The Beet-ing of the Tell-Tale Heart...

Hi everyone!  Well, if the weatherman proves to be accurate this season, we should expect our first frost tonight.  And right on schedule - to the day - for the average first frost dates for Athens area.  October 25th…curious…

So, make sure to do one last harvest for those lingering summer things, pull down your warm, cozy clothes, and crank up the heater!

Although our summer garden suffered this year, this fall we are turning over a new leaf - so to speak.  Our garden abounds with glorious greens and ravishing root veggies. 

Of late, our table has flourished with ruby red beets crested with resplendent emerald crowns.   This week, I take a page from Tom Robbins (the master of anthropomorphization and metaphors) as we explore that mysterious, hermetic root food - the beet.

“TODAY’S SPECIAL”

Chapter One. “Jitterbug Perfume” by Tom Robbins

The beet is the most intense of vegetables.  The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion.  Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity.  Beets are deadly serious.

The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one most willing to suffer.  You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip…

The beet is the murderer returned to the scene of the crime…The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized…

An old Ukranian proverb warns, “A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil.”  That is a risk we have to take.

This is one of my favorite writings of any food, and of many writings for that matter. It is somehow perfect for the season and the advent of Halloween – as the beet that Robbins describes can only be the protagonist and narrator of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”  A great pre-Halloween tale and of course leads my train of thought on to our affable scarecrow, Skedgar Allan Crow….and what’s more autumn-ish and Halloween-y than a scarecrow?

Anyway, back to beets – such a sweet, earthy, ancient food and a paragon of health…beets have a place in old wives tales the world over.  

If you’re in the Czech Republic and craving beets – you may be pregnant…oh, and it’s a girl.  

If you’re in Amish country and eat beet dyed pickled eggs on New Year’s Eve, you will have a lucky year.  

The Romans considered beets to be an aphrodisiac and the belief that a man and woman eating from the same beet will fall in love is one that persists today in Italy.  

And in the Ukraine?  Well, as Robins has said, “A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil.”

It’s a risk I’m willing to take!  And here’s why…

• ·      Beets contain betaine – a naturally occurring substance that relaxes the mind and is used to treat depression (funny for such a deadly serious, melancholy vegetable!)
• ·      It also contains the same tryptophan found in chocolate that creates a sense of wellbeing.
• ·      Beets are an excellent source of folic acid and is therefore recommended to women pregnant or planning to become pregnant
• ·      When cooked, beets become a great source of folate that can protect you against high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, and dementia

So, there you have it, if anyone out there needed a reason to eat beets…

This week, try our beautiful ruby red gems roasted and served over a salad, boiled, or shredded and made into “pancakes” with rosemary, sautéed and served over a bed of mashed taters…oh!  And the greens are great sautéed or fresh!  Yum…..

What we have this week.

• ·      Beef
• ·      Eggs
• ·      Beets!
• ·      Arugula
• ·      Kale
• ·      Turnips and turnip greens
• ·      Cucumbers
• ·      Zucchini
• ·      Peppers
• ·      Pottery

Hope to see you all Saturday!

For the love of community and all things farming,

Your local farmers,

Will, Matt, John & Dana

Two Wild and Crazy Guys...A Tribute to Our Bulls.

Hi-ya folks! 

Fall is here – the weather has finally turned once again to the crisp and cool - and to usher in the season, the Fall Festival has arrived!  This Saturday the Oconee Farmers Market will be running from 8am-5pm, running along side the Fall Festival, downtown Watkinsville!

We will be there this weekend with a table brimming over with beef, eggs, fall veggies, pottery (wine cups are in…and going FAST!), and other farm crafts and such.   Other vendors will also be bringing their fall finest and across the street more artisans and craft folks will be gathered for one big fall-palooza!

a tribute...

In this week’s email I will forego the recipes and meat talk….some of you may have grown weary of strictly beef emails – and I must admit, I’m running out of beef puns.  So this week – I am changing things up a bit – well, slightly.  This week, I thought y’all may like to get to know the bulls who sire our meat….I will preface this all by saying – the remaining contents of this email may be considered PG-13 and any stereotypes are purely anecdotal. Enjoy.

anthropomorphization is the name of the game.

(Try saying that 5 times fast!)

Our bulls and our mama cows never go in for slaughter – they are the constants, the ones we get to name…and sometimes even go so far as to ascribe anecdotal, human attributes…because don't we all love to anthropomorphize the animals we love?

Of the moms, to a name a few….we have Big Mama – a 1300 lb good-natured, nurturing Simmental, Ms. Pear – so dubbed for her short little pencil legs, and her exaggerated pear shaped belly – especially when pregnant she seems to defy the very science of gravity itself...Dotty who always produces the prettiest little heifers, and, of course, Doofus – a charlais, who really lives up to her name….

We have over 40 mamas…so, I won’t go into all of them now.

But we only have 2 bulls. Al and Ug.  They are the studs and the breadwinners for the farm. We count on their genetics to produce the highest quality grass fed beef around.  Although they spend most of their days languidly grazing, keeping each other company…waiting to be called into “action.”  And when such day arrives, their personalities really come alive...

Hi, my name is…

Al.

Let’s start with Al.  Most of you already know Al from our Piedmontese brochures.  He’s our ace in the hole – a gourmet breed.

His full name is Alrigo…Alrigo Breedlove Powers.  Alrigo, meaning “Ruler of the Estate.”  But when he’s out and about town, cruising the local tri-state malls, he goes by Al.  He’s purely Italian by heritage, but born in the U.S. of A.

He wears track suits, or designer jeans when he’s feeling fancy with the top 3 buttons unbuttoned to show off his freshly waxed chest.   He’s a weightlifter, has a tanning bed in his basement.  He’s very sweet natured…his big, brown doe eyes and sculpted body will charm the socks right off the ladies.

He has the appeal and looks of a Casanova…a Fabio…a Valentino – but all the discretion of a Mike “The Situation” from Jersey Shore.  In the first 2 weeks of breeding season, he was temporarily taken out due to an injury sustained by his “overeagerness.”   When asked just how the injury happened– his trainer Willy P. shrugged and answered, “Well, we call it the ‘young bull’ syndrome...”

Ug.

Ug is a limousine-angus.  The Old Bull.  And the more seasoned of the two.  Where Al, may have the energy and endurance of youth, Ug has the wisdom of experience.

He is the Barry White of bulls.  “Ug the Seducer.”  He is as smooth and as sleek as the limousine he just stepped out of.

He has a Jheri Curl…drinks Courvoisier - a fine cognac.  He wears the colors of seduction: deep reds, burgundy, plum…silks and polyester…fancy suits and alligator shoes.  As Al, Ug also wears his shirt unbuttoned, 3 buttons down – in his case, to show off his mane of manliness – his chest hair.

Polyamorous?  Yes.  Chivalrous?  Always.  He will spend days on end with one single lady…shading her from the sun – cooing and serenading her in tones deep as crushed velvet.

When asked about his opinion on Al’s injury and having to temporarily take on the work of two bulls, Ug replied, “It’s all gravy, baby.  You see, Al’s just young - he ran on down the hill to have his way with one of the cows…where as I will walk, and have my way with them all.”

the moral...

And there you have it...our "two wild and crazy guys..."  I guess the moral, if there is one, of the age old adage of the two bulls is...

In this fast pace world of ours... take your time.  You'll get more accomplished and probably will have a lot more fun in the process... 

what we will have this week.

• beef, beef, beef!
• farm fresh eggs
• arugula
• beets and their greens
• kale
• peppers
• turnip greens
• pottery
• other farm crafts and maybe some baked goods too!

So...be there or be square, folks!  :)

For the love of community and all things farming....

Your local farmers,

Willy P., Savage, Johnny B., and me

The Pastures of Rose Creek, LLC
1051 Rose Creek Drive
Watkinsville, GA 30677
706.254.9391
575.613.2029

...my kingdom for a brisket!

Hello everyone!

Well,we are a little behind the eight ball this week as we announce the end of the Oconee Tuesday Market - which had it's last market of the season last Tuesday.

But not to fear! - the Saturday Oconee Farmers Market will be abundant this weekend until Thanksgiving with fall veggies, farm fresh eggs, a variety of grass fed meats, cheeses, plants, crafts and so much more!

And now....onto the beef.

beef to the people.

That's right folks - beef is back in!  A correction from last week - the estimation was 750 lbs of beef - which was estimated by Will balancing 3 beef-filled freezers with one hand while he juggled flawlessly a dozen farm fresh eggs in the other!

...Ok, well maybe not - but it would make a great metaphor for the balancing act of a  farm manager and certainly makes for a good story. :)  Perhaps it will become a side show attraction at the market...hmmmm....as long as they don't ask me to be the bearded lady...

Anyway -  we actually have over 900 lbs of beef packed away in those freezers and it is already going fast!!!  See our attached brochure for more info and pricing.

This week we'll focus on 1 of the 9 primal cuts - BRISKET!

a brisket! a brisket! my kingdom for a brisket!

Brisket - a humble, yet prominent tradition in many food cultures around the globe - in the US, has historically been reserved for those preparing for Passover, or deeply enmeshed in BBQ culture, or from Texas (although these last two may be synonymous).   And so, unless you were apart of any of these 3 scenarios - you may not have known, or even have heard of brisket....let alone know how to cook it.

Furthermore, in these parts of the nation, when you brought a cow into the local abattoir - they would instinctively make it into ground beef and if you were to ask for the brisket - they would have looked at you side ways.  Today, that's not so much the case. 

Brisket is gaining notoriety for being a tender and savory cut of meat that can be versatile in it's uses.  So why the change in opinion?  Well you could chalk it up to the world getting smaller and heirloom recipes being passed, not just hand to hand, but from blog site to blog site, email to email, youtube to youtube - oh the glorious inter web!...foodie cooking shows could also play a part...

Or, it's just so darn good - it really speaks for itself!  And since, there is a limited number per cow and combined with it's gaining popularity - brisket is in high demand.

This week you can try it Piedmontese style with an amazing recipe sent to us by one of our brisket enthusiasts and her "Beef Brisket French Dips" 

the recipe.

Recipe adapted from Tom Perini’s Texas Brisket recipe and Zest Exciting Food Creations, Indianapolis, IN
Serves 4
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/3 tablespoon garlic powder
1/3 tablespoon onion powder
1/3 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/3 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoons dry mustard
1 bay leaf, crushed
1.5 pounds (approx.) Pastures of Rose Creek beef brisket
1 cup beef stock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 lg. sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lg. purple onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch sugar
11.5 oz. baguette (I used Trader Joe’s ciabatta)

·      1/4 lb. chilled Cambozola, Castello or other triple-cream blue cheese, sliced
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

·      Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard, and bay leaf. Pat dry raw brisket and season on both sides with the rub. Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

·      Add beef stock and enough water to yield about 1/2 inch of liquid in the roasting pan. Lower oven to 300 degrees F., cover pan tightly and continue cooking for 3 hours, or until fork-tender.

·      About 45 minutes from meat being done, heat olive oil and butter in large pan, add onions and slowly sauté, adding salt and sugar. Cook until caramelized.

·      Let meat rest outside of oven for about 5 minutes. Cut baguette into quarters, split quarters in half then broil, cut sides up, on a cookie sheet until lightly toasted.

·      Pull meat apart with 2 forks and layer on toasted bread. Top with braising juices. Pile caramelized onions on top of beef. Top all with cheese and return to broiler just until cheese is melted.

·      Best paired with beer!

other offerings...

• farm fresh eggs
• beets
• cucumbers
• some arugula and kale
• BISCOTTI!!

Alrighty folks!  Hope to see you Saturday!

For the love of community and all things farming,

Will, Matt, John & Dana