Cheese and an Apple

Food doesn't have to be complicated or fancy to be tasty, nourishing and balanced.  We came in from a walk to day, hungry, tired and HOT.  Yeah, it's only 50 degrees...but compared to the 10 degrees we've been having, it's a little warm.

We sliced up an apple per person and about 2 oz of cheese.  I had a super sweet Arkansas Black Apple with 4 pepper Chevre spread on each slice.  Fabulous!  I love the combination of the sweet and savory.  For those that aren't familiar, Chevre is the goat version of Cream Cheese...without the guar gum and other fillers usually added to commercial versions.

Also good with the Arkansas Blacks is a nice chunk of Havarti.

Cheese and an apple is also  my go to food for traveling as good cheese doesn't need to be refrigerated, just kept from getting too hot.

P.S. I am so impressed by the keeping qualities of the Arkansas Blacks.  We brought home a box of them and they got left in the back of the truck too long and the chickens discovered them...unbeknown to me.  They got stored in the basement in their box, hen pecks and all.  All of them, except for one, are still in great condition...aside from the pecks of course.  We just cut those parts off and enjoy a sweet, crisp, DENSE apple going on 2 months later.

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A day in the life...of a pig

 Full tummies means nap time in the sun.

Can't have MY apple!

Happy Chicken, Happy Pig!

In hot pursuit....

Any more goodies?

Let them eat grass....

Eating like a pig.

Heart and Soul Hop

Slow Roasted Goat Ribs with Black Raspberry BBQ Sauce

Forage Fed Goat Ribs and Home made Cottage Fries

1.  Bring a rack of ribs up to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Slice a fresh clove of garlic and wipe cut side all over ribs.  You may cook the garlic slices in slits in the fat if desired.
4. Place ribs on rack in a broiler pan or other open pan.
5. Immediately turn down oven temp to around 150-175 degrees F and cook for 30 minutes per pound.

While the ribs are cooking, prepare the sauce.




Black Raspberry BBQ Sauce
10 oz black raspberry preserves
10 oz vinegar (Apple Cider, Wine, etc.)
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup unflavored beef gelatin
1/2 cup cane sugar/cream of tartar mix
1-2 TBS unrefined sea salt
1 TBS lemon thyme (optional)
1-2 TBS red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix the ingredients together and heat low and slow, stirring occasionally.  When the ribs are done, slice between the ribs into appropriate serving sizes and drizzle with sauce.

We had to hose ourselves down after our meal...but it was worth it!

Update: Ketchup Boy has been using the leftover sauce to pour over his fries on a regular basis now...it MUST be good. ;)

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Wild Blueberries and Cream

Ahhh, nothing so delightful for a snack as berries and cream....rich, yet light and refreshing.

I used about 1 cup of  Wyman's frozen wild blueberries and sprinkled with a dusting of cane sugar/cream of tartar mix, a pinch of sea salt and a dash of vanilla. 

Miss Swiss was extra generous with her cream yesterday, so I poured without shaking... giving me a nice half and half mix of heavy cream and milk as it came out of the jar. 

I love how the cream forms a slight slushy texture when mixed with the frozen berries.  Berries and Cream is what makes milking in winter WORTH IT!

Monday Mania

Pan Fried Goat Chops with Potatoes and Glazed Onions

Looks like a huge amount of food but the plate is only 6" across.

It has always puzzled me that there is a large portion of farmers and ranchers that don't actually eat what they grow...I guess they know what's in it, eh?

Pictured here is a 1" thick section of the loin of  "Whitey" or "Todd". Yeah, we name our food.

These boys were dam raised, forage fed dairy goats, a yearling buck and a 2 year old wether.  The oysters are still in the freezer, I admit, I am not sure what to do with them.

I like my meat seared in coconut oil on the outside and rare/raw on the inside.  Raw meat is easier to digest than cooked and the inside of a steak is sterile....so no worries on contamination.

Ingredients:
Goat chops (approx 1/4 lb/person ) 
Coconut oil
Onion
Potatoes
Gelatin (1 TBS/person)
Sugar/Cream of Tartar (approx 1 tsp/TBS vinegar)
Maple Syrup/Cream of Tartar (1 TBS/onion)
Apple Cider Vinegar (2 TBS/person)
Salt

Directions:
Any meat cooks better at room temperature.  These were frozen, so I soaked in warm water while I loaded the dishwasher and started on the onions.  The onions sautéed in coconut oil while I prepared the potatoes.  I added the diced potatoes, stirred to coat with oil and cooked covered for 7 minutes on medium low (egg temp).  Meanwhile, I preheated some oil for the meat in a separate pan.  After 7 minutes, I stirred the potatoes to unstick them from the bottom and covered again for another 7 minutes.

While the potatoes were finishing, I prepped the glaze and started on the first chop.  The chops cooked one at a time for about 1-2 minutes per side on medium heat.  In between flipping, I soaked the gelatin with the sugar mix in the maple syrup mix with the ACV and salt and stirred.  When the chops were done, I added the glaze to the potatoes and mixed in.  It doesn't take but a few seconds to melt the gelatin.

Quick and easy, what more could you want?

I saved my scraps from the meal (bones, onion skins etc.) in a baggy in the freezer for making broth later.

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