Pig. Farmer. Chef. Guest.

We were all there in the kitchen at the same time.

Chef Matthew demonstrates how to butcher a pig as farmer Darrell and a class attendee observe.

I recently had the opportunity to learn more about butchering. And what could be a better place than one of Bill’s and my favorite local restaurants?

Salt of the Earth, in Fennville, Michigan, offers cooking classes throughout the year. What I liked about “The Whole Hog: Butchering 101” was how it brings me (Guest) closer to the animal (Pig) through the direction of the butcher (Chef Matthew Pietsch). And Darrell (Farmer) is a critical part of the experience, too.

The Berkshire hogs came from local farmers Darrell and Conni at Coach Stop Farm. So while Chef Matthew explained the various cuts of the animal and how to “break down a hog,” Darrell talked about the breed and how his happy, pastured pigs differ from those confined in factory farms.

Bill and I already buy only happy meat from local farmers but I enjoyed the discussion during the demonstration that night, along with the wine….and did I mention dinner followed? Pork, of course! Thank you, Salt of the Earth, for providing this educational venue to help us all–pig, farmer, chef, guest–develop more understand about how we are all so connected and dependent upon each other.

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The only question I forgot to ask is: What is the photo of Christopher Walken doing on the walk-in door?

P.S. – Check out this post over on EatGR.com, which included Life Is Fare in its Monday Mingle (Blogger Link Up) on July 14, 2014.

 

In Brooklyn: The Farm on Adderley

While on a recent trip to NYC, Bill and I had the opportunity to try a restaurant in Brooklyn that’s right up our alley: The Farm on Adderley. The restaurant aims “to bring thoughtfully produced food and ingredients to our community in a totally accessible way. Much of the way The Farm has evolved has been to pursue the principles of supporting local farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs as much as possible, making delicious food from that, and serving it in a completely honest way.” Those are the principles we like to eat by, at a place that lists its purveyors who supply the food for its ever-changing menu.

We were there after Daylight Savings Time ended, so it was dark. And this photo doesn’t do it justice.

I had the fluke (on the right) and we shared a green bean salad (on the left). Yummy, fresh, and low-key. We felt like we were having dinner at a neighbor’s home.

Located in a narrow old commercial building on Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park, its hidden gem is an outdoor garden in the back. Even on a chilly October evening, it was comfortable and pleasant.

From My Mother’s Recipe Box: Five of Five Christmas Puddings

On the fifth day of puddings I’m posting a Jewish recipe from My Mother’s Recipe Box, or so it says on the recipe card.

Kugel is a baked noodle pudding or casserole, according to Wikipedia. It’s similar to a pie and often made with egg noodles.The name comes from German kugel meaning “sphere, globe, ball”; the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round, puffed-up shape of the original dishes. Nowadays, however, kugels are often baked in square pans.

So, it’s really not a Christmas pudding. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Plus, I was running out of pudding recipes.

Happy holidays!

From My Mother’s Recipe Box: Four of Five Christmas Puddings

What’s the big deal about pudding anyway? I wonder if it was all the rage before ice cream was a possibility–that is, before the ice box or refrigerator made it possible to keep things cold and frozen. I remember Jell-O pudding when I was a kid. It was a yummy dessert that was easy to eat. Chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch…all yummy. Maybe it’s time to try making pudding again!

By the way, I have no idea what Hyannis sauce is. I assume it’s something from Massachusetts.

From My Mother’s Recipe Box: Three of Five Christmas Puddings

For the third of five pudding recipes in the countdown to Christmas, I posted this one for Orange Pudding from My Mother’s Recipe Box. If you can decipher my grandma’s handwriting, you might enjoy this citrus treat. My guess is the recipe comes from California, where my grandma was born.

From My Mother’s Recipe Box: Two of Five Christmas Puddings

Dates and Christmastime automatically go together. I’m not sure why, but they have appeared in desserts during the holidays as long as I remember.

Date pudding? I’ve never had it, but why not go retro this year and make a recipe for the holidays that brings you back to the 1960s?

From My Mother’s Recipe Box: One of Five Christmas Puddings

Where have all the puddings gone? I found several pudding recipes in My Mother’s Recipe Box that I wanted to share, and I figured the holiday season is the perfect time. So watch for a recipe a day during the five-day countdown til Christmas.

On the first day of pudding….what could be more intriguing than the Mystery Pudding? This recipe is from my great-grandmother. I think you can still find fruit cocktail in the grocery store!

Farmhouse Deli: A Good Option for Homemade

Bill and I are lucky to live near several farm-to-table restaurants here in West Michigan. And we do love to cook at home. But sometimes you just want to pick something up quickly to have for lunch or dinner when you don’t have stuff on hand.

The Farmhouse Deli in Douglas, Michigan, is a quick trip down the road for us and the perfect place to get homemade food created from fresh, local ingredients. It’s owned by our friend Chris Ferris, a fabulous chef who catered our wedding reception. The daily soup and specials are frequently posted on Facebook so “like” their page if you live in the area and you’ll be enticed to drop in. The food is irresistible.

I was enticed enough one day to get the Egg Salad artisan sandwich–on a ciabatta roll. OMG, it’s a must-try.

Check out the menu to make your mouth water. And stop in for lunch or dinner sometime.

Hutterite Bean Soup

I haven’t posted in a while because of some life changes so I was excited to try a new recipe and have the time to write about it!

I’ve never made Hutterite Bean Soup. I had never even heard of Hutterite beans until I saw them at the Holland Farmers Market. Locally grown by Shady Side Farm, the Hutterite variety is a white bean that’s not quite as soft as a navy bean.

Inspired by a recipe I found online, I took the Tuscan route, as I once did with another bean recipe I made.

First I soaked the beans overnight. If you don’t have the opportunity to plan ahead, you can always do the quick soak method, which is written on the back of the bean bag. Just put the beans, well covered in water, into a large pot. Bring to a boil for two minutes and remove from heat. Cover pot and soak for an hour. It’s a handy trick!

Here they are all plumped up with water, rinsed and drained.

In the stock pot I sautéed a whole onion (chopped) and a couple cloves of garlic (minced) in olive oil.

Then I added a ham hock. This one happened to be fresh, not smoked, so the meat looks more like pork than ham.

I browned the ham hock in the olive oil after pushing aside the onions and garlic. Then I added about 2 1/2 quarts of water. It would be great to use stock if you have it. Instead, I added a teaspoon of organic chicken bouillon, which is my back-up plan when I don’t have stock on hand. I also added dried sage (fresh would have been better!). Then I simmered the soup on the stove about two hours, until the ham hock meat was tender.

Once the meat was done, I removed it from the pot, pulled the meat off the bone, and returned the meat to the soup.

Then I added a bunch of lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves chopped.

Simmer another half hour or so until the kale is tender, and it’s soup! Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This could easily have been an excellent vegetarian recipe. With the beans and kale, you have a very nutritional meal easily devoured from a bowl.

School Lunches: Have They Really Changed?

So much is happening to improve school lunches in our country but it seems we still have a long way to go. Check out this slide show from Takepart.com. Sort of reminds me of lunches back in the 1970s, when I was in grade school.