Maybe it's Easy, Eating "Clean"?

Since I raise food I am often asked for recipes. Lately the requests have been for 'clean eating" recipes. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what that meant.

In fact, the phrase brought to mind an image of a haughty, over-organized person who wants to tell people what to do. "Eat THIS, don't eat THAT." Recipe blogs involving lots of raw kale and sprouts came to mind...

But I finally looked into it and found...clean eating has no set definition! Some say it means eating only raw and organic fruits and veggies year round. Some say it's going dairy/gluten/sugar free. Others claim it's making EVERYTHING from scratch. Some say animal protein will kill you. Some websites will sell you packets of powdered meal replacements that are "super clean!" Oh man...

It seems open to interpretation. So here is my personal interpretation:

• Just eat real food, as minimally processed as possible.

• Do your best to eat things that can grow in or near your backyard.

• Enjoy it.

That's it. I feel like eating should be a pleasure, after all it's what makes everything else we do as humans possible. It's certainly no fun to make food decisions out of fear. Eating is essential to life, it shouldn't be stressful or rely on some factory formulation.

And that is a big part of why we farm - to offer real food from close to home and to raise it in a way that you can feel sound about. No factories or fear. :)

I hope you enjoy the rest of the week.  Wishing you well and thanks for being here!

Kelly

"Our life is being frittered away by detail...simplify, simplify."
-Henry David Thoreau

Easter Menus

We're stealing a few moments from the day to sit down and say hi. How are you?

Spring has us hopping. How about yourself? This has been a BUSY week on the farm. We have sheared the sheep flock, fixed fence, restocked the freezers, celebrated Silas' SIXTH birthday (!), welcomed six little piglets, started some seeds, and.... um. More? It's all a blur and lambing/calving hasn't even started yet. Phew, here we goooo!

That said, we've been getting quite a few last-minute ingredient requests for Easter and Passover meals and we've love to help!  We thought it might be a good idea to offer a pop-up market of sorts, especially since many markets are on break this weekend and we just put more meats in the freezers.

We have: potatoes, lamb roasts, ground lamb, lots of pork sausages, tons of eggs (already dyed pretty by the hens!), ground pork & chops, beef roasts, steaks, and lots more...
How does this idea sound:

• Pick up at the farm any time tomorrow (by appointment) Friday, April 19th

or

• Have us deliver to your house (Clinton, New Hartford, Utica, Waterville, Hamilton) on Saturday afternoon, April 20
  
  Tell us what you want and whether you want to come to the farm or have it delivered. Then we'll work with you to make it happen. :)
   

Alright, back outside to work for us. Perhaps we'll see you soon!

Please know we're wishing you a contented Easter, Passover and a Happy Spring! This is a busy but lovely time of year on the farm and we never forget that our customers and friends make it all possible. 

Thank you for your support and for being along on this nutty ride that is farm life!  You keep us going when the days get long. 

Be well!
Adam, Kelly & Silas

Long Johns Be Gone!

I'd say I’m pretty happy to see some spring sunshine!

How about you? What's your favorite sign of spring? I can never decide between the return of bird song at dawn, the peepers, or the daffodils pressing their snub little noses out of the warming soil. Actually, maybe it's that first morning I can step outside without wearing three layers of clothing...?
Last year I made up a joke about how if I had to have a pirate name, in the spring it would be "Long-Johns-Be-Gone".

Arrrrrr! And, um anyway... Just a quick hello from your farmer pirate to fill you in on a few things: 

1.  Summer Market Schedule. Outside markets start soon! 

2.  Easter Roasts, what's available and a few of our favorite recipes

3.  A refresher on how to preserve local eggs during their most bountiful season, and

4. Spring Lamb orders

I'm heading back outside now, to help attend to the bazillion things spring throws our way. But feel free to get in touch if there is anything I can help you with. Be well and hope you get to soak up a little spring sunshine yourself!

Thank you for being here,
Kelly

1. QUARRY BROOK 2019 SPRING & SUMMER MARKET SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, APRIL 13
SATURDAY, APRIL 27
ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET-UTICA TRAIN STATION
9AM TO 1PM
**These are the last two train station markets we will attend until next November**
You can pre-order your food for these two final markets HERE

HAMILTON FARMERS MARKET-SATURDAYS
OPENS SATURDAY, MAY 4
8AM TO 1PM
Our booth will be across from the Hamilton Public Library

CLINTON FARMERS MARKET-THURSDAYS
OPENS THURSDAY, JUNE 6
10AM TO 4PM
We are on the Village Green across the street from Nola's

NEW HARTFORD FARMERS MARKET-TUESDAYS
OPENS IN JUNE (DATE TBD)
3PM TO 7PM
Sherrill Brook Park in conjunction with food truck night
Come get your local groceries and then get dinner from one of the food trucks!

Can't wait to see you! :)

2. EASTER ROASTS

If you need a roast for Easter we still have a few available:

• Fresh Hams | uncured & unsmoked | fresh pork roast | boneless | approx 4 lbs | $14/lb 

• Lamb Leg Roast | boneless | approx 4 lbs | $16/lb

• Mutton Leg Roast | don't laugh! they're really good and a good bargain for feeding a crowd | good mutton reminds me of extra buttery beef | boneless | approx 5 lbs | $10/lb

Please email me to reserve any of these roasts. I can also give you some ideas for less-traditional holiday fare if you aren't feeling like a roast. Lamb meatballs, spring stew, it's always ok to try something new.

Fresh Ham Roast Recipe
Honey Ginger Pork Roast Recipe

3. Here an egg, there an egg, EVERYWHERE an egg, egg… Old McDonald has lots of eggs! E-I-E-I-O!
How to stockpile this spring staple

It’s spring.  Eggs are everywhere at farmers markets.  It almost lets us forget that they will be much harder to find come fall.  If you love your local eggs and don’t want to be without them come September, you might consider stocking up now and freezing them.  It will be like nutritious, delicious money in the bank in a few months when all the local farms’ hens are on vacation and eggs almost disappear from markets. Read more...

4. SPRING LAMB ORDERS:
 Everything is a cycle on the farm and we are just getting ready to complete the lambing cycle. That means we have just a few mature lambs ready for processing at the moment.

Now is a great time to stock up and have all sorts of great chops and kebabs in time for summer grilling season. After this the next lamb won't be ready until late fall.

**You select the cuts and we're happy to help walk you through it if needed**

WHOLE: 30+ lbs depending on cuts selected
Whole Lamb Price: $400 (includes processing)
Deposit: $200
Freezer space needed: A whole will fit into approximately 3 to plastic grocery bags.

HALF: Approx 15 + lbs depending on cuts selected
Half Lamb Price: $235 (includes processing)
 Deposit: $100
Freezer space needed: A half will fit into 2 plastic grocery bags

Please send me an email to reserve your lamb.  Please indicate size of lamb you would like (whole/half) and the best way to contact you. I will get back to you very soon to sort out the details.
Thank you!

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems"
-Rainer Maria Rilke

You worked hard to make bone broth. Here are 3 great recipes to help you use it!

So you’ve sourced some healthy bones, made the broth, and dutifully put it in jars to save for later use. Now what?

Of course you can sip it but here are some other ideas for cooking with the stuff. It is a wonderful way to add flavor and nutrients to any dish calling for liquid-soups, braises, sautees, stews, even smoothies (yeah, really-you can find bone broth smoothie recipes out there in internet land).

Anyway, here are a few recipes we’ve actually tried so you can make them with confidence. Hey, your farmers liked them! Plus they are all pretty quick and easy to make since we don’t exactly have tons of spare time around here. :)

The stuffing recipe might be a great option for those of you attempting to make a grain-free Thanksgiving. I’ve tried LOTS of stuffing recipes and this one was good. Enjoy, everyone!

---

GRAIN FREE STUFFING RECIPE with SAUSAGE

Serves: up to 8 if all the other holiday fixin’s are there, otherwise serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf coconut bread or other grain-free loaf or your choice, cut into 3/4″ cubes

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small flowerettes

• 2 yellow onions, chopped

• 8 stalks celery, sliced thinly

• 1 lb. sausage, links or bulk. Sweet Italian or Breakfast seem to work best

• 1 cup bone broth (beef, chicken, turkey-whichever you have on hand, we usually use beef)

• 1/2 cup melted, unsalted butter or lard + 4 T. more

• 2 tsp. dried thyme

• 2 tsp. dried sage

• 1 tsp. sea salt, and more for sauteeing

• 1 tsp. white or black pepper

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1 cup dried fruit, diced (pears, apricots, apples, cranberries, etc)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

1. Grease a large casserole dish, 9″ X 13″ approximately, with some flexibility for size variations.

2. Melt 2 T. butter or lard in a large skillet. Add the cauliflower and 1 tsp. sea salt. Saute over medium-low heat, stirring intermittently, for 20 minutes.

3. Remove the cauliflower to a large mixing bowl and repeat the sauteing step with the onions and celery: add 2 additional tablespoons butter to the large skillet.  Add the chopped onions and celery and 1 tsp. sea salt.  Saute over medium-low heat, stirring intermittently, for 20 minutes.  If too much liquid evaporates, place a lid over the veggies to create steam

4. Meanwhile, place the sausage links (if using) into a saucepan of salted water and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the sausages, allowing them to cool slightly. Then chop them into small pieces and add the pieces to the mixing bowl of sauteed cauliflower.

5. Alternately, if you bought bulk sausage, not links, saute it in a heavy bottomed pan, breaking it up with a spatula, over medium heat.  Cook until the pink center is just gone.  It will continue to cook in the oven. 

6. Add the sauteed onions and celery, too, to the mixing bowl.

7. Add the melted butter, bone broth, spices, salt and pepper.

8. Add the bread cubes and any optional ingredients.

9. Fold the ingredients together, somewhat lightly, but thoroughly.

10. Pour the stuffing into the prepared dish and bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top and heated through, about 30 minutes.

---

SLOW ROASTED BEEF SHOULDER with CARAMELIZED ROOT VEGGIES

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast

• 1 cup beef bone broth

• ⅓ cup maple syrup (optional)

• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar

• ⅓ cup tamari or liquid aminos

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 onion, minced

• Cooking fat such as butter, lard, tallow, etc

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the caramelized vegetables:

• 4 carrots, sliced

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, and diced

• 3 parsnips, peeled, and sliced

• 1 red onion, quartered

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 tbsp. maple syrup or raw honey (optional)

• Fresh thyme sprig

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

2. In a bowl, combine the beef stock, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, tamari/aminos, garlic, and minced onion.

3. Season the meat with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Melt some cooking fat in a Dutch oven or other large, oven-safe pot placed over a medium high heat.

5. Brown the meat on all side for 2 to 3 minutes per side, and pour the sauce on top.

6. Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

7. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vegetables and season to taste.

8. Spread the vegetables out over a baking sheet, top with a sprig of fresh thyme, and cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

9. Serve the meat with the caramelized vegetables.

---

EGG DROP SOUP for ONE (or more…)

Shiitake mushrooms can be exchanged for regular sliced mushrooms or dried porcini mushrooms, or they can be omitted. Also you can use any other greens you like. To make soup for more than one, double, triple, quadruple the recipe as needed.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken bone broth or stock

• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms

• 1 teaspoon diced ginger

• ¼ sliced long red chilli or 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• ½ tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

• ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper

• 1 bok choy/pak choy, leaves separated, washed and halved

• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon chopped chives or spring onions

• Handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves

Instructions:

1. Add two cups of bone broth, dried mushrooms and ginger to a small pot. Place over high heat and bring to boil.

2. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and add the chilli, fish sauce, tamari/soy sauce, pepper and bok choy. Cook over for a minute.

3. Finally, whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Add the chives to the soup and turn the heat down to gentle simmer. Pour the egg mixture slowly and gradually into the pot (over a fork) and stir in. The egg will cook right away. Turn the heat off and add the fresh coriander or cilantro.

Pulled Beef Shank BBQ

We're not pulling your leg, we're on a mission to find new uses for the often overlooked beef shank.  They are a great way to feed a lot of folks good food without a ton of expense or effort.  They're also really tasty.  I made this recipe on a day when our schedule was jam packed and it was an easy way to have an enjoyable dinner with minimal kitchen effort.

Beef shanks are wonderful when you take the time to do them right.  This recipe is a simple way to use this flavorful, nutritious, and budget-friendly cut of beef.  As a bonus it will leave you with at least a quart of flavorful beef stock to put in the freezer or use with other meals later in the week.

Ingredients: Approx 2 1/2 to 3 pounds Quarry Brook Farms Beef Shanks, thawed
                  Water
                  1 TBS apple cider vinegar
                  Approx 1 to 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (or use the provided recipe if you have time)
                  Rolls of your choice (can also be served on a bed of greens if you are eschewing bread/grains)

Servings: About 8

Directions:
1) Place shanks in crock pot and add water until shanks are just covered. Add 1 TBS of apple cider vinegar to water to help draw minerals and nutrients out of the bones while everything simmers. 
2) Turn crock pot on low and allow to cook for at least 6 hours or until meat will come away from bone readily.  This can take a varying amount of time depending on your crock pot.
3) Once meat will separate from bone readily, carefully remove shanks from crock pot and place in a bowl to cool. 
4) Carefully ladle the remaining broth into storage containers, label and place in refrigerator or freezer to use for other meals.  You just made quick broth in addition to being on your way to delicious BBQ.  Bonus broth!
5) Once shanks are cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and use knife or fingers to pull meat apart into small pieces.  Place small pieces back into crock pot.  There will be some fatty, sorta "slimey" bits (can I use the word slimey in a recipe?!?!).  I chop them up and put them in with the meat.  They are a good source of collagen and omega-3 rich grass fed fats. Their texture isn't such a concern once everything is blended together with the BBQ sauce.  *Do be careful to make sure no little bone or tendon pieces end up in the final product though.  Some shanks could have those but they are easy to feel and/or spot as you work as long as you're paying attention. 
6) Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the meat in the crock pot until you are happy with the consistency.  You can also use a little bit of the broth if you would like the beef to be even more juicy. 
7) Turn crock pot back onto low.  Cover and allow to cook together for at least another 30 minutes until all the flavors are mingled and the BBQ is well warmed again. 
8) Serve with rolls and a big summer salad. 

BBQ Sauce Recipe:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar or red wine
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 tsp salt
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Combine everything in a sauce pan and whisk together over high heat.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved.  Makes 1 to 2 cups depending on how long you allow it to thicken.

Feel free to experiment with your sauce.  Add honey, more hot sauce, liquid smoke (Wrights brand is additive free), maple syrup, etc, until you find the combo that you love best.

Healthy Hydration: A farmer (and non-water-lover) experiments

[Whispers:] I don't like water.  Not to drink, anyway.

As a health-conscious person I'm not supposed to admit that, but it's true.  I don't drink enough water.  I'm a big fan of coffee.  And as Ani Difranco sings, "the coffee's just water dressed in brown."

As a result, I've probably been going through life on the dehydrated side of things.  I'm not sure why I started thinking about this last week while I was moving the sheep to a fresh paddock.  I guess I was feeling sloggy and sleepy and since it was a hot, sunny day and I wanted a nap, maybe a cup of coffee then a nap (because that makes total sense...).  I didn't feel thirsty, just really, really blah. 

Then as I was filling the sheep water trough and the ewes lined up for a drink, it occurred to me: "When did you last drink something that wasn't coffee?"  I didn't know the answer and my inner child immediately started whining at the prospect of drinking more water.  "NOOOOOO! I don't wanna! It's YUCK! It makes my stomach slosh!"

Now that I'm a parent, I can better recognize that inner part of me that still needs some parenting of its own.  When the farmer has an invisible, inner tantrum in the middle of the field, it's probably a sign something needs to change. How was I going to get my inner kiddo to slurp down more of that dreaded liquid? 

I was thinking about all this in the middle of a sheep pasture and was therefore surrounded by grass and future hay.  Hmmm, hay.  Hay season is known for its hot, physically demanding work.  When I was a kid, my dad would make a special drink just for days we were putting up hay.  He called it “switzle” and to make it he followed a recipe from my great-grandmother, written on a tattered and yellowing index card.  It was gingery and slightly sweet with just a hint of vinegar.  I loved it.   

BINGO!  I finished watering the sheep and went home to look up recipes and experiment.  Turns out my dad’s switzle had experienced a bit of renaissance in the last few years.  I wasn’t aware switzle (aka switchel, haymakers punch) was cool, but then I’m usually late to the table when it comes to trends. Anyway, there are tons of recipes on the internet and I got a little boggled trying to find one that closely resembled the drink I remembered from childhood. 

In the end I made up my own recipe.  I got out the ingredients I remembered and just started mixing until I stumbled on a combo I liked.  Then I made two big jars of the stuff, one for drinking immediately and one for later which I stuck in the fridge. 

Almost immediately after drinking over a quart of switzle with lunch, I stopped feeling blah. I didn’t want a nap anymore.  I skipped my afternoon coffee.  I had the energy to do my chores and more for the rest of the day.  Also, thanks to the ginger, my stomach didn’t slosh like it wants to when I (reluctantly) pound straight water. And since it was tasty, I drank it happily and later went back for more.  It felt like magic.  My great-grandmother and father were on to something.

This all happened last week and I’ve been careful to keep myself hydrated since.  I’ve been switching off between switzle and water with sprigs of fresh mint.  The results have been pretty amazing.  Turns out a hydrated body is an energetic body.  And keeping hydrated is WAY better for my future kidney health. Seems simple but it took me way too long to realize my energy slumps were more due to a lack of fluids than lack of sleep or food. 

I’m sharing this in case you share my struggle when it comes to drinking enough water.  As a farmer, I love to learn more about healthy foods but how often do I think about healthy hydration?  This last week has been about experimenting with what works.  For me, getting enough fluids means I have to trick myself into drinking water that tastes a little like something.  While I’m at it, I might as well share those tricks. 

Below is the switzle recipe and you can also place sprigs of fresh mint directly into your water bottle.  That little bit of freshness just seems to help the medicine go down.  :) Both are simple, quick, inexpensive, and healthy ways to drink more fluids this summer.

“Switzle AKA Drink more water, silly!!”

2 quarts cold water

1/8 cup organic apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon organic lemon juice (optional)

1 teaspoon dried ginger (or 1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger-fresh tastes awesome if you can get it)

Sweetening to taste: Approximately 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey (if using honey, first drizzle into a small bit of warm water to mix and then add to the rest of the water in the jar after thoroughly mixed.  Otherwise the cold water makes the honey clump) or use organic stevia extract (maybe 5 to 10 drops depending on taste?- I use 5 drops).

pinch of sea salt

Mix all the ingredients by putting a lid on the jar and shaking well.  Keep in fridge and shake again before serving.

Feel free to experiment with proportions.  The above is a guide but you may like sweeter or more vinegary switzle.   You can also completely skip the sweetener if you prefer. Have fun experimenting!

Do you have a tried-and-true way to keep hydrated?  I’d love for you to share your tips.  Happy June and cheers!

Sunny with a chance of meatballs

I think we might have stumbled onto the perfect summer food.  

I think it might be meatballs...
I'm laughing at myself as I type this but we truly are on a meatball kick in our household.  It all started with the kiddo requesting them for dinner a few nights in a row.  He had just eaten them at Grammie's house and was smitten.

I'd never made meatballs.  I didn't know how to make meatballs except that I knew 'squishing' meat with my hands was part of it.  Not my favorite....

Alas, the kiddo was persistent (and cute) so I caved.  And I'm glad I did. Turns out the squishing isn't that bad and meatballs are awesome for a bunch of reasons. Here are a few:

• Ingredients can vary depending on what is available.  You can TOTALLY wing it with meatballs and still have something yummy. That's how I made this recipe and it was love at first taste.
• They are a budget friendly way to get the nutrition from grass fed meats into your family’s diet. 
• It's easy to incorporate fresh, seasonal veggies or herbs.  If your kiddos balk at veggies but love their meat, you can hide "green things" in the meatballs and feel good knowing they are eating some veggies. 
• They cook quickly but also freeze or hold in the fridge well.  So you can make up a big batch when you have time and then use them later when time is short.  We've been doing this a lot.
• You can do about a bazillion things with them: Sandwiches, subs, slice them onto salads, put them on a stick and dip them in sauce, serve them with pasta and marinara, eat them cold with lunch, eat them with your fingers, take them camping.  I'd love to hear your ideas here!

Ok.  So here is the recipe we make up a few weeks ago and we can't get enough of it.  I've made it with our ground beef and ground lamb and find it works equally well with both. I decided to do a spin on Greek Meatballs and use fresh oregano and mint because they were both coming up in our garden.  You can substitute dried but the fresh are worth finding.  You can get them from us or most any other local farmer.

Serves 4.  Prep time: 7 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

Meatball ingredients:

1 pound Quarry Brook grass fed ground beef or lamb, thawed (you can use a bowl of warm water to thaw a package in a hurry if needed, just submerge meat in water and change it a few times until meat is soft)

1 small onion or shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced very fine (or use garlic press)

2-3 sprigs fresh mint, chopped fine (about 2 tablespoons once chopped) or 2 teaspoons dried

1-2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped fine (about 1 tablespoon once chopped) or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

¾ cup bread crumbs (substitute same amount cooked quinoa if prefer gluten free)

Dipping sauce ingredients:

1 cup organic mayonnaise or plain yogurt

2 sprigs fresh mint (or more if you really like it)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

Place all meatball ingredients into large bowl.  'Squish' together until mixed well.

Roll mixture into balls using your hands.  I use a Tablespoon size measuring spoon as a scoop if I’m having a hard time getting them to be a consistent size.

Place meatballs in lightly greased skillet (I use butter) over medium high heat.  Allow to brown for about 3 minutes.

Use fork or tongs to rotate meatballs so they cook evenly.  Rotate 3 or 4 times over the course of about 15 minutes until they are cooked through and no longer pink inside.

 Prepare dipping sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients with a fork or whisk in a small bowl. 

Serve meatballs with a side of dipping sauce.  They are great paired with a big salad because you can use the dipping sauce for dipping the salad greens too. You’ll need to double the dipping sauce recipe if you decide to do this. 

Meatballs and a huge salad have been our dinner a lot lately.  We have some pretty big appetites in our house and it has been nice to find such a simple, healthy, and budget-friendly way to get all the farmers fed. 

Enjoy and if you try this recipe let us know how it went over in your house.  :)

Bon Voyage, Winter! A recipe to summon summer.

I have worn nearly every type of seasonal clothing this week. You?  Oh, NY state...
Last Friday it snowed, Monday was t-shirt weather, Wednesday required raincoats, and today I'm wearing a blanket over my shoulders as I sit to type because it's so cold in our house.  Maybe tomorrow will call for bikinis and we can finally get the grill out?    Actually, this weekend looks more like snowsuits than swimsuits. A chance of frozen mix on Sunday...! (Insert heavy sigh)

When I was a kid, my family had a weird tradition to help with morale when cold weather wanted to linger. We would crank up the wood stove, put on flip-flops. make summery BBQ food and have a "cook out" inside.  With music. It really helped chase away the last of the winter blues and reminded us of all the good times to come.  We called them "Go away winter!" parties.  Flowery shirts and swim trunks were encouraged.

I've decided to throw one of these parties for Adam, Silas and myself on Sunday.  I may have to wear heavy socks with my flip flops but so be it.  On the inside I will be dreaming of soon-to-come frisbee and firelight with friends.

I just went looking through my cookbooks for the recipe I want to use.  Nothing says summer like food on a stick, right?  This is a recipe to make your own stick food!  It's like bringing the fair to your house except you don't have to wonder what's in those things.  And you can cook it inside. 

Here's the recipe in case you want to throw your own party this weekend.  It's easy to make, VERY kid friendly, and oh-so-summery, even if you're wearing wool socks while you eat it. :)

No matter what the weather does, I hope you have a really nice weekend and get to do something that makes you happy.  We'll be at the final indoor Oneida County Public Market of the season on Saturday from 9am to 1pm.  Feel free to get in touch if we can bring you anything!  

And on Sunday, this farm family will be sporting sandals and enjoying some fun, spring-summoning food on a stick!  How about you?

All the best to you and yours.  See you soon!  :)

Kelly

Quarry Brook Farms Go Away Winter Sticks*
Serves 4 to 5

1/2 cup cooked rice, oats, or quinoa (we like rice best)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley or 2 tablespoons dried
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped or 1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground cornmeal plus extra for coating
1 pound ground lamb or ground beef

In a bowl, thoroughly stir together the rice/quinoa/oats, egg, tomato sauce, lemon pepper, herbs, salt, pepper, and cornmeal.  Add the lamb/ground beef and mix well.

Shape into approximately 10 oblong balls.  Press the balls onto skewers and roll them in the extra cornmeal.  Broil (or grill) 3 to 4 minutes on each side until cooked through.  If you don't have skewers, cook them and then poke a fork into them to serve as a skewer.

That's it.  We like them with ketchup.  They are one of the few things we eat with ketchup.  Feel free to experiment, they're super tasty no matter what!
 
(*Adapted from The Grass Fed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes)