Fat of the Land

There have been few new foods consumed this week on vacation in Richfield Springs, NY, on G&T Farms, but I'm eagerly awaiting my first taste of beef fed on beautiful, natural grasses (timothy grass, clover, dandelions, yarrow, Queen Anne's lace, and so much more). The cows are calm, their coats shiny, their eyes bright. They'll be harvested in about four-six months, a moment of truth for all the work and strategizing and money that's been put into this enterprise.

The weather has certainly been in G&T's favor. When it's not gloriously sunny with a gentle breeze, it's been pouring down rain in sheets. Upstate NY in summer sure beats the hell out of the barren trees against fields of snow of winter. Could I make a life up here in this unspoilt, depressed, unpopulated, falling-down, self-sufficient community? No, I could not. But I'm selfish enough to want to feed off its bounty.

Give me a chowder, hold the cream

The trend in recipe creation these days is to take a classic and turn it inside out: put a lobster roll into a broth or a corn chowder into a salad bowl. The Fabulous Beekman Boys of Planet Green TV are publishing THE BEEKMAN 1802 HEIRLOOM COOKBOOK, making use of what they grow on their magnificent farm in Sharon Springs, NY. I have to admit, it's delicious! No, the buttery broth is gone, but what's left is sweet corn, potatoes and red bell pepper browned in bacon fat, bacon, and red onion (which can overpower everything else, if you're not careful). Use a spoon, you don't want to leave one smidgeon of that lovely bacon fat behind!

Strawberry Season

July 4th and strawberries coincide nicely. I got out Betty Crocker's EASY ENTERTAINING and made the strawberry muffins with streusel topping for the neighbors who are staying put this weekend and Audrey Brown. Delicious strawberry flavor! A very soft crumb contrasts nicely with the crunchy walnut-and-brown-sugar streusel on top. I had to stop myself from eating two right out of the oven!