April kidded a few days ago. That morning I had noticed she was off by herself when I opened the fence to let the goats go grazing. The other goats clustered around me, but refused to leave their paddock. When I returned an hour or so later, I found April lying on her side with…
Calamondin Souffle
Calamondins are tiny, extremely sour and flavorful citrus fruits that grow abundantly here in the winter. They are a great lemon substitute with unbeatable orange flavor. Many Southern cooks have their own version of calamondin cake (get a grain-free version here). With a new abundance of milk and eggs, I wanted to make something that…
Creamy Turnip and Tatsoi Soup
It was too hot for turnips to thrive last year, and I hardly got any. I had unluckily set out to grow a turnip trial of four varieties that year, none of which did very well. The year before seemed to be the Year Of The Gigantic Turnip, as I accidentally stumbled on how to…
Hard Frost In Florida
There was the first hard frost a few days ago. It was the first hard frost in several years. Ethan turned on a sprinkler in the corner of one of the pastures to make beautiful icicles during the night. The children woke up early the next morning, eager to…
Abundance Is Here
There’s this funny paradox I’ve noticed – when the weather is bad, or there’s anything to do involving a pitchfork and manure, people seem to think we’re hardcore weirdos with a fanatical agriculture hobby….but when it comes to just-ripped-from-the-ground vibrant produce and grassfed steak for dinner every night, then we’re suddenly privileged,…
Sweet And Sour Turnips With Mizuna
In the garden there is currently an abundance of my two favorite kinds of turnips – Scarlet Ohno Revival and Purple Top. I love these varieties for their flavor, color, and prolific harvests – too prolific sometimes! Just last week I was asking a lady at the grocery store who was checking out with…
Milking By Hand
A few days ago, Matilda’s calf was born – it was a beautiful all-Jersey bull calf, leaving no doubt that the Jersey bull Sampson did his job while our Devon/Jersey bull Explorer was off visiting another farm. I have missed the rhythmic, grounding routine of milking. Each day I walk up to the pasture,…
A Guide For Powerfully Envisioning Your New Year
It’s wonderful to have a fresh starting place every year where you can pause and reflect before taking the next step forward. Sometimes the new year begins with everything neatly and predictably laid out, but sometimes it’s the kind of beginning that feels like stepping off into the unknown. However it presents itself, this new,…
BOEUF BOUILLI AU LARD ET AUX POMMES DE TERRE: Boiled Beef With Bacon And Potatoes
If you have tried making serious broth, or have left-overs from a Pot-au-feu, you will likely find yourself with a cold boiled beef roast. It really doesn’t sound very appealing, but there many French recipes that incorporate cold boiled beef. This one could pass for a rich breakfast, a hearty lunch, or a satisfying dinner….
FILET SAUTE AUX CHAMPIGNONS: Steak With Mushrooms
This is a killer steak recipe – as if steak needed anything to make it any more delicious! There are two parts to this recipe, as it requires a ladleful of Spanish sauce, or Sauce Espagnole to finish off the sauce. Have a pot of broth bubbling on hand to make this recipe super easy…
10 Ways To Celebrate A Destitute Christmas: #10. Caroling
Years ago when we were reading Dylan Thomas’s lovely book A Child’s Christmas in Wales one December, it occurred to me that I had read about caroling in stories, and occasionally saw it in movies and on TV, but I had never actually met with a band of real, live carolers. I thought it was…
10 Ways To Celebrate A Destitute Christmas: #9. Baking Cookies
Not only does baking cookies warm up your kitchen and make your house smell delicious, they are also fun to make and good to eat. We don’t eat a lot of sweet things, so baking cookies is a real treat for us. I made this recipe last night just from what I had on hand…
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 