The Farmer’s Market is OPEN FOR BUSINESS!! Monday, April 14, 2008

SATURDAY MORNING 8:30am

I have been excited about the Farmer’s Market opening all winter! I couldnt wait to wander through the stalls looking at all the amazing produce the farmers in my area had spent all winter tending. I was not disapointed! I got to the market when it opened at 830. It was PACKED. As i tried to find a parking spot i saw so many people walking like bits of metal to a magnet, carrying their cloth shopping bags and pulling wagons, in anticipation for the bounty.

First i needed to walk through and see what was there…and get coffee! PLEASE! I only had a small amount of cash and was in search of 2 things really…besides the coffee. I wanted Fiddlehead Ferns and Wild Garlic.  First coffee (does it seem obvious?) 

OK after coffee i started to take some pictures of the mountains of beets and greens, and mushrooms and  it was such a beautiful morning. I stopped at a pastry tent and had an Asparagus, Roasted Tomato and Blue Cheese Tart. Then i found my fiddleheads and GASP, TRUFFLES. i think the smell led me there. $3 for 1/20th of an OZ. i had to be careful here. i had spent 2/3 of my cash and still wanted to find onions. but what the hell, the woman told me it was one of the best years for truffles she has seen in years.  I got a small truffle delicately wrapped pillowed in rice and a plastic bag.  

I settled down to eat my tart and people watch for a minute. I had my fiddleheads and my truffle and i spotted a huge bunch of red radishes that i had to have $1.50 for the bunch of them. Worth every penny.

Sadly i was out of money and time on the parking meter so i headed home. The small bounty sat waiting in my fridge while i focused on other tasks.

SUNDAY MORNING CAME AT LAST.

I had the day to myself. No responsibilities. i spent a good portion of the day weeding, playing with chicks and plotting my meal in my head.

i also had a gallon of lucious farm fresh milk in the fridge and needed to make some cheese. FETA.

So, i decided upon fresh egg pasta with sauteed Fiddlehead Ferns and Asparagus and a pork chop.
I got busy making the pasta and laying out the sheets to dry so i could cut them up. I decided to invite my friends Denise and Johnny over for dinner and i wanted someone to taste these ferns with me! They were ready to dig in! I love them!

As i was making my pasta it dawned on me, 4 eggs go into a batch of fresh egg pasta…4 chickens will lay 4 eggs a day (we hope). This means technically i could make fresh pasta every single day and only buy the flour! Yes, these things get me so excited i have to use the exclamation point.

The pasta was great, the fiddleheads were very earthy, a bit like spinach. but the coils were slimy. i would like to try them again sometime… and as Denise so generously pointed out. “I like them, but a little fiddlehead goes a long way”. Again, i love her.

I also got my Feta in the fridge and was asleep by 11…body exhuasted!

MONDAY HAS ARRIVED

oh so early and COLD! it has rained. My 3 days of sunshine are gone, back to work for me. BUT secretly i know, at home waiting for me are four fuzzy chicks who have much to tell me about their day, half a bottle of my favorite white wine, a small bowl of fresh egg pasta and 1 dark earthy nugget of a truffle. Ahhh Bliss.

The Coop is a Coop…Part II Monday, April 14, 2008

4 months ago, i purchased the makings of a chicken coop. It sat in my back yard as i stared at it and wondered what the hell am i going to do with that thing? How is that going to be a happy home for my ladies. It is rare that i cant see the potential in something and envision its future but this one had me stumped!
Finally the day came when i had to bring my girls home. This led to the very basic reality; the girls are going to need to move out of my house and into their own house as soon as possible! I have always worked well under this low current of pressure…just ask my friends As i was told only 3 days ago; “Please, by all means,  make your crisis my crisis” OK if you insist!

I took a couple of days off work and collected a couple of hard (read HARD )  working friends and we got to work for real.

 

 

As you might recall the original coop was about 6 feet long and rather awkward looking. GW suggested we just chop the whole thing in half and go from there.  and so we did! thank god. This size was plenty manageable and will be just great for 4 girls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of that wood against the house was stuff we removed from the main coop. We did end up using almost all of it when we put the coop back together again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we have the roof structure in place! Looking good eh? We are looking at it from the back so there is a door here to access their roosting area for cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here GW is putting the loft base on. The loft is where the nest will be, up and away from the roosting area. It will also have a section of roofing material over it that will be separate so i can lift it up and collect the eggs.

 

 

 

So that is it thus far! We dug the trench to wrap wire under the dirt and put in 6 4×4 posts which will then surround the coop with chicken wire. Over the top we will have a clear plastic roof for protection against the elements but still allow sunshine into their lives. The ladies have a loft and a deck area for their food and water. We still have a lot to do but this is a coop!! this is going to be adorable!!! I want to cover the coop in cedar shake and put a tin roof on the top.

Harriet likes it too

she immediately left us a nice little poop to show her appreciation. A girl after my own heart. Never come to someone’s home without a gift. 

to be continued…

Afternoon Picnic Monday, April 14, 2008

Spring arrived for roughly 3 days! Simply put, it was glorious! There is nothing like feeling that sunshine beat down on your face after days and weeks and months of cold miserable weather.

It was also 2 days after i got my chicks and it dawned on me that they had never felt the sun on their bodies or the cool wet grass between their toes…EVER! That was all i needed to bring them outside!  I hadnt mowed my grass in weeks and it was about 8 inches high. My friend GW grabbed a small round of chicken wire and the lid to my fire pit and voila, instant chick haven.

 

Of course it was right after this point that my camera battery died but i have to share with you 2 moments that will linger in my memories for years.

1) I introduced them to their first worm. It scared the bejesus out of them for about 13 seconds, then it was a no-holds-barred-free-for-all pandemomium. There was squeeks and chirps and LOUDER chirps. They tested wings and beaks and that poor worm had no chance. it was split into a nifty 4 chick meal in no time flat.

2) because if the chicks interest in all things bug now, the gnats generously came out to be quickly snatched up mid-air. Little fat balls of fluff, leaping into the air at anything that MIGHT be edible.YUM

A lovely picnic was had by all

My Girls Are Making Friends Monday, April 14, 2008

I love my friends. Sometimes i am in awe at my good fortune and eclectic array of friendships in my life and I tell you, their value to me is unending. Beside that, there is nothing more lovely then introducing two friends who immediately hit it off and thus form their own amazing relationship. And so it goes.
That  being said, i now get to introduce my dear friends to my new chicks so that they can have friends too. No girl can have enough friendship and love in this big scary world.

Sadly, i did not capture all of these friendly interactions because i was too engrossed in the actual magica taking place, but once in awhile, i was lucky enough to catch a moment. There is nothing like watching a person delicately hold a new baby chick for the first time in their life. That moment will never happen again.
So here is my tribute to the girls and a few of their new friends

  

 

 

THE CHICKS HAVE ARRIVED! Monday, April 14, 2008

I am afraid to start this post because I have about 4000 pictures of my new chicks. It is so hard to even know where to begin; when i woke up that morning and had to stifle a giggle or the moment i walked into the feed store and heard the deafening peep of thousands of chicks? yup, that is where we shall begin.

So, i waited as long as possible to head to the feed store on April 10th. I knew Fran would have her hands full and boy was i right! i walked into the feed store and was bowled over by the sounds that hit me. I have heard that some women can actuallystart lactating when they hear a baby cry and Elizabeth Gilbert said she has that same sense when she walks into a used book store. Well if that is the feeling, Bring it on! i almost swooned but it was far to noisy for such nonsense. There were chicks everywhere in boxes lined up down aisles and the chick room was madness!

I saw my name on a bin full of chicks and that is where i chose my girls. I had been eyeballing one the whole time and she had a bloody nose! As part of my born nature, of course i immediatly go for the runts and the quiet shy critters. i always have. that is how i picked my first puppy. I should have learn by now that shy in the hoards does not mean shy at home…but bloody-nosed chicken here i come to save you! Of course she is now going to rule the coop.

Here are my girls 2 days old and it is love at first site.

 

This is Harriet my Aricana. She had the bloody nose. I thought she would be meek but she is one tough cookie! Her nose healed beautifully and she has tried to peck all the other chicks eyes out already…unsuccessfully i might add. I give her extra attention to make sure she enters hen-hood gently.

 

 

 

 

 

This is Jenni my Black Astralorp. She was named after my great-grandmother because she is the one looking down on me and keeping an eye on the girls at night for me. Jenni is in contention for roost ruler. She also has the most buttery yellow belly. I think she is gorgeous. She is also the loudest!

 

 

 

 

 

This is Gladys, my red Sex-Link. She is the most quiet and the smallest of the bunch. She has beautiful red stripes down her back. She is named after my grand-mother, who was such a lady.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At finally, this is my sweet sweet Penelope, the Buff Orpington. I have ALWAYS loved the name Penelope and she is just so sweet and fluffy. I love her!

 

 

 

 

 She also has the most scrumptious bottom.

So i got them all home after a very HOT drive home! they were still cold from their travels and i had to get them warmed up right away.

I wanted to introduce them to the pets as soon as i could.

I am pretty sure Mr Big wants to BE a chick. He was smitten. his tail was wagging and he gave them all his
snotty little blessing.

Kudra drew blood whenshe used my shoulders as a spring board to get as far away from them as possible. She looks so sweet and demure here but that was all a lie. She has not come within 10 yards of them since that episode. I am very OK with that, better my shoulder then their soft little heads right?

Timmy and Kerouac could care less. Seriously. They each cocked an ear at some point and that was that. Only Mr Big Pants wants to love the chicks with me. I think that is a great start.

So after they got home, i had a few things on my chick list to check off to feel somewhat relieved. Each girl needed to eat food and grit, drink water, get their feet warmed up, take a nap, and have a bum examination.

I am so proud of them! They made themselves immediately at home and started taking care of business! I had no idea i would be so pleased with a poo and a drink. I bet the same could be said for them.

 

 

After that i decided to give them a weigh in. 1.2 ounces! i will give weekly weigh-ins to watch their progress. It is really amazing! I think they grow feathers in front of me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Finally after a full belly, a clean vent inspection, some water and some warmth, it was nap time.

Day one draws to an end.

The Table is Set Monday, April 14, 2008

 

Where to even begin! My weekend was a whirlwind! I was fighting some lingering sinus infection so i felt about as low par as a girl can feel and still keep moving. I even took my temp at one point but discovered it was only from slaving over a hot stove all day, a couple aspirin and a shot of Pomegranate Liqueur and i was good as new!

So let me preface this post by saying that about February 1 we had a gorgeous sunny warm day and my entire being exploded. I was in love with the world and life and my house and my garden and all the little seeds and oh love was all around. i promptly decided to host a multi-course meal at my house to celebrate the rebirth of Spring. At that point I started to plan my menu knowing one thing; It had to involve all the fresh and amazing things of Spring. Lucky for me all of my Queen Bees were free that weekend sans the mini-beelets so i knew we would be in for a fabulous evening.

Here is our Menu

 

As the day of the event drew near i discovered, between snow showers and a broken furnace, that really spring hadn’t arrived and I was COLD! I still persevered and found that many local markets were lovingly brushing off the frost and also secretly celebrating spring so i collected fresh bunches of asparagus, wild mushrooms, long crunchy spring radishes . From the garden i collected all my fresh herbs, baby arugula and Leeks.

 

Appetizers

I wasn’t hot on my appetizers. The prawn was a little tough and the sauce was weird. Is that a professional term? well it was. I wonder if the Saffron was too strong with the garlic. I loved the polenta squares when i tested them earlier and baked the polenta off in the oven but when i was rushing around, i tried to fry them and they stuck..yeesh! they tasted great and the oven roasted tomatoes were fantastic! i would do those again for sure. Thank you Darlene for patiently toasting my polenta triangles for me
The picture is pretty and the Prosecco was great!

First Course

Cream of Asparagus Soup
Finished with a Parmesan Custard and Parmesan Crisps

 

YUM. that is all i need to say. This was amazing! i ate it for 3 days after and never tired of asparagus pee. This recipe was a delight and took 2 days to make, my favorite kind.

I took pictures of my kitchen because i had soup on the ceiling (still do) and all over the counters, cupboards. I should have gotten the quote i have printed in my kitchen on the wall, “only the pure of heart can make good soup” what does it mean when you cover yourself with the stuff?

The custards were a savory Creme Brulee with all the goodness of cream and cheese. i think i could just eat those for the rest of my life too. The combination with the asparagus was perfect!note the pug.
that garbage bag was toast when i ran to the liquor store

 Second Course
Ricotta Gnudi
Served with wild mushroom Ragout and Fresh Herbs

I have two things to say here, one, i have no idea if this is a mushroom ragout i just thought it sounded fun and second, this entire meal is based on this course. I LOVE Gnudi, which are little ricotta dumplings and now that i know how to make ricotta, there is no turning back. The mushroom sauce was incredible with the delicate dumplings. I will make this again too!

Third Course
Chicken Saltimbocca
Served with French Beans and Spring Carrots

Need i say more?

I chose this recipe From Cook’s Illustrated at the last minute and am so glad i did! The meat was tender and the Prosciutto was just the right saltiness. It was also a good excuse to use some new sage that popped up in my garden! I was able to wrapped the beans in the leek stalks i had used for the soup base.

Fourth Course
Fresh Greens
Fennel, Celery Root, Baby Arugula and Spring Radishes with an herbed Goat Cheese

I wanted this course to cleanse the pallet. I could have gone on and on and on but what i really wanted to focus on was Spring greens. I found these gorgeous Radishes at Pasta Works. The gal was just putting them out. I also just happened to have a 20 year old Balsamic to drizzle over the top. mmmm
I also took fresh goat cheese and rolled it in Zaatar spices.

 

This is my favorite picture. I like to think they are admiring something, but it makes me laugh more to think of them saying,
“Um, What the hell is that”? “ 
” I dont know, do we eat it? You eat it first”
“I dont want to eat it, what if it is just for decoration? It isnt on the Menu”
“Lets wait and see if Sarah eats it”
“Wait, did she eat it or give it to the Pug? damn!”

OK enough. I am sure they are admiring Sami’s GORGEOUS embroidery work on the napkins! Seriously, custom embroidery work for our Spring Meal? How special are we?

  Thanks Sami! I will Cherish them forever.

Fifth and Final Course
Cheese and Port Poached Pears
with a salt caramel truffle for fun

 

The cheeses were amazing. I had a Roquefort that i was told to eat with butter. so we whipped up a batch of fresh butter and the different textures together were really lovely.  With this last course i also offered some amazing digest-ifs. To poach the pears i needed to peal them and slowly steep them in a port mixture. I didn’t actually know if i had Port but i did! i somehow obtained this mystery bottle from a friend of mine a few years back and thought, OK well lets see what we have. OH MY GOD. It was divine! It was so beautifully smooth that i went on-line to find out how pricey this little bottle i was cooking with came to…$60 for about 16 oz of Port. fortunately, i didnt need too much and we were all able to have a small glass of Port. I also had a gorgeous Moscato that i painstakingly peeled the label from this weekend (and not so well) so i could keep it as a reminder. YUM!

  

 

All in all the meal was so special and such a delight to have my friends in one place for a lovely evening of my favorite thing…food. I will do it again for sure!