Friday, September 18, 2009

I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY...

Walnut/Pinenut Pesto

I have been SO busy this week....canning, freezing, and canning some more.
Above is pretty much the last of our basil, now a scrumptious pesto to be used all winter long.
Our 3 new Cuckoo Maran hens

Chasing our new 3 hens
(which I bartered from HomemakerAng when attending her cheesemaking class)
into the coop after I had let all the chickens out to forage and play.
What a riot!
They seemed to be EVERYWHERE!
On top of one of the cars.
In the wheel well of the truck.
On an old wagon wheel in the garden.
1st I had to FIND them as it was getting very close to dark.
Then I had to chase them around the yard, shooing them into the coop.
It was NOT a pretty site.

Ang breaking up her dairy cheese.

On Tuesday I attended Angie's basic cheesemaking class at her farm about an hour north of us.
We learned how to make a simple goats milk cheese, mixed with chamomile and sage from her gardens.
And a mozzarella cheese from cow's milk, which, if you let it age for 3 weeks or so, forms a wonderful, natural rind, and delicious intense flavor.
After the class, we were treated to a hay ride thru their 40 acre farm, where her husband would fill us in on the workings of their off-grid farm.
We were then treated to a fabulous lunch of nearly all homegrown or home produced yummies.
Fresh egg salad, mixed greens salad, huge slabs of tomatoes which we topped with her homemade pesto and goats cheese. Artisan bread baked in her wood stove. Wonderful pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. And fresh apple cider from a local farm.

I would do it again in a heartbeat!

And now, I must get ready for a much anticipated visit with Joy and Don, who will be here for a few days beginning on Wednesday.

The countdown has begun!

Aren't I just about the most blessed woman you all know???





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4 comments:

Jenna said...

We live about an hour from Ang and her family as well, and I REALLY wanted to go, but it didn't work out...I make goat cheese, and mozzarella, and I"m always looking for advise on the subject lol!

Thanks for posting about it:)

Faith said...

What a fun class! With a hay ride and the whole she-bang. :) I love making cheese. She's got quite a vat of curds there.

Will you be recreating the recipes at home?

~Faith

Unknown said...

How neat. I wish I had an opportunity like this.

I've seen cheese made before in huge factories (on the food network) but what an inspiration it would be to see this in person. I would walk away thinking, just maybe I could do that.

Keeper of the Home said...

Ok, I have to ask...how do you can your pesto? I make it but never thought about canning it and now I am curious. It's nearing the end of our basil growing season so I will be making lots up but I didn't know you could can & process it. I freeze it but I want to can it now. Thanks for your help.

~Mrs. M