SAUERKRAUT SO SIMPLE!!!!!

Everyone needs to try fresh, homemade sauerkraut at least once in their lifetime. It is a completely different food from what is sold commercially in the store. You will be incredulous after sampling it, at how good it tastes and amazed at how simple it is to prepare. I am going to share with you the basics of making the best tasting kraut that you have ever eaten. First of all, a clean,  glass or ceramic crock works the best to ferment the cabbage in. Use fresh, trimmed of all the bad leaves, cabbage. For fresh cabbage from the garden, check carefully for crawly critters camping amongst the leaves, get them out. You can wipe the cabbage off, but the bacteria on the cabbage encourages the fermentation. I know it sounds kind of scary, but the ancient kraut makers knew what they are doing. And believe me, after the cabbage ferments for several weeks, nothing unwelcome will survive.  Quarter the cabbage and remove the core... slice the quarters into 1/2 inch shreds. Place the shreds into the crock sprinkling sea salt or canning salt over it. Apply generously. You may" stomp" on the cabbage a little with the end of a wooden spoon to encourage it to break down.  A wondrous reaction will occur and the salt will draw liquid out of the cabbage, making a brine! After about 2 hours the cabbage may be submersed in the liquid. If not make a little salt water brine and pour over it . Find a plate that will fit down into your crock without much room on the sides, and put something clean and heavy on top of it to squish the cabbage down into the liquid and keep it there. Cover it lightly with a tea towel or cheesecloth.  That's it! Now find a spot in your house that is cool, around 70 degrees, and wait patiently for about 4 weeks. A word of caution: There may be a little gunk growing on the top, that's ok. Just scoop it off. It may smell like something is a little off in the house, well that is ok too, just close that part of the house from company for a while! I promise that when it is ready, all of the odd smells, will be forgotten. Just scoop out the kraut, some rinse it lightly, some don't, and put it in the fridge. Enjoy!!! It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. From our farmstead to your table,  thank you for all of your support!!

FEED MEEE!!!!!

Perhaps I am not really a cabbage? Perhaps I am a cutting from a quaint little flower shop on skid row named Mushnik's. Perhaps my momma's name was Audrey II? Perhaps I have a  real affinity for the Farmer and his wife that pass by me several times a day and smell so deliciously...... alive?                            I can just imagine what  is passing through everyones mind, and I realize that once again, I am really aging myself. That musical was from the 70's and most of you have probably never heard of it. I still dig out the cassette now and again and become reaquainted with the great doo-bop songs! And because I walk on the safe side of caution, if I ever hear singing coming from the field in the middle of the night and someone calling out FEED ME!!!, All of the cabbages will be harvested the next morning. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

MARKET HOURS !!!

The wind has laid down a bit, and the crops are breathing a sigh of relief! The melons are starting to bloom and the corn stalks are standing straight as little soldiers after being laid low by the storms. We planted the second wave of sweet corn this week.  We are harvesting broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, beets and salad greens for the market. Still a week or two for the potatoes. We plucked out all of the casualties in the tomato and pepper beds. Thankfully, we have a back up plan with about 60 plants in the kitchen garden. That should give us plenty for the market and the CSA. Fall tomatoes are much more my forte, anyway. Lulu will go to the milk barn this weekend, so we will have a little more cows milk. We share with Maizey, and after learning that she has to get on her knees to find her nummy, she has become a little glutton. Our market hours are:Thurs. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00pm. The blackberries seem on schedule, so the U-pick will probably start the last weekend in May. More info as we get closer to the date. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

FIRST BATH!!!

Ms. Lulu and Mr. Colorado proudly announce the birth of their daughter Maizey, born at the height of last nights storm, (naturally) weighing approximatly 15 lbs and standing on wobbly legs, about 24 inches tall.  Mother and daughter are doing well! Lulu the doting mother, and Colorado thinking one more mouth to feed! Visions of fresh cream and butter are dancing in my head! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

LETTUCE BE HAPPY!!!!

MARKET HOURS FOR MAY!!!

Happy May Day!!! Market hours for this month will be Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. As we milk every day, special appointments can be made to get milk at other times.  Inquiries have been made as to the possibility of coming earlier on market days. Our milking and chores are done in the morning. As the competent staff is very limited ( The Farmer and myself, and sometimes our son) it takes us most of the morning to make the rounds and get all of the work done. Anyone is welcome to come earlier, but you may find yourself with a pitch fork and a poop scoop in your hand! The kole crops are still being harvested, the supply should hold steady, if the weather stays cool, for several more weeks. Several customers have asked if we have tomatoes......it is still early Spring. Tomatoes are harvested in the early summer, along with peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc. I refuse to go to the Dallas Market and buy cardboard tasting tomatoes imported from who knows where, and try and pass them off as home grown. Our customers are far to intelligent for that to work! Besides, that would totally defeat the purpose of our policy, "We Sell What We Grow". in some form or another...... with the slight exception of the Vanilla Beans for the vanilla extract....and the wheat in the bread...... and the chocolate in the cookies..... well, "We Sell What We Grow and Make! If you happen to see some limes in the market, they have come from my very own trees thriving in my kitchen garden, but I can guarantee you will not see coconuts and pineapple on our shelves. The blackberries are looking luscious and loaded.Will give plenty of notice as the picking time nears.  Should be new potatoes and green beans in a couple of weeks! Will keep you posted! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

FARM TAILS!!!

 Part of my youth was spent in Illinois, where our family had a farm upon which we raised fat, corn fed, Angus cows, and pigs. (this was way before the grassfed  movement began, at which time the herd was moved to Montana of all places), so I have very little taste for store bought meat. This is one of the main reasons we have decided to share our farm raised animals with others, giving them the chance to have some of the choicest of  meat. Each year we seek a source for calves to feed  if we have not been able to produce our own. It has been slim pickins here on the farm as our Herd Sire Colorado has produced all " She's" except for two, since he came to us four years ago. Great for the dairy business, grim for the meat business! Since the girls are spared the frying pan, we haven't had much to fill the freezers. In the local Dairy Farm network there are plenty of calves that are available from other farms to raise from birth for what ever suits your purpose, to nurture and care for them and control what constitutes their diet, keeping us with a constant supply....... And occassionally like pennies from heaven, we are blessed with friends like Walter! Now, Walter is a farmer from way back, whose farm is smack dab in the middle of  Denton Texas. His farm is surrounded by swanky subdivisions whose developers have offered him a pricey sum for his land. He has declined, as he would have to find a new home for his momma cows and calves. The Farmer got a call from Walter one morning, with a serious dilema. He had a momma cow that had given birth a few days before, who just up and died, leaving the little bull calf an orphan. Walter did not have time to feed it, would we consider taking it? " Sure, the Farmer said, I will come and get it with the cattle trailer." Walter claimed he had to come by our place later in the day, he would just bring the calf by.(I think it was free buffet for seniors day at the casino up the road) We prepared a stall, washed and prepared a bottle, and waited in anxious anticipation.  As I watched the road, I was on the lookout for Walter's pickup and cattle trailer. Not 40 minutes went by and  a brand new white Dodge Ram pickup pulled into the drive, my heart sank  as there was no trailer attached. Walter must have changed his mind. I noticed someone sitting in the passenger seat, so I decided to be hospitable and invite Walter and his companion for something to drink. Walter hopped out of the drivers seat, toodled around to the other side and opened the passenger door. Out jumped the purtiest little black calf I had ever seen. Oh, My,!! As I looked at the baby poop smeared on the interior, I looked at Walter, as he declared, "It'll all wash off!! Take good care of him, he will be real good eatin' one day", he called, as he backed out of the drive, waved and drove off! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!