex-boyfriend.   She showed up early the first day and we worked easily together, chattering as we made flat breads.  She shared a family history rife with parental drug addiction, years spent in

foster care, and so on. Somehow she has managed to hold on to a sweetness and optimism that belies the darkness of her story.  She relies on government assistance and a bit of child support to pay her bills.  She always has more month than money...a constant state of being on the Farm, as well.   Although we can't afford to pay her much, we can make sure that she is well fed and I have sent her home with food every day.

She has started missing work and I am guessing she will miss again tomorrow.  Her support system is made up of people incapable of rendering support.   Her child care is unreliable and she worries the entire time she is away.   

What a horrible position for a young mother.  While it is true that each of us lives the life we do as a result of choices we have made, my heart hurts for this girl.   She is determined to do better by her baby than was done by her...Yet, she has no cheerleader, no one smoothing the path.   How can she pay for decent child care when she is making little more than minimum wage?  How can we pay her more than we are when there is no money?  This is a gal who needs a hand up but I am not sure how to provide it.  I have been praying on it and think the seed of an idea is germinating in my head.  She needs a soft place to land and I would like to help her find it.  Wish me luck!

IN OTHER NEWS... The Farmer and I attended the Nashville Farmer's Market CSA Fair last week-end and had an amazing time answering questions and handing out samples of Goat Cheese and Pesto!  It was gratifying to see so many young families out early on a cold blustery day to meet the Farmers and local CSA representatives who work to grow Real Food.  The Market has been on a great trajectory in recent years and credit would have to be given to Director Tasha Kennard, who is committed to putting farm food on city tables!

DID SOMEONE JUST SAY PESTO?

Pesto is one of my Go To appetizers.  Pesto and Farm Goat Cheese is heaven on a plate....add some Pita or Ciabatta and you are talking perfection!  Pesto is easy to make...all you need is a Food Processor and five minutes.  I tend to make a huge batch---about six cups worth---but, because it freezes well, it never goes to waste..

Freezing does tend to cause the nuts to soften a bit but adding some crushed nuts before you serve it will rectify that if it bothers you. Pesto gives you a lot of bang for the buck...  Make Pesto Pasta, Pesto Chicken Salad, or Roast a Chicken Breast and slather on some Pesto ....YUM!

Although traditional Pesto is made with Pine Nuts, those are really pricey.  Pistachio Nuts are my Go To alternative although I have used many others...Cashews, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pepitas, Sunflower Seeds, just to name a few. 

 Let's make some Pesto!  

First, gather your ingredients.  

You will need fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and nuts of your choice.   I tend not to measure things too exactly when I cook.  I am a pinch of this, handful of that kind of gal, preferring to let my taste buds tell me when I have got the proportions exactly right.   I hope my casual relationship with units of measure doesn't make your eye twitch.    

Pull the stems from the basil and throw about two generous handfuls into the food processor.  [Note: you can make pesto in a blender but it will not have as interesting a texture].  Pulse it until it is pretty fine. 

Now add the following to the food processor:
A cup (or two!) of Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups of roasted pistachios
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pulse until the ingredients are well blended.  I tend to make my Pesto very thick...more like a spread than a loose, soupy dip, but make it like you like it!  I also like my  pesto to have a lot of crunch and texture so  once everything is well mixed I toss in a handful of pistachios and lightly pulse one last time.  That's it!

As mentioned, this is going to be a lot of pesto and you are probably going to want to add a bit more salt, a splash more lemon, another teaspoon of garlic....I always do some tweaking at the end, adding until the pesto becomes a party in my mouth.    I find it better to do the adjustments at the end after all of the ingredients have been mixed so that I can taste what is missing.  If I've put in too much garlic early in the game, I am left with no way to save the dish.  It's like getting your haircut...you can always cut more but you can't undo the scissors once they have had their way with your bangs!

Rosie Belle Farm Fun Factoid

It is easy to grow herbs in your kitchen window using cuttings from the basil used to make pesto!  Once you have de-stemmed the basil for your pesto, simply put the defoliated stems into a bottle filled with water.  Change the water daily and within a week or so you will see roots and the start of new growth.

Don't you love getting something for nothing? Me, too!

Have a great week!