* Please be aware some of the pictures below are graphic. This Past Sunday Gabe and I did the unexpected and traveled to Lacona, IA to help Coyote Run Farm on a chore. The chore? Well, this may sound gruesome but we went to help butcher 100 spent laying hens. Why on Earth would we ever want to do that for? Well, FREE chicken meat! That was the deal. Come and help and in exchange we were offered a farm fresh meal and free-range chickens that we helped slaughter. I really couldn't say no to the ... continue reading...
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
It's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day! To celebrate I decided to use my freshly picked strawberries and locally grown rhubarb to make a simple cobbler. I hope you enjoy! ... continue reading...
Monday’s with Mami – Caldo Gallego
I was excited to find a huge bunch of turnip greens for $1 at the Downtown Farmers' Market this morning. I knew right away that I wanted to use them to make a caldo Gallego before the summer heat sets in. Turnip greens are the greens that grow above the root of the turnip. Many people compost them and just eat the root, however, the greens are supercharged with nutrients. Vitamins A, K, C, folate, calcium, iron, and much more! This recipe is the traditional soup of Galicia. The turnip greens ... continue reading...
Homemade Cultured Butter
Homemade Butter! Before I became a locavore (local foodie), I had assumed that we no longer made butter because it was a long and tedious task. In my head were thoughts of a woman hunched over laboring over a churn to have butter at the table ready for breakfast. That and the deceiving notion that butter is bad for us led me to buy chemical induced margarine. Hey, I thought it was healthier. Isn't that what they told us? It turns out that butter is excellent source of vitamins, ... continue reading...
Empanadillas de Atún
An empanadilla is a smaller version of the empanada. It's a fried turnover. In Spain, empanadillas are commonly eaten as a tapa or as a first course. My mother used to make this for us as a meal served with a cold gazpacho soup or veggies. They do take a bit longer to prepare as you have to make the dough first, stuff them, and then fry them. However, if you do take the time, maybe over a weekend, you will not regret it. ... continue reading...
