Where's the Beef?

FFF Photo a Day - Day 51

Homegrown Grassfed Beef Tenderloin

Tonight was date night on the farm again, however this time we stayed home and created tapas and art! 

We started with some of our fresh beef tenderloins, lightly seasoned, pan fried, sliced thin on crackers with goat cheese - it was yummy. 

A Day of Grace

Today's photo features Grace, our Dexter cow (she's the black one) along with her current boyfriend that we affectionately call "The Bull" - (we frequently don't name those animals that aren't likely to be staying long....)  Grace is our current mama cow and has given us two healthy calves so far. Not pictured is Gaston - the bull calf that she gave us last summer.

He's likely hiding in the barn! Dexter is a miniature breed, which means that the cattle are much smaller than your more traditional breeds. They are a good dual purpose animal giving you both meat and dairy. We got into Dexters as it meant we could use the same fencing systems for both our cows and our goats as well as ease of handling. While Grace is a good mom, she is a challenging milker... we are hoping that next summer she will give us a heifer (female) calf that may be a bit more amenable to the task! In the meantime, we will continue our daily negotiation with Grace. 

Week #10 - 2014 FFF CSA - What's in the Box - Soup for September

September is here and whether we like it or not, fall is in it's way. The mornings are getting nippy and the evenings noticeably shorter. To cheer your end of summer blues, we are suggesting some yummy soup! 

In our CSA box this week, you will find some leeks and of course some potatoes (along with other things!). Thus, you have the makings of potato and leek soup! The recipe we like to use is here and the result is a hearty, creamy soup along with a salad and some bread would be a wonderful fall supper! 

While I have your attention.. thought I would pass along two important notes: 

1) We are again participating in Open Farm Day on September 21st. While our CSA share holders are always welcome to tour/visit the farm... if you haven't made it out to visit us, feel free to come on the 21st. There are many other farms participating... for more info check out this website. 

2) For those who have been waiting... our beef is ready as of today. If you are interested in fresh beef, check out our products page and send an email to order. For those that have ordered, we will be in contact shortly to arrange to meet up... or "meat up" :) 

So... What's (else is) in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes - large and cherry
• Beets
• Turnip or Kohlrabi
• Ground Cherries
• Kale
• Carrots
• Peppers - Hot and sweet varieties
• Onion
• Leeks - New!
• Potatoes
• Herbs - oregano, rosemary, curled parsley, cilantro, chives

We pick the vegetables within 24 hours of the box being delivered. We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer.

Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

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