Washingtonians

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote: Favs are supposed to be big, and she definitely is. She's got more growing to do yet too. Favs aren't as tall as Brahmas, but body size is as big.

 

[hallerlake]

OK, stopped raining again, out to speed-work!

It hasn't rained here today. I went out and mowed up the leaves on the lawn and walkways. Dumped it anywhere that needed mulch.

 

[UrbanEnthusiast]

Hmm... My BF just got home and says Salma was still on the roost in the coop. Strange, she seemed like she was really enjoying foraging and dust-bathing with the flock, just like old times. But as soon as she discovered the new coop she just decided to nap on the roost all afternoon.

 

[hallerlake]

Hmm... My BF just got home and says Salma was still on the roost in the coop. Strange, she seemed like she was really enjoying foraging and dust-bathing with the flock, just like old times. But as soon as she discovered the new coop she just decided to nap on the roost all afternoon.

She feels safer there.

 

[itsren]

Here are the name choices we are considering for the little tweets.... having a hard time convincing the oldest boy. He's upset about the name loss of "Softie" for the yellow one.

I keep telling him she's not going to look like she looks here - she's has what looks like black feathers coming in on her wing tips.



Blackie, Latte, Cocoa and Rocha

 

[Stumpfarmer]

OK, stopped raining again, out to speed-work!

It hasn't rained here today. I went out and mowed up the leaves on the lawn and walkways. Dumped it anywhere that needed mulch.

We've had high-energy squalls here all day; the weather's been coming in through the US 8 gap east of Elma, which puts me (and 101, and 1-5 from the 101 junction to Dupont) at the nozzle of the firehose. And puts N. Seattle secure in the bosom of the Olympic Rain Shadow, usually.

I'm done for a little, whether or not I'm finished for the day and whether or not it's raining outside; I had to tweak the roofs on the broody pen and the sheep pen and then walk down to the corral and talk to my sister and nephew and then come up the path next to the fence (which cuts through the McAllister (1845-1890) and Smith (1895-1930, when people started going to the county dump) kitchen midden and sometimes throws up stuff like the broken bottoms of old vinegar and purex bottles after the first rain. Tomorrow we're supposed to work cattle, and I am so very not looking forward to it; all this rain has turned the cow paths into slip-and-slides.

 

[Chickielady]

That's a good idea. I wonder if I can make some sort of sausage out of beef or something. Since I'm allergic to ham/pork and garlic, so I don't get to eat things like that. It would be nice if I could.

I do.

 

[itsren]

Quote: So sprouted radish is safe to eat? I'm always nervous about eating parts of a plant unless I know it is safe. And - arugula sprouts? Thanks. I'd love to find new ways to make food taste good again.

Radish seed was one of those bases of hippy vegetarian/vegan food when I was at TESC back in the Nixon administration; they still sell radish seeds for sprouting at the Oly Food Co-op and I think through Nichols Garden Nursery. They're very peppery and have a hint of umami ("brown"/soysauce-ish/truffle) which are two parts of the garlic flavor. Another thing that may help is greek-style olives, not many of them but enough to "brown" up the flavor (Kalamatas are cheap at TJ's or you can by an ounce at the olive bar at Freddie's- either way, keep them in olive oil in the refrigerator).

Are you sensitive to all the Alliums or just Garlic? Because shallots can be punchy if you give them a quick sear before adding them to food. Or if you can find real storage onions, they're more intense than the sweet ones which seem to have taken over the market.

OH! and anchovy paste, which is a 100% authentic Italian taste, and full of umami/bitter flavor. A 1/16th tsp is enough to punch up a cup of spaghetti sauce, for instance. It comes in tubes that last forever.

Herbs: fresh basil (which can be rinsed and frozen whole), fresh rosemary (evergreen, beautiful, but buy the ARP hardy unless you've got a very protected southern exposure) fresh bay (again, in pots that can be moved inside if it's below 27F but infinitely better than the dry stuff), and German Thyme, which is evergreen. Winter Savory is good, too. Nigella is pretty garliccy, although not easy to find (The Culinary Herb Shop in downtown Oly has it.

And unless you're 100% sure you are a person whose blood pressure is negatively effected by salt, put a pinch extra in at the end, amazing how good it tastes. If you are, try a squirt of fresh lemon before serving.

Speaking of Mrs. Buck's emporium of wonders: dried mushrooms. Futz around and see which ones you like, they can be a great way to boost the flavor of most foods. I have friends who swear by mushroom boullion but haven't found a local place that sells it, although I haven't looked recently.

As far as I know I'm just allergic to garlic and not all alliums. I believe they tested me for onion, too, and I seemed to be OK with it. I'll have to double check the sheet they gave me. Garlic is more than a sensitivity, it is a true allergy that causes my throat to swell.

Hey everyone, thank you for the ideas. I can't wait to try them.

 

[Chickielady]

We've been on the look out for a dutch oven. I have wanted one for years, but DH thought the idea was ridiculous and said absolutely no way. He went to BALOO training for Cub Scout leaders a few weeks ago and they taught him how to cook with a dutch oven over a camp fire. I had to laugh - the first thing he did when he got home from training was spend about 2 hours researching dutch ovens. We still haven't found one that we'd be comfortable hanging over a camp fire. Most of what you see today is made out materials you'd expect to see in a kitchen - not over a camp fire.

A cast iron dutch oven, especially needs to be made in either America or Australia..never get one from China !!!
Once seasoned, ANY dutch oven cast iron can sit in coals to make bisquits or be comfortable on a stove top.
Nice to have a bit of iron instead of a bit of Teflon, eh ???????????

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Oh, speaking of names: the Hamburg pullets are Tegan and Sara, named by my youngest. They are so pretty. I think Tegan is Suzzy's; she has the same comb shape and blue ears. The single comb one is marked like Terre, and is pale like her, which means my guess about her maybe coming out of the deep-cream colored egg is good. I'm going to want to borrow an incubator after the first of the year and run a marked test batch of eggs just to check; doesn't matter, I'll be putting the off-standard comb pullets in with the splash rooster.

Speaking of the invader chickens, they were once again in the yard when I came in through the orchard gate, which startled them as much as anything I've been able to do for the past week. On their way out, the cockerels had to sort of button-hole themselves through the dog-proofing. I warned them they'd be stuck in my yard when they outgrow their exit, but they didn't seem impressed.