The West Fjords of Iceland offer the visitor spectacular scenery, and an out-of-this-world remoteness that is hard describe in words. I am always struck with a deep admiration for those that lived in these deep isolated fjords centuries before us, where the sun doesn’t show itself for weeks in the winter, and the top soil is scarce —-it must not have  been an easy life. Getting to the West Fjords has gotten easier in recent years with new tunnels carved into mountains and better roads, but the roads still provide heart-stopping cliff vistas, wandering sheep and if there is fog, a blanket of clouds that trace the mountaintop roads, which can be adrenaline inducing.

From what I gather none of my people come from the West Fjords, where subsistence farming and fishing were the main vocations. Unfortunately, rural Iceland is losing its population and it is eerily desolate in many parts. However, you still can see many neatly kept farms nestled in the fjords’ fertile parts, showing there is a future for some in this special place at the edge of the world.

Original Article

It’s been a blur of places, suitcases, butter, food, homelands and after all this traveling (more on this later) this week’s CSA share was that much more special. I had to share this image. It evokes the height of summer; my childhoods and the wonderful bounty we have here in America. Cheers!

Original Article

I have been commissioned by my town to take pictures of area farmers. The project has made me want to become a better documentary photographer(I am most comfortable taking photos of cows and steaks), and has introduced me to so many diverse and passionate farming neighbors. I have been fortunate to meet a lot of local farmers with my column Ulla’s Farm Fresh Notes, but meeting so many in such a small town is particularly moving and illuminating. I want to do all these fabulous character’s justice with my photographs.  It’s also interesting to take photos of a town in the mist of a drought, in the middle of the photo project we had a few days of much needed rain, and you could immediately see the difference in the eager pastures. Meeting and taking photos of all these farmers, their land, animals and farms I am struck by how vulnerable farmers are to the weather, economics and the fickleness of market access, and despite these challenges they are all so passionate about their animals, fields and community. Here are some instagrams I took of Meredith, NY while traveling around for this project. I will share the professional photos later!

Original Article

This recipe is serendipitous; if not for our move it wouldn’t have been created. I have been experimenting with a gluten free fried chicken recipe for almost a year, relying heavily on the corn flour, Masa Harina, which is ubiquitous in Sunnyside, Queens. It creates a grainy surface and is good, especially with spicy sriracha  mayo, but it wasn’t really like the southern fried chicken I have loved my whole life. Masa Harina is unsurprisingly not common in the Catskills and when I set out to make fried chicken without it yesterday I had to rely on the motley flours that survived our move: buckwheat, gram (chickpea) flour, cornstarch and sweet rice flour. All these flours speak to our meandering past few months: I picked up the sweet rice flour at a Korean grocery in Queens that stocks a gluten free spicy bean paste I love; the gram flour at a wonderful Indian market on Long Island, and the buckwheat at a health food store in the Catskills. None of them are my go-to “gluten free” flours, as I rely heavily on brown rice flour and potato starch.  Yet the combination of these flours worked magic, creating the crispiest fried chicken I have ever tasted. My sister exclaimed:

“You could open a restaurant with this recipe.”

My love of fried chicken isn’t steeped in a family tradition that involves a passed down cast iron skillet.   It’s a love that was cultivated in Roy Rogers, of all places. My parents were extremely food strict and we were rarely allowed junk food, except for the infrequent trips to Roy’s for fried chicken. I am not sure why Roy’s was allowed and other foods forbidden, but I venture part of the reason had to do with the Friday night old car show they hosted in their parking lot in the summer months. My father was and still is an avid fan of old American cars. These memories are dear: a rare family trip off the farm, classic American cars displayed by proud owners and a shared bucket of fried chicken.  I always made sure to get a thigh (arguably the best piece because of the crispy skin and moist flesh).

Chicken frying

Fried chicken should be crispy and peppery, and here I added a LOT of freshly cracked black pepper, ground white pepper and a few pinches of cayenne. Frying chicken is intimidating.  Good technique is required when frying chicken properly.  My first attempt resulted in a burnt outside and raw inside that swore me off cooking it for a long while, but Melissa Clark’s brilliant timing (6 minutes flip, 6 minutes flip and then another 5 minutes) works perfectly! Just remember to keep the temperature constant. The secret is not to crowd the pan or pot.  If the temperature of the oil fluctuates you will get greasy, unevenly cooked chicken pieces. I did them in batches (only three at a time), which wasn’t as laborious as you might think. I don’t like using a lot of oil because it is wasteful, but if you are a time-is-money sort of person and don’t want to spend an hour frying chicken, use more oil. The brine ensures that the chicken is moist and flavorful and the combination of flours creates the crispest of crusts.

chicken resting on baking sheet

When I first started to cook without gluten, my eyes would glaze over when bloggers listed more than four flours in a recipe. The idea of having so many flours in my pantry seemed terrifying, but I have since realized that experimenting with a variety of flours can be fun if not illuminating. I was forced to use sweet rice flour (preparing for our move I stopped buying pantry items) for a recipe because I didn’t have potato starch. With the sweet rice flour I created the crispiest fried soft shell crab with a Thai basil sauce and realized how wonderfully crisp the sweet rice flour can be fried (recipe to come when I am by the coast again). Just delightful! The gram flour is also delicious fried. I am sure you could substitute the buckwheat flour with rice flour, and the cornstarch with potato starch if need be, but I think both the sweet rice flour and the gram flour are necessary for this recipe.

Breaded chicken before frying

[print_this]

Gluten Free Fried Chicken

• 3-4 pounds chicken, in pieces (I used thigh and drum stick pieces)

For the brine:

• 1 gallon water
• ½ cup sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• cracked black pepper
• a handful of herbs you have handy, minced ( I used oregano, chives and rosemary)

For the dipping:

• 1 ½ cups homemade buttermilk (1 ½ cups milk with juice of half a lemon)

For the crispy coating:

• 2/3 cups sweet rice flour (103 grams)
• 1/3 cup lentil flour (46 grams)
• 2/3 cup buckwheat flour (100 grams)
• 1/3 cup corn starch (43 grams)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (optional)
• Preferred oil for frying (peanut oil or lard)

Special equipment:

1 heavy bottomed cast iron pot or skillet

2 large containers, 1 for brining, another for shaking the chicken pieces in the flours

1 baking sheet, paper towels and a drying rack

Oil thermometer

Preparation:

1. Using a large gallon+ container, assemble the brine by adding the water, salt, minced garlic and herbs along with freshly cracked pepper.
2. Cut the chicken into frying pieces. Add to the brine. Brine overnight or at least 6 hours.
3. When you are ready to fry the chicken, make the buttermilk and reserve.
4. Mix the flours together well, along with the salt and pepper. You will use a container to dredge the chicken, using a bit of the flour mixture each toss.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot (I used an enameled Dutch oven) to 350 degrees. (Check with oil thermometer)
6. To bread the chicken dip in the butter milk, then place the pieces one or two at a time into the container and toss with at least ¾ cups of the flour mixture. Do this just before you are going to fry them in batches. If the flour mixture becomes too clumpy, replace it with more.
7. Cook the pieces in the hot oil approximately 6 minutes, turn and cook another 6 minutes and then cook for about another five minutes. Don’t crowd the pot! (I only did 3 pieces each round).
8. After they are done, place them on a rack set over a baking sheet and paper towel in a warm place.  Flip about a minute after setting them down. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked!
9. Enjoy!

[/print_this]

Original Article

   Gingered Skillet Beets

Local beets are available all year round.  Their ruby color and earthy sweetness make them a welcome accompaniment to any dinner, but beets in summer have a more delicate skin. My mother made a pork roast with cracklings at the farm last night for Sunday dinner and we had 4 vegetables sides: roasted zucchini, salad from the garden, roasted sweet potatoes and a raw beet salad which I made.

With the sometimes overwhelming bounty of our CSA confidence is key and using the vegetables without too much fuss is the best way to make the most out of your share. I have found that if I get too caught up in strict recipes, some of the vegetables go to waste, and techniques for cooking are most helpful. Here are two recipes for beets that are wonderfully simple and delicious and don’t require pre-roasting or boiling of the beets; they are also open to interpretation and experimentation.

I have been instagraming my food lately and I love the casual elegance the shots provide. (all these are instragram photos!)

You can follow me at @nyculla.

[print_this]

Raw Beet Salad

 Ingredients:

• 1 bunch beets (reserve the greens for another dish)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Lots of salt and pepper
• Maple syrup to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
• A splash or two of olive oil
• Seasonal herb you have handy (I used chives)

 Preparation:

1. Clean and peel your beets.
2. Use a grater to grate, or a mandoline to julienne the beets.
3. Squeeze the lemon juice over the grated beets and add olive oil and maple syrup.
4. Season with salt and pepper. I like to season this salad well.
5. Dress with chives.
6. Enjoy

[/print_this]

[print_this]

Gingered Skillet Beets

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch beets, with greens
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• olive oil
• a few tabs of butter
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the beets well, along with the greens. I sometimes don’t peel the summer beets, but you can if you don’t want a pronounced earthy taste.
2. Slice the beets and tear the greens.
3. In a large heavy bottomed skillet add olive oil, place the sliced beets and cook at a low heat for about 15 minutes until they are soft.
4. Add the butter, grated ginger and greens.
5. Raise the heat to medium and sauté until the greens wilt.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Enjoy!

[/print_this]

Original Article

I meant to submit this article to a New York Times essay contest but with a trip to Ireland and our move I hadn’t time to edit and post it. Here is it, very late, but I wanted to share this with you as it is a big part of how I view the world and who I am.

One of our mama cows licking her calf.

Lambs are impossibly cute, so are piglets, and there’s nothing as adorable as a doe-eyed newborn calf and the loving nudge its mama cow gives it to say: “I am here for you, I’m your mama and you are mine.”  On our farm, our animals nurture their young for as long as needed, express their instincts, run in pastures, sometimes get sick.  They live and yes, when it is time to slaughter them we take them to a small local plant where this is done with respect.

To me, all the cuteness can’t be separated from the cycle of life and death that is part of our
farm. Do I feel bad about sending our animals to slaughter? No, I don’t, but I am thoughtful about it—when my dad is loading the trailer with pigs it isn’t done casually. I get a feeling in my gut; it isn’t regret exactly, but solemnity. We know we are taking these animals to die. Meat isn’t just meat to me, it’s our pastures, our land and our way of life. Our animals are part of an ecological system that adds nutrients to our pastures, joy to our lives and nutritious meat to our plates.

My father believes that everyone needs to ask themselves whether it is ok to take the life of an animal. Some go as far as to say you must be able to take the life of the animal yourself, which I think is a bit ridiculous, but I can understand the reasoning behind it. It is ethical(ok) to take the life of an animal because it is part of the cycle of life, and as farmers we are bonded to our animals in an ancient tradition of care and slaughter.  We also have the privilege of living closely with them and it’s hard to quantify in words how deeply right caring for animals feels. In Icelandic a farmer is called  “bondi,” which like the word “husbandry” means you are bonded to the animals in your care. It’s a bond that is beautifully complex and like any good relationship it’s deeply rewarding and stirs something deep in one’s humanity. People who have worked with cattle know what I am talking about and there probably are evolutionary reasons for this. Cattle have been with us for almost as long as we have been human.

As someone with a learning disability, my bond to animals and my ability to understand them has given me confidence in world where my talents as a visual thinker aren’t valued. With our animals, dyslexia is a plus. I can check the herd quickly and because I think visually our farm is a place where I can excel. Amongst the pigs and cattle I know that my “disability” is a symptom of our modern times, where we don’t need to measure and quantify small changes in our natural environment for survival. Unfortunately today we don’t value observation and have become collectively indifferent to the natural world, which has created a lot of confusion about food, and this is particularly true when it comes to meat.

All forms of agricultural cultivation have an environmental impact; vegetable farms kill deer and rabbits and dairy farms kill bull calves. In the Salinas Valley they have implemented strict extermination protocols to avoid e coli contamination for the lettuce much of America consumes raw—which means they kill as many animals as they can in the valley.  I spoke at a conference where a group of students had created a garden as part of a class. They were all surprised to learn its impact on the environment and there was passionate debate on how to control the rabbits and deer. Even vegetables raise ethical issues. However, few care to see the impact all our food has on the natural world because food has become an abstraction.  Few people have a direct relationship with food.

The question of whether we have the right to kill animals isn’t really a question that is exclusive to meat, but with meat, the ethical questions are harder to ignore. You are eating the flesh of a living thing, and this fact can’t be avoided. Just because you don’t eat meat doesn’t mean the food on your plate is more ethical; the opposite could be true.  If cows and calves need to die to make milk, isn’t it ethical to make use of their meat?  Most religious prohibitions on meat were born out of limited natural resources. The Middle East is a good example, where lush land turned dramatically arid, and restrictions on pork (pigs are omnivores and compete for human food) were implemented to keep social order.  In pre-industrial India, cows and oxen were more valuable alive and religious restriction reflected this.  Now oxen have been replaced by oil-powered tractors and a prohibition on meat has resulted in cruelty where older dairy cows are left to starve—and those that are sent to die are slaughtered by the lower classes. Strict prohibitions on meat can sometimes result in cruelty and unforeseen moral issues.

The killing of animals shouldn’t be glossed over. Slaughter is a violent act, the taking of a life, but part of the ethics of killing an animal is respecting that it was once alive. Having personally experienced the slaughter of animals has made my decision to eat meat and sell it a deeply personal and ethical one. Animals can’t see the future and when they are slaughtered they haven’t been thinking about being killed; it just happens, and hopefully quickly and without too much pain. Meat is ethical because I live in a world filled with animals, and if we didn’t kill our animals they wouldn’t be born and our pastures wouldn’t be renewed.  It’s this intense love of animals that makes me so thoughtful about killing them, but I never want to lose that feeling in my gut or the joy of knowing what it is to see them fully alive.

Original Article

I took some photos yesterday at the farm. My father is haying, the mower broke and he is haying late along with the sun but despite the drama he loves haying season, and gets bright red from the sun. I have been experimenting with light room and having fun with it!   Check out the photos here. 

Original Article

I took a break from the blog without warning, apologizes! I had had a number of blog posts ready to go but the past month has been a whirl wind: with moving, staying with family and trying to figure out the best place to buy a house, or even if buying is the right decision, I haven’t had the head space to publish anything. I did get a column done for Upstate Life Magazine, which was a feat while sharing a kitchen and having most of my kitchen tools in storage. Yes, our stuff is in storage! On a recent trip to the Poconos with friends I couldn’t form complete sentences because I have been so all over the place the past month. It was a bit embarrassing but emblematic of the how frazzled I have been. It’s not that I am complaining, it’s been a bit liberating, editing my stuff and working on creating a future where my husband and I will have a home to call our own. Not to mention the saving money on rent,  it just will take a bit of time. Meanwhile, we are spending the summer upstate, I will be writing and working on marketing my parents’ meat. Oh, and I found this wonderful Parson’s desk at the Housing Works Thrift Store. Isn’t it great?

I have fallen in love with instragram( I took this picture using it)! You can follow me at @nyculla. Here is my instagrid gallery.

Original Article

Morning dew on pastures in early morning.

Brown Swiss dairy steers (my farming experiment, more on this later)

Morning light and one of our cows with her calf. She is a small framed beauty!

  This is how my mom stay fit?

Sheep and lambs on May pasture

Our chickens

I had to stop to take this picture of the all greens over Lucky Dog Farm in Hamden, New York. The farm is situated in such a beautiful spot, and you can always count on the seasons to be reflected in the beautiful mountains that frame the farm.

May is a tempest of greens: lush pastures, dandelion greens, new maple tree leaves and ramps on the forrest floor. No May is alike, and this year a rare spring drought had its impact on our pastures. I asked my father how the drought had impacted the grass, and he hurriedly answered: “it’s just different” and promptly  rushed off to do another task. Thankfully, I was able to make myself useful and helped moved the bulls and steers. So it goes at Spring Lake Farm, I did squeeze in a few glorious early morning walks where the morning light was so rich and the dew heavy on our mountain pastures glistened, a delight!

Original Article

 

Pollok house and grounds.

  Cattle breeds have always captivated me.  They tie us to a past where we depended on cattle for our sustenance.  On our farm we are lucky to have had many different types of cows.  When I was young we had a Jersey named Natasha, while today we have mostly Highlands and Hereford crosses and a few Charolais that I convinced my father to buy. However, our Highlands have a special place in my heart, and one would be hard pressed to find a breed that evokes reaction like the regal Highland; they are stunning animals and a true crowd pleaser.

 

Malcolm who shows and cares for Pollok’s Highlands and my husband brushing a highland cow.

My husband and I were flying into Glasgow en route to Belfast so I lobbied for an extended stop over.  In this spirit, I contacted Pollok House to inquire if I could see their herd of prize-winning Scottish Highlands.  Pollok House is within a beautiful park in the middle of Glasgow. The park’s director and the herdsman gave us a private tour of the grounds and their prize-winning Highland fold. We felt like superstars! A herd of Highland cattle are called a fold: in ancient Scotland cattle roaming the highlands were taken into “folds” when the weather was particularly inclement, or if there were wolves or thieves about. I have never met a non-gentle Highland, but in the past their horns and fur where excellent protection against predators like the wolf.  It doesn’t take much imagination to envision a fold of Highlands fending off the winds and predators on the rough Scottish uplands.   

Highland cattle are one of the oldest breeds in the world, and archeologists have uncovered remains going back to at least the 6^th century. Unlike their ancestors, the Highland fold at Pollok Park are city residents, and serve to teach Glasgow residents about Scotland’s cattle heritage and agriculture. Each year they host hundreds of school children that learn about the fold and its history and the special ecosystems that pastures cultivate. They also take the cows to events around the city, which helps to raise awareness; one event brought a beautiful Highland cow into a fancy restaurant. Ha! I was a bit jealous; it would be great if we had a herd of cattle or dairy cows in Prospect Park, wouldn’t it?  Perhaps the divide between city and rural perceptions of agriculture could be breached if more people saw cows grazing around us.

School children learn about pastoral ecosystems when they visit Pollok Park, and the park pastures support a diversity of insect and plant life. Pollok is the only known breeding ground for honeybee mimics, and also hosts a variety of bees and rare wildflowers.  One cow produces over four tons of manure a year, which helps to feed a variety of insects, which in turn feed foxes, hedgehogs, bats, newts, shrews, toads and a variety of birds.  Pastures are one of the few human creations that actually promote biodiversity, and when managed correctly can heal natural environments and encourage wildlife and flora.

The fold’s prize winning black bull, that is my husband with him.

The Pollok fold also serves to preserve and promote the quality of the Highland cattle breed, which is much needed in a world were many heritage breeds are threatened. Pollok Park was originally a grand estate, and has had Highland cattle for over two centuries. This tradition continues now that the city of Glasgow owns and manages the park.  One of the most promising trends in the culinary world is attention to the different flavor profiles and quality of domestic animal breeds, and one of the best ways to preserve domestic animal diversity is to support farmers who do so. Slow Food has encouraged this with their Ark of Taste program that identifies and promotes heritage foods, breeds and heirloom seed varieties. In Scotland, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Scottish beef, and this is helped by the fact that cattle are a source of national pride. My father believes that these old breeds tie us to our past, and that it is important not to lose these wonderful animals There are cultural reasons for this, but also practical reasons: many of these older breeds excel on grass, which could become important to us in a world of shifting resources and tastes.

Rare dunn colored bull.

Pollok’s fold has a diversity of colors, many of which I had never seen here in America.  They have black Highlands, yellow, white, different shades of red, some brindled, and a beautiful silver-dun color. The centerpiece of the fold is the gorgeous, prize-winning black bull. Malcolm, the fold’s knowledgeable and passionate herdsman, told us that black was their original color, and gave us a peek into their past via a historical account featuring Rob Roy.

Pollok Park is also home to an incredible art collection called the Burrell Collection, and their beautiful Chardins delighted me. The collection is astounding and rivals many of the world’s best. My husband and I thought the combination of art and cattle was so marvelous! We definitely need more people to preserve culture in this wonderful and elegant way!  Pollok Park is not to be missed on a trip to Glasgow! The café is excellent too, so be sure to make a day of it if you do get the chance to visit!

Special thanks to Marilyn Muir it’s Facility Manager and Malcolm Moy and the delightful staff at the café where we had a lovely lunch that celebrated Scotland’s amazing produce!

Original Article

Spinach at Fox Hollow Nursery, West Oneonta, New York

Vermont tops  Strolling of theHeifers Locavore Index. Unfortunately, New York State, Vermont’s neighbor, ranks a dismal 42 out of 50 states. This is really, really bad considering how many wealthy urban consumers live in our state and how much wonderful farmland we as a state are blessed with. Kudos to Vermont for understanding that working farm landscapes and local food are good for the environment, food culture, and that farms attract tourists. Shame on New York for doing so little to promote agriculture and local food systems. We as a state need to make local food and working farms a priority. We need policy to change this which requires urban voters to care about farms and local food systems!

Thanks to @nyfarmer for the link!

I am trying to promote my facebook page! So if you like my blog please like it on facebook! Thank you!

Original Article

The anticipation for our first CSA share is building, I can’t wait! Now that we have moved to Long Island, I have been geeking out on what is local and where to get local seafood and vegetables. Most of the farmer’s markets open in June, so we made a trip to Whole Foods in Manhasset where they had a wide selection of everything. Almost too much selection, truth be told I got a bit overwhelmed, I really AM a creature of habit when shopping. Yet, everything I ended up buying was exceptionally good,  I bought perfectly ripe strawberries, relatively local asparagus from New Jersey and some local kale and parsnips. My sister came over for a Sunday dinner and I made a roast chicken, roasted potatoes wedges tossed in olive olive, rosemary and anchovies and this delightful asparagus salad. We then had the strawberries with pastured cream for dessert.  No need for sugar, what a treat!  My mother-in-law had Trader Joes Champagne Muscat Orange Vinegar in the fridge which has become a new favorite and seems to have mitigated my husband and I’s “vinegar wars”, we both love it! It was especially good with the beautiful spring asparagus from New Jersey which looked overgrown but were so tender and delicious! This recipe is a keeper, if you don’t have this specific vinegar; champagne vinegar with a small splash of orange juice would suffice.

I am trying to promote my facebook page! So if you like my blog please like it on facebook! Thank you!

This picture captures my approach to cooking, or as my mother in law would say “rough and ready”: simple, honest and not too fussy, and maybe a bit sloppy looking…

[print_this]

Jersey Asparagus with Champagne Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 eggs, hard boiled

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
• 1 tablespoons Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar from Trader Joe’s
• 1 teaspoon, large grain Dijon mustard.
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced (make sure it is minced!)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. trim the tough parts off of the cleaned asparagus. This can be a contentious topic at our house, my husband would rather cut well into the tender parts so that there is no possibility of tough pieces, but I tend to be more conservative. Thankfully, these asparagus weren’t tough at all because of their quality.
2. hard boil the eggs( boil the eggs for ten minutes).
3. mix the vinaigrette and reserve, season with salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Meanwhile,  bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, salt well in a large pot. Add asparagus, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are just cooked. (they will keep on cooking a bit while you assemble the salad).
5. Remove the asparagus and place on a serving plate, you can dress them with the vinaigrette now, or wait.
6. Just before serving, slice the hard boiled eggs and place on asparagus.
7. Enjoy!

[/print_this]

Original Article

Life here is a bit hectic, we are in the mist of a move and we don’t have a place to move to yet, I am finding it a bit traumatic but liberating at the same time. In the mist of this all, I have been taking comfort in simple things, like perfectly roasted chicken and having family we can rely on. Perfect, easy and oh, sooo good! Thomas Keller’s roasted chicken recipe is so crispy, so perfect, my husband and I finish off one chicken together… Granted my husband is a bottomless pit and can eat, and eat and eat.    I added asparagus to the dish about 45 minutes into the roasting. Not picture perfect but welcome simplicity when all your cooking supplies are in boxes… This is why I didn’t truss the chicken here!

My favorite simple roasted chicken by Thomas Keller.

Original Article

I made these for myself yesterday for lunch and goodness I wasn’t disappointed.  The secret to this dish is good quality butter, I used Kerrygold here and it is essential to this dishes’ success. . Butter has a long and interesting history, having great importance in grassland cultures. The Romans thought butter was “barbarian food”, and when the Catholic church tried to curtail butter eating during lent in the middle ages, the people of Northern Europe almost revolted. Butter is serious business, and has been an essential food for thousands of years for people where grasslands are abundant. I did a column on Cowbella’s pastured butter last fall, who are now carrying on a fifth generation of butter making. At the turn of the century, almost half of America’s butter came from farm women who made the product to support their family’s with the supplemental income—a true cottage industry. Many of us now use olive oil, but there really is a case to be made for good quality pastured butter. Not all butter is created equal, and cultured butter is like nothing else and can take a humble dish to another level. Now pastured butter is expensive, but fancy sauces and condiments are expensive too, and the flavor and added health benefits of pastured butter in my mind make up for the extra cost. Here in New York, there is a renewed interested in pastured and cultured butters, and there are more and more farms offering butter processed on their farms. This is a response to the fact that pasture-based farms in New York state can’t compete in a commodity system that favors larger CAFO dairies out west. Sadly, our policy does little to help our farms here in New York State and we have seen dramatic losses in our Dairy industry but by sourcing locally for dairy products we can all make a difference. In Ireland, pasture-based farms receive support and policy that helps them stay afloat, and as a result their butter is a high quality pastured product. The same is true in Iceland where the butter is some of the best I have ever tasted and still reasonably priced. I used to eat the butter like crazy when I was there, thinking I couldn’t find comparable quility in America but this isn’t true at all, you can buy Kerrygold, Smjor and a wide variety of local butters like Cowbella and NY Butter and Organic Valley pastured butters. Which is wonderful for butter lovers like me!

To me this dish is as much about the butter as it is about the soft shell crab. Together they make magic!

Make sure your soft shelled crabs are fresh! They are just coming into season!

[print_this]

Soft Shelled Crab with Pastured Butter, Lemon and Capers

Ingredients:

• Two fresh soft shelled crabs, cleaned and rinsed
• 1/4 cups cornstarch
• 2 ounces pastured butter
• juice of half of a lemon, about 1 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoon brined capers, drained

Preparation:

1. Clean the soft shelled crabs, toss in cornstarch.
2. In a ten inch skill melt the butter at a medium low heat.
3. When butter is melted add the soft shelled crabs face up, and saute for about 4 minutes.
4. Turn, and sauttee for another 3 minutes, or until it is done.
5. Salt the crabs with salt immediately after you have taken them out of the pan.
6. Set aside the cooked crabs in a warm place.
7. add the juice, dry vermouth, lemon and capers to the skillet and bring to a boil, cook until the sauce is fully incorporated. Pour over crabs.

Enjoy!

[/print_this]

Original Article

You are probably thinking another Chinese recipe? Weren’t you just in Iceland, Ireland and Scotland? Where is the Icelandic leg of lamb, Irish lamb stew or champ recipes? Where is your tasting notes from all the whiskeys you enjoyed? Well, there will be more posts from our trip and I got a lot of inspiration, I feel so filled with inspiration actually I can’t stop smiling. I didn’t realize how much we needed a vacation and am so thankful for it!   Yet, after a week of eating delicious Ulster fries and champ,  I was craving some spicy food when we arrived back to Queens. Reading No Recipes Beef Rendang Recipe post, didn’t help either, it looks so good! I can’t wait to try it with stew meat from one of our bulls.

Dan Dan Noodles were one of my favorites but unfortunately Chinese take out is now off limits because I am avoiding gluten. This didn’t stop me from creating a gluten free version that was a show stopper, it is easy and packs a full flavor punch. I used our pastured pork, and while it was frying up it smelled like slow roasted pork, that is how much flavor our pork has! Ground pork has become one of my favorite quick meal secrets, I defrost it in a water bath for about an hour and use it in meat sauces, burgers and meat balls. Quick and because it is ground pork it is a welcome change from our weekly grassfed beef burgers. I am a big fan of Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Organic Pasta and used the spaghetti type here, you can also use pad thai rice noodles and Trader Joes is carrying a corn pasta which has great texture and works well in Asian stir fries.

[print_this]

Dan Dan Noodles with Pastured Pork

Inspired by Martin Yan’s (Vegetarian) Dan Dan Noodles

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons sesame paste or tahinni paste
• 2 tablespoons black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 teaspoons sugar*
• 3 teaspoons dried red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
• 3/4 cups chicken stock
• sea salt to taste

More ingredients:

• 8 -16 ounces of gluten free spaghetti**
• 3/4 pounds ground pastured pork
• olive oil to saute pork
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1-1 inch piece of fresh ginger minced
• 3 green onions or scallions, white and green parts separated
• 1 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. And cook pasta by directions on box.
2. In a 10-12 inch skillet add olive oil, heat on medium high heat, brown pork, add garlic and ginger cook until browned then add white part of scallions (reserving the green for serving).
3. Meanwhile, incorporate the sauce ingredients listed above, use whisk to fully incorporate. Add to the cooked pork, bring to a simmer.
4. To assemble pasta, place the cooked pasta in a serving bowl or plate and top with pork sauce and garnish with scallion greens, chopped peanuts and cilantro garnish.
5. Enjoy!

* I used a low sugar peanut butter, if you are using a sweet peanut butter you might not need as much sugar.

** I used 8 ounces but you can surely double the amount or use a 12 once package. The sauce is so tasty it is great with a lot of pasta or less.

[/print_this]

Original Article