Archive for July, 2007
July 3, 2007 – Chickens Gone
Today was the last day at the farm for the first batch of broilers.
This picture shows the chickens last week. We had the best batch ever. We ordered 100 birds, and brought 100 birds to the locker. We even left one behind at the farm that we somehow missed in the flurry of excitement in loading them into the transport cages, so we really ended up with 101 birds. And that remaining chicken looks quite depressed – like somehow she’s missed her calling in life, or has an extreme case of surviivor’s guilt! Some of you may still be back at the “ordered 100 birds and ended up with 101.” It’s not a story of the fishes and loaves, but rather the hatchery usually sends a few extra in case some chicks die in transport. We actually recieved 102 birds, so that means only one chick died along the way from brooding through delivery to the locker.
We had some frozen for our customers and brought some home and Linda and Emma cut up about 20 of them for quick and easy meals later in the year.
July 2, 2007 – The Unheralded Beet
Beets are a lot like the sanitary sewer system – they live underground, people don’t think much about them, But the analogy only remains true so long. When the sanitary sewer stops working, people take notice – there probably wouldn’t be much of an uproar if the beets disappeared from the grocery shelves. But the beet is sweet and tangy all at once. A good portion of granulated sugar comes from beets – 30% of worldwide granulated sugar comes from beets.
Today we put a few beets up. Martin helped harvest with his tractor and wagon. It was a good outdoor kitchen project.
I saved the tops and blanched and chopped them for borscht – one of my grandfather’s staples – the great thing about borscht is that it is just as good cold as warm. We thought my grandfather ate the same pot of borscht all week. The original pot would last for a few days, then as the days wore on, he’d throw some pork in, maybe some potatoes or turnips, maybe some chicken broth to make it last another day. I don’t know whether it is because of this, or that my people have eaten beets for a long time, but as I was cooking and freezing the beets and tops, I couldn’t resist constantly snacking.
And beets have a place in fiction, as I imagine a few people have had beets anonomously left on their front doorstep (ala Jitterbug Perfume).
As I was skinning the beets of their rough skin and revealing the smooth, blood red flesh below, Figaro (the cat) played with the trimmings, perhaps confused with the apperent dripping blood and dangling long mouse-like tail of the taproot.
July 1, 2007 – New Look for the Girls
We found out that Emma finally needed glasses. Claire needed a new pair as hers were not staying together very well and were a bit old as well.
The girls before the new glasses…
The girls with their new look.
