Skating and walking away my vacation!

The vacation has been a good thing for me giving me time to re-energize and it is the best time of year to take a rest. Looking at everything in the greenhouses since the last harvest and realizing they have barely budged reminds me that this is a good time for everything to rest; plants and me, but don't tell that to the piglets they are growing like weeds!! They are emptying their feeder in half the time since before we left for Santa Cruz!! Santa Cruz was wonderful, which included my morning walks along West Cliff, shopping downtown with my husband and watching all the "interesting" events that happen there, and a day in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco at the Academy of Science. Christmas was a nice quiet event at home starting with the children's mass on Christmas Eve, which is always neat to attend. For the first time in almost 20 years we slept in on Christmas day, but maybe that was because my 20 year old was sick, she usually is the one up at 4 am!! Today we went roller skating as a family, and I won't tell you how long it has been since I skated, it will definitely give my age away, and let's just say walking tomorrow may be interesting. My vacation technically ends today with the rest of the week back outside planting!! What beautiful weather for it too!! I am re-energized and of course my brain was going over plans of planting and for the meat operation while I was away, and if things go well I will have some great surprises coming up, but no more until I have some details taken care of!! Merry Christmas everyone....remember to keep the spirit throughout the year!! Moonstruck signing out for the last time in 2011!!

Poor Molly

Molly finally had to go to the doctor for that magical surgery that stops me from having more work to do...no I do not want puppies!! (BTW she is only two days old in the picture). She also had her dew claws removed. They looked like they were just going to catch on a bush and rip right off. She is completely miserable with a cone that is two times too big so tomorrow I am going to the pet supply to try and find something better. She just drops her head to the floor, but I am terrified she will tear her stitches out. The bandages come off the feet Friday, but no spinning 360s in the driveway on the way to the animals for up to two weeks. We took her to Animal Medical Center in Hesperia and they were very affordable and took great care of Molly and were very nice people. We have a house sitter coming to take care of her while we are gone so she will not be alone. It was weird today not having her here....I caught myself holding the door for her, and turning around to call her and it was really quiet with her nails not tapping across the wood floors. I didn't think I would miss her that much, but she is a major part of my routine around here. The last of the pork is being delivered Thursday and Friday. I will be in Wrightwood Friday morning if anyone wants any turkey. I have one whole turkey, breasts, thighs and legs left. Sorry the spicy sausage and ground turkey is sold out, but I will try and make some more after Christmas. We are working with a local processor that is trying to get set up for processing USDA beef and pork....that means I can sell by the cut!! Wish us luck!! Merry Christmas everyone and thank you as always for all your wonderful support...especially all the email messages and kind thoughts sent my way!! Moonstruck signing out!

Simmering stock and falling snow!

Turkey and beef stock simmering on the wood stove. Some of my favorite things to do...turn off the outdoor irrigation and use the wood stove to do double duty...heat my home and simmer stock, and boy does it smell good in here!! Fresh bread cooking in the bread maker. Meghan is taking the time to make a Pralines and Cream Pecan Carmel muffin recipe she has been wanting to make since to say the least she is not running today and she was able to bake since we received 3 more eggs today than usual making it a total of 6!! The good news is that it looks like some of them are coming out of moult and between that and the days lengthening after the 22nd we will have eggs for you again....sorry my family goes through 3-4 dozen a week themselves so we have not even had what we need and have been on egg rationing. I checked on the pigs and they were tucked in under a pile of straw with only a stripe of pink or two showing. Filet was outside in the rain and snow all day...she usually is in her shelter...she must love the moisture!! Molly as tiny as she is did not show the slightest hesitation at the cold galloping happily everywhere! One of my favorite things about snow days is the peaceful silence. Most neighbors stay home and so all the noise we are conditioned to disappears and it feels as though the whole world has stopped or at least slowed down. It was not completely silent since as soon as the goats saw me they started bellowing and I could almost understand "make it go away!!!". They don't "do wet". The chickens were running around happy to have the ground wet so they could peck away for bugs....maybe that is why we received a few extra eggs...extra protein!! Back to soup making and turkey cutting. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Wow are the days short!!

Today started with the unfreezing of water lines and water bowls for the animals. I went to pour a tea kettle of boiling water on the metal pipe for the pig's nipple and within 2 seconds one of them figured out what I was trying to do and started sucking as hard as he could on it....the teamwork succeeded and within 30 seconds water was flowing!! I love pigs; they are such awesome animals. Later on I was nervously harvesting as I always am at this time of year due to everythings slow growth pattern, I realized that at about 2:30 pm the sun went behind the mountain enough to shadow the entire new greenhouse, and I asked myself why do I stress...there is nothing I can about the length of day at this time of year!! I tell myself each year I should close the whole month of December, but then the weather was so beautiful right up to mid November that I just could not do it. I even put zucchini on the shopping list this week. Of course I am going to have to short some orders because the 28 degree clear night we had last night finally took the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and nasturtiums out in the greenhouses! Sorry no nasturtiums in this week's Moonstruck Salad Mix, but I did manage to throw in some pretty yellow broccoli flowers. I am still spinning here from being so behind, and quitting the market as heart breaking as it was to do it was a wise decision and to be honest I should have done it four months before I did. I just keep making note of the goals that we have reached and the fact that I have the "infrastructure" now to grow all that we need and more. We may even have a chance to grow at an alternative site that will become a community garden, but all that produce will be dedicated to the St. Vincent De Paul's Food Pantry. Another exciting project coming up for 2012. In the meantime we will be taking a little vacation from December 16 to December 30th...a little rest and a little work. In case I don't have a chance to write again....Merry Christmas everyone!!

Christmas Turkeys

Fortunately and unfortunately the Bashaws had quite a few last minute cancellations. The good news is that there are Christmas turkeys available, but only for a limited time. In about a week I am going to start making turkey sausage!! If you want a Christmas turkey please let me know and we will get you taken care of. The first batch of Moonstruck pork goes to butcher early tomorrow morning, and I know I can't wait to get my honey cured bacon back! The next batch goes to butcher in March 2012, and we will have Pork CSA shares available at that time.

It has been so beautiful the green onions, radishes and even lettuce are doing beautifully outside. Moonstruck Salad Mix is available this week, and Asian Greens are next on the list. Savoy cabbages are doing beautifully in the new greenhouse, and the summer vegies are alive!! It takes about 3 weeks to grow a single zucchini so extending the season does not work due to the late days, but it proves that starting early will not be a problem at all especially since I know I was germinating last year during freezing temps!

Phelan may have an opportunity to have a community garden!! If you are interested please let me know so we can keep track of who in the community would like to take advantage of this. Have a great week everyone!! Moonstruck signing out.

Turkey Stock and Brine Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Basic Vegetable Stock
For Turkey Brine or Soup
(You need a double recipe for the brine)
(You can buy vegetable stock if you want too, but this is really good).

1 tablespoon olive oil 8 sprigs of fresh parsley (3-4 tsp dried)
1 large onion 6 sprigs fresh thyme (1-2 tsp dried)
2 stalks celery, including some leaves 2 bay leaves
2 large carrots 1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch green onions, chopped 8 cups water
8 cloves garlic, minced

Directions
Chop scrubbed vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Remember the greater the surface area, the more quickly vegetables will yield their flavor.
Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables.
Other ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, fennel (stalks and trimmings), bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings…Get the idea?

Good Eats Roast Turkey
Recipe Courtesy Alton Brown (My Husbands calls him “my boyfriend”).

For the brine: For the aromatics:
1 cup kosher salt 1 red apple, sliced
1/ cup light brown sugar ½ onion, sliced
1 gallon vegetable stock (double of the 1 cinnamon stick
provided recipe) 1 cup water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns 4 sprigs rosemary
½ tablespoon allspice berries 6 leaves of sage
½ tablespoon candied ginger Canola oil
(I rarely use the ginger)
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (on day like today I just put in the garage). Early on the day of cooking (or late the night before…I always do the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket or ice chest. (You can get food grade buckets from donut shops and bakeries). Place thawed turkey breast side down in a brine, cover and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement or garage) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil. Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 ½ hours of roasting. (Remember fresh turkey speeds this up quite a bit, watch your temperature, loose leg and clear juices). Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

What to be thankful for.

This last year has been a major year of change and a lot of growing pains. I know traditionally you look back at the year at New Years, but this is usually the time I look back and find all the things that I am grateful for. I am so grateful for my time with the Bashaws to have had the opportunity to learn the business under their watchful eye that now I feel 100% confident stepping in. I am grateful for the time at the Wrightwood Market and getting to meet all the customers and get to experience "going to market". Unfortunately I did find out this year that I needed to make some changes in order to have time for my family, which will be grown soon and out the door, and time to continue the growth of the CSA and the farm itself. I am still incredibly behind of where I want to be, but at the same time I have to look at what I have accomplished especially the foundation that has been built. We have two greenhouses that I know from experience have the ability to produce tremendous amounts of food. I have two fields outdoors that need a little bird netting but otherwise are fertile and with the help of a few more bees will be abundant producers of organic farm fresh produce. I have new fields out front that will produce the great onions, garlic, leeks and shallots that we know from experience are fresh, moist and sweet when grown here at the farm. There are 70 fruit trees on their way here in January including all kinds of apples that the current orchards do not grow, Winesap, Granny Smith and more. The egg laying operation is being run by the pros, the hens, and they are doing a fine job with very little supervision. We ran a test run of meat chickens to find out costs, and have been enjoying wonderful farm fresh chicken again (I left the Bashaw chicken for the customers who are not lucky to be able to raise it themselves). The pork operation is in full swing and doing well minus a few incidents with the pigs trying to "root' or dig to China, and trying to bust out to see the new piglets! Filet is filling out beautifully and I don't know if I can ever raise anything but Black Angus....they are so handsome! Michael is forming forms everywhere so that the final concrete can go in for a few retaining walls, a large patio (future event area), and the beds out front will be colored concrete raised beds...time to start making things "pretty" around here. For all of those that have passed through my life...thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.