The Quest for Pho, Winter Blues, and the perfect Lemongrass Pork Vermicelli Bowl

Winter torments me.  The grey.  The gloom.  The relentless mud.  Fortunately, the wood stove has been cranking and our sweet old farmhouse is warm and toasty.  My daily Tale of Woe and Lamentation must sorely try The Farmer's temper, but he simply reminds me that the Red Buds will be blooming before I know it.  He is right, of course, and I endeavor to enjoy what the season does bring to me...a brilliant flash of green moss growing on an rundown wood shed, new farm babies, our quiet babbling creek turned into a powerful force of nature, and winter sunsets that take my breath away.

Our 1894 homestead has neither central heat, nor air conditioning, so I  have learned the importance of working with the seasons rather than railing against them. It hasn't always been easy... our early summers on the farm were ridiculous...I spent my days bent over boiling canning pots, frantically trying to preserve all of the harvest.  It was 95 degrees outside and the temperature inside was over 120 degrees....Insanity.  The Farmer was miserable.  The Farm Hands were miserable. The dogs were miserable. I was beyond miserable.   Now, many of Summer's fresh fruits and veggies are frozen...tucked away until Winter.  The warmth generated by fast boiling canning pots and the heat of the oven are a welcome blessing when the outside temperatures are bitter cold!  Bonus: our Rosie Belle Farm CSA members get to enjoy a flavorful burst of Summer during those long winter months.

Farm Life is mostly perfect for us.  The stewardship of the land and the animals that inhabit it is our greatest joy.  This is not to say that we have not suffered and suffered plenty.  To wit:  There is no Pho in this part of the world.  No one has ever heard of it.  We live in a true Restaurant Desert...  the culinary highlights of the thirty minute trek into town are a Kentucky Fried Chicken and a McDonald's.   Winter with limited access to Pho has been very difficult, yet we have bravely soldiered on.

Until.......THE BEST DAY EVER!

The Farmer and I were in the old pick up truck searching for ChaffHaye...a specialty feed for our dairy animals.  The goats and cows can grow thin throughout the winter months.  The hay and grain that we provide is simply not as nourishing as the beautiful lush grass available for most of the year.  A farmer friend mentioned that their cows were doing well with ChaffHaye, a Non GMO fresh chopped bagged forage that captures the characteristics of pasture with added nutrients.  The product is not sold in our town so we set out to find some in a feed store several towns away.  While driving through the little town of Ardmore, Alabama, The Farmer and I gasped when we noticed a small sign in front of a gas station that stopped us short...It appeared to advertise PHO!

Could it be?  I dared not even hope....

He turned around and drove past it again.  The sign advertised Gas Station Vietnamese Take Out....Hmmmm.   We were giddy with the possibility.  Dare we try it?  The thought was at once thrilling and terrifying, but we knew we had to take a chance.  Success!!!   The gas station has become our favorite local restaurant and the proprietors have made Winter slightly less horrible.  The Lord does indeed work miracles.




LEMONGRASS PORK VERMICELLLI BOWL

Truly, Vietnamese Cuisine is one of my very favorites and Bun Bowls are satisfying year round.  Our CSA offerings in January included a beautiful Pork Loin Roast so I thought it timely to share my favorite recipe for Vermicelli (Bun) Bowls.  There are three main components to the meal:  Marinating the meat, pickling the veggies, and making the Nuoc Cham Sauce.  Once those tasks (which can be done several days ahead of time) are completed, the dish comes together in a flash.  Frankly, we keep Nuoc Cham and Pickled Carrots/Daikon in the fridge as staples, so this meal is truly "fast food."

1.  THE LEMONGRASS PORK

THE MARINADE:

*3/4 cup finely chopped lemongrass
*1/4 cup chopped garlic
*3 Tablespoons kosher salt
*1 1/2 Tablespoons coriander seeds,  
    toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
*1 1/2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
*1/2 cup of canola oil

Throw everything into a blender until it makes a uniform paste.

THE MEAT
I used a beautiful three pound boneless Rosie Belle Farm Pork Loin Roast.  The recipe can be used to make a delicious banh mi sandwich if you choose.  I opted for the noodle bowl this time around!

Put the Roast on a cutting board and, starting at the top, begin to cut into the pork horizontally at the "halfway" point.  Your intention is to ultimately slice the Loin ALMOST in half so that it can be opened like a book, with the left and right sides being equal.  Think of opening a 100 page book to page 50, so that both sides are the same thickness.

Take half of the marinade and rub it generously on the "open" surface and then roll the pork into a tight cylinder.  Rub the remaining marinade on the outside of the meat and secure the roll with butchers twine.  (Kitchen Hack: I was out of twine and found that plain cotton embroidery floss served in a pinch).

Put the Roast in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.  I let my roast marinate for two days.


THE PICKLED CARROTS AND DAIKON

This will make more than you need for one meal, but we keep these pickles on hand to dress up salads and sandwiches.

*1 cup white vinegar
*1 cup white sugar
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*2-3 cups of carrots, daikon radish, or a combination of the two, julienned.

I use this peeler, which does all the hard work.  It is less than $8 and you will never believe that you have lived without it for all of these years.

Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt.  Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.  Add the veggies and let them sit for at least thirty minutes so the flavors blend.  The pickled veggies will last several weeks in the refrigerator.   Drain before serving.

THE NUOC CHAM SAUCE

This Vietnamese "salad dressing" is the veritable Key to the Kingdom.  I cannot say enough about this sauce.  Great on salads, wonderful over rice, it is as delicious as it is beautiful.

*1 cup fish sauce
*2/3 cup white sugar
*1/2 cup lemon juice
*1 cup water
*4 cloves of chopped garlic
*2 Thai bird's eye chilis, chopped
*1 jalapeno, chopped

Combine the first four ingredients and stir until sugar and salt dissolve.  Add the garlic and the peppers.  Let the sauce sit for thirty minutes so that the flavors blend.  I find that this sauce keeps well for several weeks in the fridge.


PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Bring the marinated pork to room temperature, preheat the  oven to 325 degrees and gather your ingredients:

Meat Thermometer
Marinated Pork Loin
Dried Rice Vermicelli, 1 pound
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Peanuts
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Mint
Pickled Carrots/Daikon
Nuoc Cham Sauce

ROAST THE MEAT
Meat roasted with the aid of a meat thermometer is generally better tasting, at least in my house.  Every oven is different and my ovens tend to run hot.  There is temperature variance between the top and bottom racks and even from the front of the oven to the back of the oven.  A good thermometer takes out the guess work.  You can find the one I use on Amazon.  Roast the pork at 325 degrees on a rack placed in the middle of the oven.  Set your timer for 40 minutes and then pop in the thermometer.  Pork is generally cooked to 140 degrees but in my experience, that is too much and your roast will be dry.  I remove it from the oven at 130 degrees as it will continue to cook for several minutes as it rests on the countertop.  When it is cool enough to handle, slice off enough meat for your meal and chop it into bite sized pieces.  Since we are only feeding two, there are plenty of leftovers.   It freezes well and will come back to our table in the form of Banh Mi as well as Spring Rolls!

PREPARE THE VERMICELLI
Prepare the vermicelli while the pork is resting.  I use an instant kettle to boil water in about a minute.  Put the vermicelli in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the noodles.  They are ready in less than five minutes.  Drain the water.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS
During the summer months I serve this meal at room temperature, so I would allow the meat and the noodles to cool completely before serving.  During the winter months I prefer to use hot meat and hot noodles.  It is not traditional, but I like the sensory juxtaposition.

ASSEMBLING THE BOWL
Put the rice in a bowl and then add the rest!  Chopped lettuce, pickled veggies, chopped pork, peanuts, herbs and then drizzle with the dressing.  Dinner is served!

Food from our Farm to your Table!

Farm Dogs, Farm Babies, and The Pefect Summer Cole Slaw

Grand Dame Daisy is an incredible Mother to every baby on the Farm!

We are small time organic Farmers.  We have two tractors but not much else in the way of heavy equipment.  The Farmer tends to his vegetables one row at a time, eschewing chemical spray for old fashioned Weed Pulling.   I hand milk  Elsie the cow as well as the 10 goats currently in milk, preferring the intimacy that comes from sitting and talking and getting to know my girls.  I have a milking machine and it would save me a few minutes in a Too Busy Day but I would lose much!  The time spent milking gives me the opportunity to observe each of them....do Stella's hooves need to be trimmed? Has Dolly lost weight?  Is aging Daisy getting arthritic?   Farming is a very busy business.  Neither the Farmer nor I are afforded much in the way of leisure time, but we are gifted with a window into a funny world that many do not see.

There are meaningful and deliberate interactions between the species on Rosie Belle Farm.  1200 pound Elsie lumbers into the Dairy Barn for morning milking while five or more hungry chickens dance beneath her clumsy feet and pendulous udders.  They are all racing for the same destination....the Feed Trough.  Elsie is a Pastured Cow and only gets a bit of grain at milking time.  She is as gentle as she can be, making sure not to hurt any of the silly hens scattering under foot.  She eats quite contentedly alongside them, giving a gentle nudge with her massive head if one needs a bit of redirection.  Elsie seems to be aware of her powerful strength, for which I am grateful!

There is enough for everyone to eat!

 We had some new babies born on the Farm this week.  The little ones were born to Alien 2, a goat that has a reputation for being bossy and bad tempered.  She was a rather indifferent mother the first time around so I didn't have high hopes with her second freshening.  Happily, she could not be more devoted.  

So much so, in fact, that she has been terrorizing poor Georgie, my youngest dog. Georgie came to us about a year ago...we spotted him racing down a rural highway, dragging a heavy chain attached to a too tight collar cinched around his neck.  The end of the chain was attached to a plastic milk container, filled with rocks and sand.  His tag was illegible and there was no microchip.  One of our old farmer friends said that he was "dressed for a drowning."  We took him home with us and he proceeded to pee on every wall in the house, apparently deciding that he was going to be the Alpha.  And so it is.....He is wickedly annoying to everyone but the Farmer and me, who find his antics adorable. Anywhoo...Georgie is the Farm Baby Ambassador.  

The little goat pictured at left was unable to walk when she was first born.  Georgie did not leave her side.  He was the nurturing Mom in her world.  She is now a healthy and happy member of the team.
There is not a baby that he does not mother and most of the Farm Moms accept his ministrations to their brood.  Not so Alien 2.  She goes ballistic every time he gets close to her little ones, which seems to make him ever more determined to get to them.  She will occasionally leave them for a bit of grazing time and Georgie makes his move.  He settles in with them for a snuggle and soon the fight begins.  Mom returns to the barnyard and he won't let her near her babies.  She head butts him, he snaps at her.  The foolishness continues until I call him into the house.  Same routine every day....they both seem to enjoy it.

The heat has finally come to Middle Tennessee and I am thrilled.  I am inspired to work in the yard and am currently building rock walls for the garden in the front yard.  Our first year on the Farm was spent dealing with critical infrastructure issues so it is lovely to concentrate on beautification projects!  Late afternoons in the garden mean that I want something fast and cool on the table....we have been enjoying cabbage salad quite a bit lately.  It is a No Mayo Coleslaw that I have dubbed The Best Coleslaw in the World.  Pretty big statement, I know, but I really believe it to be true.  It is a beautiful dish, with peppers that sparkle like little jewels and a dressing that is fresh, clean, and bright.

The Best Cole Slaw in The World

Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustar
2 teaspoons chopped shallots
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 head of green cabbage, julienned
1/4 head of red cabbage, julienned
1 red pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1 green pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1 yellow pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1 carrot, shredded
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

Whisk the first seven ingredients together to make the vinaigrette.  Toss all of the shredded vegetables in a bowl and add the vinaigrette.  Toss and Chill for a bit to allow the flavors to meld.   Enjoy!

Winter Weary but The Beet Goes On!

It has been a somewhat mild winter in Middle Tennessee but even somewhat mild winters get long and dreary by Mid February.  The  color of our world is an immutable Mud Brown.  Steady rains have turned the barnyard into a sloppy mess that sticks to our Muck Boots and follows us into the house. Twelve farm dogs race about as The Farmer and I do our chores....48 muddy paws sullying the already sullied floor.  

On the bright side...and there is always a bright side...the Wood Stove keeps us warm and dry and the often maligned Plywood Floors are completely indestructible...regardless of what the dogs drag in!  The Calendar tells me that Spring is just around the corner which means that the seedlings will soon be planted and the Farm will once again come alive with GREEN.  I cannot wait!

The Cook Stove is a workhorse!  It keeps the farmhouse cozy on the coldest of days!

While our growing season has yet to begin, we are lucky to live within a few hours of a Wholesale Growers Market.  The Farmer makes a weekly trek to Alabama so that our CSA members can enjoy fresh farm produce even when local fields are fallow.  He brought home some beautiful, ruby red beets last week and I imagine that we will be seeing more of them in the coming weeks.  We will pickle them, boil them, turn them into Hummus and toss them into salads, but my absolute favorite way to eat beets is to roast 'em.  A caramelized beet is a real treat and Caramelized Beets with Onions and Goat Cheese are Sublime!

Caramelized Beets with Onions, Goat Cheese, and Whole Grain Dijon Vinaigrette

Beets seem to invoke a visceral response from folks...it is a "love em/hate em" veggie.  I am a fan, The Farmer is not.  However, I have a big wooden bowl on the counter just bursting with beets so I was determined to convert him. Based upon his reaction, this recipe appears to have done the trick.  It is easy and adaptable...use what you have on hand.  I used the following:

• 4 medium sized beets
• 1 sweet onion
• Garlic
• Rosemary
• salt/pepper
• Goat Cheese.  We make ours on the farm but store bought will do in a pinch.
• Nuts for some crunch...I used Pine Nuts but use walnuts, almonds, pecans or whatever is in your cupboard!
• Some sort of green leafy goodness...I had spinach in the refrigerator
• Dijon Vinaigrette 

Unlike baking, which requires a high degree of precision, I am a bit more relaxed when playing with my veggies.  I generally roast root vegetables at a fairly high temperature---somewhere between 425 and 450 degrees. The beets will roast more quickly at a higher temp and dicing them into smaller pieces will speed the process. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and peel and dice the beets into 1/4 inch chunks.  Throw them into a bowl and toss in some chopped garlic and rosemary.  Season with a teaspoon or so of salt and add a generous splash of olive oil.

Mix it all together...use a metal spoon if you don't want pink hands or a stained wooden spoon!  Throw everything into a shallow baking pan (or start the process in the pan and save yourself a step) and pop it in the oven.

Set the timer for twenty minutes and start slivering the onion.  Sliver thin slices and put 'em into a pan with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, which helps to sweat out the moisture within the onion.  Properly caramelizing onions is a slow, leisurely process that should not be rushed. I have found the trick is to keep the heat on medium low, stir occasionally and find something else to keep you busy while the onions do their thing.  You want the onions to slowly become translucent and then take on a beautiful golden color without leaving burnt residue in the pan...they will be much sweeter if you are patient!  If I am making French Onion Soup I tend to really baby the onions along, taking up to an hour to properly caramelize them since they are the star of the show.  No need to over-obsess in this instance since onions are only a supporting player in this dish.

Check the beets when the timer goes off and give them a good stir.  Set the alarm another ten minutes, stir the onions, and whip up the Dijon Vinaigrette if you are making your own.  Pssst... a hand mixed dressing is always better and you probably have all the ingredients you need on hand! Take a minute to toast the nuts that you are using. Try not to skip this step as it enhances the flavor and the crunch!  I simply tossed the pine nuts into a pan over medium heat and stirred gently to toast them.  I almost burnt them but managed to avoid it by seconds.  Nuts are like that...not ready, not ready, not ready, BURNT!

Keep checking on the beets and stirring the onions.  I found the beets to be perfect for my taste at 50 minutes.  Slightly charred on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. The onions should be about perfect as well. Combine the beets with the onions and slowly drizzle in the Dijon Vinaigrette.

 Put a hand full of fresh spinach or other greens on a plate, gently add a heaping helping of the beet mixture.  Top with goat cheese and pine nuts.  While we used this as a side for a Rosie Belle Farm ham steak, it would be great with chicken or shine as a Vegetarian meal!