Almost as soon as Explorer came back to us from the farm where he was breeding more cows, the grass was ready to graze for the first time. Several cold fronts had showered us with rain, and the warm weather that came afterwards made the grass wake up, shake itself, and start to grow. We…
Tag: Real Food
POMMES DE TERRE A LA MAITRE D’HOTEL
In the garden, the potato plants have keeled over and turned brown, a sign that they are not going to grow much larger, and are ready to dig. They are not as large as they have been in other years, perhaps because it has been very dry and I haven’t irrigated them. But they taste,…
Chicharrones and Pork Pie
The Chicharrones (or, as they are called here in the South, Pork Rinds) are just the pork skin sliced and baked for awhile. In general, we scald and scrape our pigs, not only because cured hams must have the skin-on, but also so we can save the skin for these delightful, crunchy…
Sausage
Sausage seasonings being mixed – we only use pure organic herbs and spices and sea salt. Sausage being mixed The results Black Sausage Ingredients Liverwurst getting ready to be made There has been some confusion about the pig classes we are offering. I think in being overly flexible about what…
Pâté Progression
I thought it would be interesting to show what goes into the various tasty things we made over the weekend. Naturally, I am starting with the most photogenic end – the result. Most Americans, I think, would be a bit squeamish when it comes to looking at a picture of raw liver. They are…
First Pig Harvest
Getting started…. All of these fresh organs are used to make delicious traditional foods…. We harvested the first of the spring piggies over the weekend. Everything went so well, and we were careful not to pack too much into one day this time. The scald water was the perfect temperature, and scalding…
SOUPE A L’OIGNON: Onion Soup
The onions are bulbing beautifully. This year we were careful not to water them, and they are keeping very well. They are very strong – I’ve never shed so many tears while slicing onions before. Through gardening, I have not only been impressed by how much flavor home-grown vegetables have, but also the remarkable lack…
CARROTTES A LA MENAGERE
I finally got some carrots from the garden this season. I have been making do with inferior store carrots. My first planting did not like the hot weather in the fall, but the second planting was finally ready to pull. It’s always a challenge to actually get carrots into the kitchen: they are very popular…
OMELETTE AUX FINES HERBES
I often make omelets for breakfast, and I thought I knew quite well how to cook them. Following this recipe, however, the omelet turned out extra good. I was also glad to find a recipe that called for chervil, as it is still thriving well in my garden. This recipe is also in two parts…
RESTES DE POULET: A LA VIENNOISE
Leftover chicken is never as good as the first day it was cooked. The white meat dries out, and the skin is no longer crispy. I have a usual repertoire of chicken salad, chicken omelets, chicken and rice, and chicken soup in which I make use of the leftovers. But this recipe blew all of…
POT-AU-FEU (French Beef Stew)
What do you think of when you think of French cuisine? Most people will imagine rich cheeses, baguettes and wine. Steak Tartare or French onion soup. Or maybe teeny, tiny blobs of food on a huge plate, like French Laundry. This week’s recipe is THE classic French supper. This is the dish that Gervaise Macquart,…
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 