Make a Summer Dish and Change the Weather in Vermont

After trying to usher in summer by grilling snapper and imagining it to happen, I do think it just might have. Today is Sunday. Blueberries were in dire need of mowing in between the rows where pickers stand, and it was HOT! The sun blaring and bees buzzing (some of our varieties are still being pollinated) I went out there sunscreen in hand and mower all jump started........things frequently don't work on a farm......and mowed the first 11 rows and then said mower stalled. Hmm. What now? Went to prune heritage rose bushes with bare arms! How silly was that?

Then I remembered some nasty molds that needed attention in my cheese plant. You see, cheese making is such a harsh environment that molds just wish to form on the walls constantly (I believe they have a mind of their own). So I then forayed into the room with mold killer and gloves and all necessary protection to be permeated by the only man made chemicals that can kill those prolific molds.... All scratched up and pondering dinner.......my mind often focuses on the next meal as I had missed lunch.....perhaps the lack of food brings on some dementia? Ha!

When finished, I rushed home to do some yard work and enjoy what remaining daylight I had-while still pondering dinner, of course. I decided, to tackle the refrigerator. What the? Maybe an extra dose of energy from the Vitamin D being outside all day? I came across some Peppadew peppers I bought while on delivery at Healthy Living this week and some wonderful mesclun mix from Arethusa Farm at the farmers market.

Something light and summer-y is indeed in order since I changed the weather personally, and what won out was shellfish. I found some mussels (I am a mussels addict) and some 8/12 shrimp in the freezer. 8/12 shrimp just means there are 8 to 12 shrimp per pound. That is big! I adore these as they have a unique sweet saline flavor and texture similar to lobster. When they are on sale, I dive in! Then again being from Hawaii I can't seem to resist ocean foods on sale.

As most people who know me understand, I also am too lazy to cook inside most of the year. Yes, even in Vermont. I have written about the grill I use before and suffice it to say, I am smitten. Gotta wax poetic for a bit. Please excuse this.......I have owned a charcoal grill, several well known gas grills with all the accoutrements and then the Primo grill. They are ceramic grills/cookers. Not inexpensive, they are made in the USA and boast the largest cooking surface of any ceramic cooker. What is so wonderful about these units is the ability to grill with uber heat and slow cook as well as the best competition barbecue team. Even in winter in Vermont! Now, now. I have no affiliation with this company nor do I receive any compensation from them. I just mention this for the grilling/barbecue addicts out there in search of something better. For a sport that has largely been dominated by men, hypnotized by flame as if looking into Svengali's eyes, I would challenge any man to barbecue, even Bobby Flay, unless of course he had a Primo. Haha! No, this is not a challenge. I only wax poetic, remember?

On to dinner. I pulled out the shrimp to thaw and some grillers like eggplant, zucchini, scallions, radicchio (these are my standbys). Then made the peppadew salsa. 'Peppadews' are tiny peppers from South Africa that are somewhat sweet as well as a tad spicy. Bright red and round in shape, they are usually pickled or canned and cut in half.

PEPPADEW SALSA

3 sprigs parsley, chopped fine
1 sprig mint, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, zested on rasp or cheese grater
3 peppadew peppers, diced
1 small scallion with green tops, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, juiced

Mix all together and let flavors develop about one hour.

GRILLED MUSSELS

1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, sliced thin
7 peppadew peppers cut in half
1 cup dry white wine
2 lbs Maine Mussels, debearded

Put all ingredients except the mussels in a cast iron skillet and begin to heat on the grill.




This can be done on a charcoal or gas grill. Medium heat. About 350. Close lid. When all are simmering nicely, as in the photo above, about 5-7 minutes, throw in mussels.


Close lid and wait about 4 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY. They are done when they open and mussels are just barely cooked through and mustardy-beige in color. To quote Rachel Ray, YUM-O!

Enjoyed a summer feast of grilled mussels, giant shrimp, zucchini, eggplant and radicchio served up with some grilled Gerard's bread.

Apologies for no 'after' pictures, it was so hot we entertained margaritas with the meal and hence no photographs in tow!

Feigning Caribbean

With summer on its way, I can say I don't remember a season such as this one-rain rain rain. Then again, the seasonal changes in Vermont are not to be understood! When much of the US enjoys wafting cherry blossoms and bright tulips in tandem, in Vermont, lemon yellow daffodils go on and on. Then the tulips rush in, did I mention they were supposed to happen together!......Tulips' blooms last about a day here. Then all of a sudden we're in summer with days in the 80's-no spring in between. So as summer 2009 should be approaching I have been having urgings for HHH. What is HHH? Hazy Hot and Humid, I say. So to feign Caribbean I thought even though it's pouring out, then stops, going to a drizzle again, then sun then rain............I'm gonna make food and usher in HHH! I pulled out some whole snappers that I had in the freezer. Fish tacos? Naw, too much work. I would have to clean and chop heads etc. Whole snapper on the grill with some salsa and couscous. Just the thing to pretend we are in sunny country. Rhubarb season just ended here and I have a bunch of rhubarb from the farm that hasn't been used or frozen yet. Maybe a salsa with the rhubarb-use it up I was thinking. I played around a bit and came up with this:

RHUBARB SALSA
1 medium rhubarb stalk, peeled and diced fine
1 scallion, diced fine with green tops
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced-set aside
1 cup finely diced peeled/seeded cucumber
2-3 sprigs Italian parsley
1 sprig mint
salt to taste
olive oil to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and let sit at least one hour for flavors to come together. If you like it spicy add some hot pepper.

Next, the snapper. Just a simple marinade of garlic, olive oil and a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Coated the whole thing and stuffed the snapper with remaining sprigs of herbs (parsley and mint).


Heated up the charcoal grill to about 350 degrees and cooked until done-I press with my finger and peek inside where the fish should appear a bit opaque and slightly firm.


Grilled up some scallions to go along with them-Israeli couscous was the starch. To drink? Casal Garcia rose wine (vinho verde) from Portugal. It was a nice pairing with just enough floral/fruit to marry with the spicy herbal notes from the fish and rhubarb salsa.


Trinidad Tobago here I come!

H.O.G

That's Harley Owner's Group, not hogs as in pigs. And yes, we do have our whey fed pigs available again. Now. Back to the HOG's. Farming is each day. Saturdays consist of lugging my 75 lb tent all by myself and serving up to 1000 passersby a selection of cheeses. Only to have the energy sucked out of me, so to speak, by Sunday. So on my way to town in search of libation for the celebration (Memorial Day) I got trapped in a funny intersection that was blocked off-there was a parade of about 500 Harley Davidsons rumbling thru town. As far as my eyes could see. And rumble they did! My father, now deceased, was a Marine, and a H.O.G. He loved all things that rumbled. Powerful boats, sports cars, and Harley Davidson. There were flags alight and Support Our Troops signs as well.

I dedicate this post with a moment of my own silence.........to all the women and men who sacrifice their lives each and every day to protect us and allow this country to continue to have liberty. Now, on to the libation. A cold fresh Mojito on my deck. Deck! What deck? Oh yes that was a fantasy. My husband's. And where do the extra hours occur to build this deck in between milking sheep and cows, feeding pigs, lambs, calves, making cheese, pruning blueberries, moving pasture, cleaning the house, mowing lawns, weeding the garden.......ok, on to the mojito.

I got the idea for the mojito from Hannaford. They publish an in-store magazine with some great recipes and this month includes a Puerto Rican chicken with mojito sauce......since I already thawed some of our grassfed beef for the grill it's going to be beef with mojitos and mojito sauce. And also I'd like to mention a thank you to Hannaford-a major sponsor of the first ever Vermont Cheese Makers Festival on August 23, 2009 and Shelburne Farms. Gotta go! Heading for the mojito in the grass.......

Work is Easter

As springtime brings lambing on our farm, Easter brings work. Lambing is defined usually by a slow start and then climaxes to a furious frenzy of multiple births one after the other, and the shepherd must attend or watch over if assistance is needed. So like the proverbial new mom, lack of sleep is guaranteed.
This spring's weather has been so wacky whatever happened to global warming? It's more like global cooling. Rain, then sun, then snow, then brutally cold winds! This ain't right.


Most people experience Easter egg hunts and parades with pretty dresses and bonnets, but not in Vermont. I have lived here almost 20 years now and it still shocks me each Easter when we see some flurries. As seasons change, so do our milking and cheese making chores. Some of our cows have dried off in preparation for the next calving and milking season, so we are supplementing our milk by buying a bit in the interim, from our friends, the Bouchers. If you visit their blog, you'll see some piglets they are graciously housing until we can bring them home. I also located some heritage piglets not far from here, but they are a wee bit young to bring home yet. With so many interested now in raising their own food and purchasing locally, we have had a hard time locating young stock to raise ourselves. So after morning lambing chores we loaded our milk cans and ventured off to the Bouchers to pick up milk.



Upon our return we then had to unload the milk into the tank to keep it cool and then on to more work, wrapping several hundred La Fleurie cheeses for sale.



Then on to feeding chores again. And when it was all done? Time for the humans to eat! Alas, I was too exhausted and frozen to make our ham on the grill, so conjured up a pot of homemade chicken soup from a roasted chicken a few nights before. Ummm. Soul food. I didn't miss the ham a bit. I'll make the ham in preparation to meet with Uncle Sam.

Cheese Demo Healthy Living

A few days ago I was scheduled to do a cheese demo at Healthy Living Market in Burlington. What a great place to do a demo! They have an actual demo 'station' where there is a commercial oven, sinks, granite counter, and a refrigerator. The coordinator, Gerta, set me up with tulips, bowls, signage and cutting boards. I brought three cheeses with me: Butternut, Paniolo and Mountain Tomme. It was such fun that the 5 hour time frame went by quickly as I gabbed away with customers and even some regulars of mine from Burlington Farmers Market. I was told at the end it was a record for sales of a demo. I brought so much cheese and it was almost all sold while I was there! Perks of doing events like this? Gerta fed me from a separate demo! Amir Habib's shiitake mushrooms on flatbread pizzas.