Wishing You a Happy New Year!

Can you believe tomorrow is 2012? In a lot of ways, this year has flown by for us. It has been filled with all sorts of twists and turns and new adventures. Thank you following along and continuing to support us.

We hope you welcome the New Year safely, happily, and with heaps of delicious food!

From our little family, to yours, Happy New Year!

The Lawler Family

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Dead Simple Raw Kale Salad

As we were planning our holiday menu, I decided I wanted to round out our heavily roasted menu of beef, root vegetables, and potatoes with something fresh. A few weeks back I had a really wonderful raw kale salad while visiting a friend in New York City.

We had a bunch of kale to harvest, so I put a call out on our Facebook page requesting favorite kale salad recipes. Three lovely recipes were recommended to us: Raw Tuscan Kale Salad; Collard Green Coleslaw (swapping kale for collard greens); and Lemony Kale Salad.

But ultimately, when the day arrived, I decided to go with something super simple. Dead simple. And ya know what? It was delicious and super yummy.

Dead Simple Raw Kale Salad

Dead Simple Raw Kale Salad

2 bunches of kale
1/4 C of olive oil
1/4 C of lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
Zest of 1 lemon
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Strip the kale from the stalk and chop up the leaves. Chop until they are pretty small. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and zest together. Stir in salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Toss the dressing in the kale. A nice feature of this salad is that you can make it ahead of time and the leaves won't get wilty like other salads. It also holds up well for leftovers.

Kaylee says: eat your greens.

 

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AAR: Small Flock On-Farm Chicken Processing

Task: Process A Small Flock of Laying Hens For Use as Soup Birds

Conditions: Given 14 x 2.5 year old Rhode Island Red laying hens, 1 x non-squeamish human helper, 1 x Improvised 'killing cone' (inverted plastic gallon milk jug with bottom and top cut away enough so that an inverted chicken may be inserted and its head accessed through the 'spout' of the milk jug, makes cutting the chicken's throat and bleeding them out easier),1 x 5-gallon bucket for blood, 1 x precursor to the precursor of the "WhizBang Chicken Plucker" (old timey electric drum feather plucker we bought for $50, DIY whizbangs can be built for ~$100), 1 x portable table, cutting board, fillet knife, boning knife, and 1 x propane fired turkey frier or LARGE stock pot  with the ability to dunk one fully feathered bird in 140 degree water for up to 2 minutes to loosen the feathers to aid in defeathering)

The Drum is spun by a 4HP motor and plucks the bath loosened feathers off easily.

Standards: Process each bird, from killing stroke to fully eviscerated, de-feathered and placed into deep freeze, in no more than 30 minutes per bird and in batches no less than 7 birds per day initially, in any weather conditions above 0 degrees F, while retaining all desirable extras such as feet, hearts, and livers.

Basically, you catch a chicken, hold it upside down by its feet (all the blood rushing to its head 'calms' it making transport easier), place it head first into the inverted gallon milk jug with the bottom and top cut away.  You might have to help guide its head out the bottom of the 'cone'.  Place the still inverted chicken over the 5 gallon bucket, locate its jugular vein and carotid artery on the sides of its neck being sure to move as many feathers out of the way as possible, slice the veins/arteries ensuring not to cut the wind-pipe.  Allow the chicken to bleed out for ~2min.  Once spasms/twitching has ceased, we removed the heads, then dunked them into ~140 degree water fully for ~2min or until feathers along the wing tips pulled out easily.  Transferred them to the plucker, plucked them, pulled any remaining feathers by hand, took the now naked chicken back to the propane burner and singed off any remaining hairs, (this also allegedly kills the naturally occurring low-level strains of salmonella that live on the skin of most ground based poultry) <-- could totally be an old wive's tale, I haven't seen the science, then took to the butchering table, eviscerated them in accordance with the multitude of 'DIY chicken processing videos' available on YouTube, rinsed them off, hydro-chilled them, bagged and placed them into the deep freeze.

We averaged ~20-25 min. per bird which we felt wasn't bad and was a comfortable pace.  It was near freezing and our equipment layout was optimized and we were utter n00bs so I would venture that 15-20 min. per bird is a valid goal for our second attempt.

AAR:
Improves: 
1. proper knife sharpening equipment on site.  No matter how careful you are, your knives will dull fast unless you can somehow totally defeather the areas you are making the killing cuts in (you can't).  I would bring every piece of knife sharpening gear I have as well as honing rods to the next event because trying to put an edge back onto blades with sub-standard stones in freezing weather is not a good time.

2. bring one of those long stick lighters for the propane stove.  We had a normal lighter and a piece of wood that we had to use to try and light the burner every time we needed to heat the water back up or get as flame to singe the birds.  This was not ideal.

Sustain: 
1. I felt we conducted adequate research online via web sites and videos regarding small scale chicken processing so that we had a fairly good idea of what we were trying to do.  Having smart phones on-site capable of pulling up those reference videos also helped if we needed to see a certain step-again.  Googling for video results the phrase "humane chicken processing" will show you most of the videos we watched to get us started. The two below were the most helpful.

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A Light and Late Thanksgiving Side

Thanksgiving seems eons away and Christmas is right around the corner, but I still wanted to share this lovely salad that we made for this year's feast.

We spent holiday in Buffalo this year and co-hosted with my brother and sister-in-law at their house. We were responsible for a turkey and a couple of side dishes (including mashed potatoes made from our own Yukon golds!). I wanted to do something with butternut squash, but was not finding anything too inspiring.

Then, the night before Thanksgiving (of course), I came across this recipe from the local blog Brown Eyed Baker. Check her site out for some wickedly delicious recipes. I liked the idea of a salad to help offset all of the heavy traditional dishes. Plus, it's pretty!

A couple of tips: I doubled the recipe since we had a large group. Next time, I'd leave the dressing on the side so leftovers don't get wilty. I ended up not roasting the cranberries or toasting the walnuts and it still turned out good.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Photo by Brown Eyed Baker

1 (1 to 1½-lb) butternut squash, peeled and ¾-inch diced
2 tablespoons + ½ cup olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
¾ cup apple cider (can substitute apple juice)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula (or mixed greens), washed and dried
½ cup walnuts, toasted
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to evenly coat the butternut squash. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once, until the squash is tender. Add the cranberries to the pan during the last 5 minutes.

3. While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, the vinegar and the shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about ¼ cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, ½ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.

4. Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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Aaaand...We're Back

It's been a bit quiet around here the past couple of weeks due to our post-season vacation. And by vacation, we mean some good quality video game playing for Brett and book reading for Kristie.

But we're back in the saddle and gearing up for projects both at home and on the farm. The biggest news from the past couple of weeks is that our chickens have decided they are done laying eggs. We're getting about one egg a week these days. We actually had to go buy eggs for the first time in 1.5 years!

No eggs means it's time for them to become chicken soup. Our goal is to process all of our 15 birds this week. And since it's our first time doing this, I'm sure there will be lots of lessons learned so wish us luck! We'll keep everyone posted.

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Thank You!

Kaylee wanted to say thanks too.

As the season draws to a close, we wanted take a moment and thank everyone for helping make our second season a success. We are incredibly grateful for our regular customers who visited our farm stand nearly every week, as well as all of the new customers we gained this year. Not only are we thankful for your support, but we also enjoy chatting with you all whether it's about the latest recipe, tips for backyard gardening, or the Pittsburgh food and drink scene. We will miss these conversations over the winter, but keep keep in touch and we look forward to seeing you all next season.

There were plenty of highs and lows this year, with lots of experience gained and wisdom learned. The heavy rains in early spring led to a late start and the drought in July stumped our plans for winter squash, but the sunshine and mild temps in August and September kept us in tomatoes and peppers until the first frost in late October.

And we have big plans this upcoming year. We have applied for a $5,000 grant through Lundberg Family Farms to build a hoop house, which will allow us to extend our season. We find out in December so wish us luck! We will be doing a complete overhaul of our website, which we hope will become a great resource for recipes, farm news, and food system information. And on the home front, we will be finalizing our kitchen renovation, organizing our basement, and constructing a walk-in cooler. Oh and we'd like a little time to rest and rejuvenate too. We'll have time for all of this right? Especially with a increasingly mobile infant?

So thank you again for a great season. We look forward to an even better and bountiful 2012.

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Veteran's Day 2011

Eighteen veterans commit suicide each day. We at Serenity Valley Farm strive to build a place where veterans can come and not only find employment but a new sense of purpose and camaraderie, one that builds, nurtures, and focuses on creative energy, instead of destructive energy.  Our overall mission in these early years is to establish systems, build infrastructure, and increase productivity to the point where we are able to reach out to returning veterans and offer them a place to come and heal.  We are incredibly grateful to our readers and customers who have supported us and our mission thus far.  Happy Veteran's Day.

Kristie and I the night I returned from my second tour in Iraq

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Farm Stand Postponed to Sunday, October 29

We thought we were tough, but then we saw the snow on the ground. Since it's our last week, we still wanted to set up at some point this weekend so we're going to try out Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The forecast is calling for sunshine so hopefully you guys will still be able to come out. You might even get to see one adorable 9-month-old dressed in her Halloween costume!

As a reminder, here's this week's list of produce:

White Fingerling Potatoes

Red Potatoes

Turnips

Daikon Radishes

Kale

Butternut Squash (from Clarion River Organics) 

Kuri Squash (from Clarions River Organics)

Heirloom Tomatoes
Green Tomatoes (Makes some awesome fried green tomatoes!)

Green Peppers
Paprika Peppers

Jalapenos

Lettuce
Garlic

Homemade Jalapeno Jelly

Homemade Sassafras Jelly

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LAST FARM STAND OF THE SEASON 29OCT

We cannot believe it's already the end of October.  We cannot believe that we still have tomatoes. This weekend will be our final Saturday stand for 2011. We've just picked the very last of our tomatoes and peppers from the bush and we've dug some tasty white potato fingerlings and some frost sweetened turnips!  Come on out and say hi and bye till next spring!

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Blawnox.

White Fingerling Potatoes

Red Potatoes

Turnips

Daikon Radishes

Winter greens

Butternut Squash (from Five Elements Farm) 

Kuri Squash (from Clarions River Organics)

Green Peppers
Sweet Peppers

Jalapenos

Lettuce
Garlic
Tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, yellow pear)

Homemade Jalapeno Jelly

Homemade Sassafras Jelly

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National Food Day and Easy Crockpot Applesauce

Did you know today, October 24, 2011, is the first National Food Day? In case you haven't heard of it, the goal is to inspire a broad movement for producing healthy, affordable food in a sustainable, humane way. More specifically, here are its six goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers.

In the spirit of this day and in the spirit of Kristie's favorite season, we decided to make some homemade applesauce. Unfortunately we don't have our own apples yet (trees are in the ground but it will be several years), so we turned to our trusty source for all things local and organic that we don't grow, Clarion River Organics. These apples are truly organic. They're not the prettiest and not the biggest, but dang they are delicious. Such a pure, raw apple flavor. And their Red Delicious variety is sweet, which is perfect for our applesauce because we don't like to add sugar. So when choosing apples, make sure to choose sweet varieties not tart ones like Granny Smith or you'll need to add sugar to the recipe. And please buy organic if possible. Apples topped the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list this year as being the fruit or vegetable that is most contaminated with pesticides. 

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

• Peel, core, and slice at least 8 apples, or you can fill up the crock pot. This part takes the longest. We are definitely in the market for one of those deluxe corer/peeler/slicers.
• Toss all apples into the crockpot.
• Throw in 1/2 to 1 Cup of water.
• Sprinkle in cinnamon to taste (optional).
• Set on low for 8 hours.
• Mash it with a fork or potato masher.

And you're done! Applesauce can be frozen or canned for later use.

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October 22 Farm Stand

First I'd like to say thank you to everyone who came out last week. That wind was ferocious. But our tent survived as well as the jalapeno jelly that went flying after an extra strong gust. And we're still going! It may be frigid out there right now, but we have veggies to harvest! 

That being said, the end is near. This Saturday will be our second to last farm stand. We have decided to close up at the end of the month, so our last farm stand will be October 29.  This will allow us to both a) not freeze our pants off each week and b) get some work done around the farm before the snow comes. Hope to see you before the end of the season!

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Blawnox.

Red Potatoes

Turnips

Daikon Radishes

Winter greens

Butternut Squash (from Five Elements Farm) 

Acorn Squash (from Five Elements Farm)

Green Peppers
Sweet Peppers

Jalapenos

Lettuce
Garlic
Tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, yellow pear)

Homemade Jalapeno Jelly

Homemade Sassafras Jelly

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October 15 Farm Stand

We've got potatoes! Red, delicious potatoes. With all of the rain in August, our potato plants got a big kick in the ass and really flourished. Our greens are slowly starting to mature and our tomatoes are hanging on for dear life. And honestly, our heirloom tomatoes taste better now than they did 2 months ago. Who knew?


We hope to keep the farm stand open a couple more weeks, as long as the weather is nice and the produce is plentiful. We'll keep you posted on this site week to week.

Gift-ready Homemade Jalapeno Jelly 

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Blawnox.

Red Potatoes!

Turnips

Daikon Radishes

Winter greens

Butternut Squash (from Five Elements Farm) 

Acorn Squash (from Five Elements Farm)

Green Peppers
Spicy Paprika Peppers
Ancho Peppers
Jalapenos

Tomatoes (heirloom, yellow pear, cherry tomato)

Homemade Jalapeno Jelly

Lettuce
Garlic
Eggs

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Healthy Butternut Squash Muffins

I recognize that I've only been posting muffin recipes lately. I think it's because I always forget to take a picture of regular food before I scarf it down. I'm not going to eat a dozen muffins at one sitting -- at least on most days.

These muffins are so incredibly good and a healthy alternative to the store-bought, calorie-laden version. The original recipe is actually for a pumpkin muffin, but butternut squash is what we had in the house. Muffins freeze really well so they're a great healthy snack/breakfast to have on hand.

If you're looking to reduce the sugar for kids or yourself, view the notes at the bottom. We make the reduced sugar and salt version for our 8-month-old and she loves them.

Butternut Squash Muffins

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour (can substitute all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar*
3 tablespoons maple syrup or unsulphered molasses*
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup pureed butternut squash
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, maple syrup, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the squash and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined.

Fill the prepared muffin pan using a 1/4 measuring cup. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 15 minutes.

*Reduce-Sugar/Salt Substitutes: 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 T of maple syrup, 1/4 tsp of salt
.

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