Late August: Where does the time go?!!

Boy howdy, it's been a long time since I got a blog post done! Sorry about that--there's been a lot going on! 

First off, in this share: 

• Rib Steaks (2)
• Ground Beef
• Pork Sausage or Ground Pork (or Lamb Sausage for No-Pork shares)
• Chicken!

Our livestock steward, Katy Riley, shared a great recipe for that pastured chicken--see below for details.

In other news, GOATS! We've added goats to our repertoire in a partnership with our Trustees colleagues at Chestnut Hill Farm, Weir River Farm and elsewhere. The goat-herd is based at Chestnut, but spends the summer grazing season performing brush-clearing and invasive-plant management duties at Moose Hill, Weir River, and eventually other Trustees properties.

Watch for them on Instagram:

@chestnuthillfarm_trustees

@weirriverfarm @moosehillfarm_trustees

Delicious, tender goat meat--milder than lamb and more tender than beef--will be available in shares starting this fall. 

As promised, here's Katy's chicken recipe:

Pastured chicken is a whole different animal than a conventional bird. They require different cooking because they have a different fat-to-meat ratio and texture. My favorite way to cook it is our No-Fuss Weeknight Roast. It is a set it and forget it recipe that takes about 1 1/2 hours in the oven with very little monitoring. 

Tools: 🔸Dutch oven or a roasting pan with a lid. Any oven safe dish with at least 1" sides can be covered with foil. 🔸Meat thermometer 🔸Oven preheated to 350° F. 

Ingredients: 🔸One of our whole pastured chickens 🔸1 T sea salt 🔸1 t black pepper 🔸3-4 cloves of garlic, smooshed or finely chopped 🔸1/4 c olive oil (or butter. I love butter. A mix of half butter and half olive oil does a really nice job.) 

Steps: Rinse the chicken in running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in your pan of choice. Rub the chicken down with the oil/butter, coating top, bottom, legs, and wings. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic over the bird. Cover. Place the pan in the oven and set your timer for 35 minutes. I like to check the temperature (our goal is 165°F in the thigh and 160°F in the breast) and flip the bird over at this point. Flipping the bird is basically self-basting. Put the pan back in the oven and set your timer for another 35 minutes. If the chicken hasn't reached 165° by this point, no worries. Just check every 10 minutes until you're there. You can also remove the cover for the last 10-15 minutes of your cook time to get a lovely golden brown color. Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Amazing with a crisp salad, seasoned rice, or all on its own. Leftovers make a stellar chicken salad and the leftover bones can be made into healthy and delicious chicken stock.

Take care, y'all.