French Guinea with Balsamic Peach Chutney

First you must find someone who raises French guineas, for this, look no further than East Fork Farm. These are not the standard guineas you are thinking of, usually found perched on the beams of just about every drafty barn. Less common French guineas are fantastic meat birds yielding dark meat with rich stores of flavorful yellow fat. Fruit is the prefect match for this bird, spooned warm over each bite. The summery sweetness of fresh peaches reduced with tangy balsamic is by far the way to go. A hint of basil finishes things off right.

Let us raise a glass to summer, to peaches, to special fowl, and to our adored agriculturists.

French Guinea with Balsamic Peach Chutney:

*1 fresh French guinea

*1 sweet onion, quartered

*3 whole garlic cloves

*sea salt and pepper

*1/2 cup high quality balsamic vinegar

*3 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped

*7-10 fresh basil leaves, bundled with cooking twine

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse guinea. Place in a parchment lined baking dish. Pat dry with paper towels. Place onion and garlic in chest cavity. Season bird with ample sea salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to rest while preparing chutney.

Place a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add balsamic. Bring to very gentle simmer. Reduce heat until balsamic no longer bubbles but steams. Reduce by over half, swirling pan as liquid thickens. Add peaches. Increase heat to medium and simmer until peaches cook down and liquid thickens to a thick sauce. Add bundle of basil leaves to sauce and stir until completely wilted and fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Carve guinea and plate. Spoon chutney over meat. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy.

Braised Lamb Ribs with Apricots

Having sampled and posted recipes for ribs of all sorts, I stood staring at East Fork Farm's chalkboard of listed cuts and realized I'd never tried lamb. I brought some home, but being somewhat of an ordeal to prepare (or so I assumed), it took a long weekend and friends coming over for a cookout to coax them from the freezer.

I had just under 2 pounds which I figured perfect for an appetizer, yet I wanted to try something different than my usual barbecue route. Borrowing Chichi Wang's recipe from Serious Eats, I was thrilled to discover such a hassle free preparation yielding such welcome results.

The extra fat characteristic of lamb ribs rendered the apricots and onions into a gorgeous chutney. Wang suggests saving the extra fat for future recipes, including one for skillet biscuits in her original post. I like the way she thinks.

This rib recipe is a keeper. If you are able to source pastured lamb ribs, I highly suggest giving them a try. Evidently they have somewhat of a cult following, which I now understand why.

Braised Lamb Ribs with Apricots

• 1 half-rack lamb ribs, about 4 pounds
• Spice rub:
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground chili pepper, or to taste
• 2 cups dried apricots
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• A few tablespoons of oil for sautéing, or some trimmed off pieces of lamb fat

1. 1

   In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the spice rub and set aside.

2. 2

   Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil or lamb fat. Sauté the onions until they're softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. 3

   To assemble the braise: Cover the bottom of your pan with the sautéed onions and the apricots. Nestle the rack of ribs into the onions and apricots. Pour in enough water so that the ribs are 1/3 of the way submerged, about 2 cups. Cover the pan with foil.

4. 4

   In the meantime, preheat the oven to 275°F. Braise the ribs in the oven until very tender, about 3 hours. Uncover the pan and turn the heat to 375°F. Continue braising until the fat on the surface is browned and the onions are very brown, about 30 minutes longer. Pour off the rendered lamb fat in the pan, setting it aside for another use.

   Serve hot or warm. Leftovers may be reheated in a 250°F oven until warm, about 30 minutes.

If Everyone Was Fed This Way?

Springtime in the Western North Carolina mountains delivers not only trillium blooms and a symphony of birdsong, it is home to a special patchwork of farmland. In tandem with the back-breaking efforts of its keepers, the WNC soil breeds some of the finest food I've ever known, early in the season.

Unpacking my bags from market this morning, a bouquet materialized. Fresh chicken, livers, and ground lamb from East Fork Farm. Grass-fed steak, sausage, and charcuterie from Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Bok choy and zucchini grown on Mountain Harvest Organic Farm, and free range eggs, kale, and strawberries from Gaining Ground Farm.

When I prepare these ingredients, I can't help but wonder- if everyone was fed with this type of food, would the prisons be less crowded? What would happen if we all spent a little more of our precious income on the food we eat verses the amount of cable channels we receive? After eating this food, would it be easier to get through the day without Starbucks and Ronald McDonald riding on our backs? Could we send our children to school without Ritalin? Sleep without drugs? Wake up without drugs? Make love without drugs? See our doctors less? Feel contentment more often?

What would happen if we all ate from the soil upon which we dwell? Bought ingredients for tonight's supper from our neighbor verses Big Oil? Would the birds flying overhead view a different scape below? Hear a different chorus rising from our homes?

Pastured Leg of Lamb with French Lentils

Pastured Leg of Lamb with French Lentils: (serves 4)

*1 pastured leg of lamb

*1 large onion, chopped

*2 cups french lentils (soaked in water with a splash of vinegar overnight)

*2 tablespoons butter

*2 carrots, chopped

*2 celery ribs, chopped

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*sea salt

*fresh ground black pepper

Rinse leg of lamb and place in a crock pot or cookware fitted with a lid. Cover lamb with water. Add half of the chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce setting to a simmer (if slow cooking on the stovetop in alternative cookware, reduce heat to lowest setting). Slow cook all day (at least 6 hours or longer). Extinguish heat and start on the lentils.

Drain lentils from soaking liquid and rinse. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Skim fat from the top of the lamb cooking liquid. Ladle aproxametly 5 cups of the cooking liquid into the saucepan. Add the lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with lamb.

Enjoy!

A Weekend on East Fork Farm

To celebrate my husband's birthday, we decided it was time to get out of town. We have been wanting to explore the guest cottages on one of our favorite farms since they were built a few years ago, but hadn't pulled it together until now. It was by far the best mini-vacation in ages. The cedar hot tub was a true highlight, overlooking the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains and pastures. Each sunrise and sunset was taken in while soaking and sipping local coffee or the evening's nightcap.

Though January may seem like a strange time to vacation in the mountains, we were lucky enough to be on the farm while the ewes were lambing, giving us a chance to visit with the fresh little babes. They are the most endearing creatures on earth.

(visiting with a runt in need of some warmth by the Robertson's wood stove)

We have been enjoying meats and eggs from East Fork Farm for years, and relished this opportunity to see the grounds. Stephen and Dawn Robertson set a new standard for sustainable agriculture, inspiring guests like us to overachieve with grace. Their hospitable nature was in every detail of our stay.

Last evening we enjoyed one of their chickens with new insight. Animal husbandry is no dream-boat livelihood; full of sweat and tears, and hardly affords a true break, but is it something some are driven to do by an unspoken force. We are proud to know such lovely folks, fortunate to partake in the fruits of their labors, and have such fond memories from our stay.

*For you locals, check out East Fork Farm guest cottages by visiting www.eastforkfarm.net.

Read the full article on our stay in the Mountain Xpress.

Ultra Fresh

Ultra fresh chicken from ultra chic East Fork Farm. . .,

welcome to my home!

Poussins

The hottest item to hit the farmer's market scene: Poussins. About as large as your hand, these young pasture raised chickens from local East Fork Farm yield tender, dark, succulent meat with gelatin rich bones. One bird is ideal for a single serving and best eaten with your hands, a delicacy well suited for a lively dinner party. A perfect match for roasted early potatoes and braised garden greens. Bon appetit!

Sea Salt and Black Pepper Crusted Whole Local Trout

Dear East Fork Farm,

You have officially ruined us. Since we have known you, we can no longer fully enjoy duck, or lamb, or rabbit unless it dwelled with you first. It's just not the same. No more pizza night verses eating in. Your fresh hens trump the ease of eating on the fly. You have made your mark on all of my aprons. You have caused me to fill my sink with dirty dishes, leaving them for the morning after eating a meal too satisfying to rise early from the table. You have made me absent minded as I blissfully recall meals since passed. I talk less at dinner. My fork lingers. My cloth napkins are a wreck. You've driven me to photographing dead trout. My freezer is overflowing with homemade stock. I haven't seen my doctor in years. I am spoiled rotten.

Thank you!

Sincerely yours,

Rachel

Sea Salt and Black Pepper Crusted Whole Local Trout:

*1 fresh whole locally caught/raised rainbow trout, cleaned and rinsed

*sea salt

*black pepper

*3 thin slices of lemon

Preheat oven to 375.

Clean trout. Rinse under cold water.

Place on a lined baking sheet. Arrange lemon slices in belly cavity. Completely coat the top layer of skin with generous amounts of sea salt and black pepper. Add pats of butter inside fish if you desire (I'm guessing you will).

Bake until skin slightly blisters and flesh is just done, about 15 minutes. Time will vary according to size of fish. Do not over over bake.

Enjoy with oven roasted sweet and gold potato wedges and a fresh garden salad.

*Save the bones, head and tail for stock.

Market Kicks Off. . .

A huge storm front didn't keep farmers from their stalls this morning. Despite the rain, familiar faces once again returned, setting up booths to kick-off the season. The clouds eventually broke giving way to crystal clear Carolina blue skies. Thanks to East Fork Farm for the first lamb meal of the season, Gaining Ground Farm for onion starts and the prettiest leeks imaginable, to Farm and Sparrow Bakery with their rustic sourdough loaves, Imladris Farm for the lovely sample of homegrown-homemade fruit leather (the best fruit roll-up I've ever had) and a package of tender goat meat (recipe to follow), among all the many others committed to bringing the fruits of their labors to hungry townsfolk. We are so lucky to have you all; to have the opportunity to hand our cash directly to the growers who deserve every penny most, and for knowing the people behind the food that fortifies our health.

*For local readers, tune into my friend Ruth's Tailgate Market Fan Club homepage for weekly updates on all the growers markets in the area.

Local Lamb Sirloin Chops with Parsley Pesto

Like I have said so very many times before, every morsel from East Fork Farm is downright dreamy. This evening, tender lamb sirloin chops were enjoyed smothered in a perfect parsley sauce fresh from the garden. Accompaniments included; roasted sweet potatoes tugged from the soil just 50 yards from the dinner table, smeared with delicious whole milk ricotta, and organic red wine for sipping. It's good to be alive.

Lamb Sirloin Chops:

*2-4 pasture raised lamb sirloin chops

*sea salt

*pepper

*butter

Bring coals of a charcoal grill to moderate heat, or place a grill pan over medium heat. Coat grill rack or pan with butter. Rinse lamb chops. Pat dry with paper towels. Liberally coat each side of chop with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Place on hot grill, turning once halfway through, about 3 minutes per side (time will vary depending on thickness of chops). Sear to medium rare, being careful not to overcook. Allow to rest.

Parsley Pesto:

*3 cups loosely packed fresh Italian flat leaf parsley leaves

*2 cloves garlic

*sea salt

*pepper

*extra virgin olive oil

Blend parsley with garlic, sea salt and pepper in a food processor. With blade running, slowly add olive oil until desired consistency. Spoon over whole or sliced chops.

Toast to the hard workers of your local farms, who's tedious labors produce the opportunity for meals such as these.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Cherries

I ate them straight up, but couldn't resist pairing the remaining cherries with this evening's lamb. Although the flavor of East Fork Farm's lamb stands strong on it's own, adding some ripe seasonal fruit proved wise.

When I prepare a meal like this, I am reminded of the days when I refrained from eating animals. I was boycotting a broken industrial meat system. A system with very little reverence for the complexity of life in every aspect. This was long ago, but even then I understood the unlikelyhood of gaining nourishment from an animal that wasn't nourished.

One evening in college, a friend of mine extended an invitation to join him and some friends for venison stew. He had taken the deer's life, and carefully prepared a meal from it, which he was offering to me. This struck me as an example of generosity in it's purest form. That meal was the fist bite of meat in 8 years. And it made me feel like a million bucks! The best realization was that I could resume eating meat while still maintaining my boycott. To this day I continue to refuse a broken system.

Every nourishing bite of local, carefully tended, grass fed flesh says "no" to one system and "yes" to another. Meat is not just meat. Protein is not just protein. There is a difference in quality and a difference in how it feeds us. There are stories behind meals. I like to think about the life story behind this evening's lamb. It lived well, gracefully passing the baton to me!

Braised Lamb Shanks with Cherries:

*2 local pastured lamb foreshanks

*1 tablespoon butter

*1 small onion, chopped

*water

*sea salt and pepper

*1 cup pitted cherries

*1/4 cup red wine

Add butter to a heavy pot and place over medium high heat. Rinse lamb shanks and pat dry with paper towels. Sear all sides of shanks in pot until well browned. Set aside. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Return shanks to the pot and add enough water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for at least 3 hours or longer. Allow to cool while starting on the cherry sauce.

In a small saucepan, bring wine and cherries to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced into a thick sauce (about 15 minutes), breaking up the cherries with a potato masher or similar tool while cooking down.

Spoon over lamb. Serve with a heap of fresh garden greens.