Weekend Wrap-Up (Sept 4-6 & Sept 11-12)

Lard Rendering and Tomatoes Dehydrating

Since it's still technically summer, we're still busy, so I'm combining two weekends into this one post.



Weekend Evaluation: This is the Largest Freezer I Could Afford

Depressing to think about, but I saw 4 brands of pumpkin beers show up at the supermarket this week.  First of all - the pumpkin beer thing is out of control, there are only like 3 that are any good and get the balance of squash and spice right - that's beside the point. 

It's too soon, I'm not ready for summer to end.

Now I have to make stock, render fat, can tomatoes...soon you won't be able to let the ingredients do all the work; you'll have to do something to make them better

At least it's not February, that's about as horrible as it gets; I'm fearing the winter, with all of the rutabega and potatoes that come with it.  It's nice when those are an option in the late fall and early winter - but it's not funny anymore after three months of root vegetables and winter squash.

I guess it's just time to get ready for winter, while cramming as much corn, zucchini, eggplant as possible in to my feed hole.  Soon we won't have the option until next July.

Weekend Evaluation: Working Hard or Hardly Working

I do wish I worked from home every Friday, I would get a lot more meat smoked.

Weekend Evaluation: Keeps the Hot side Hot, and the Cold side Cold

Gretchen's Mom was up this weekend, and we went to visit some friends who had a new baby, so it was busy yet again.  But I did cook a couple times, but didn't have any real projects.

July Wrap-Up (July 1-17)

Happy Birthday Tom!

Hey all, sorry it's been awhile since I put up a post here (although Tom's been keeping up with it). Its summer, when we all get lazy (and in our case, busy). Plus, Tom hasn't been cooking too much, or that much interesting stuff, its mostly CSA vegetables that run our life during the summer, and this season its no different.

Weekend Evaluation: Owner of a Lonely Heart (aka Heart of the Sunrise)

This was the weekend of beef heart.  I've had a small beef heart in the freezer for months, so I decided it was time it come out of there.  To break it down into workable pieces of meat you have to trim away lots of silver skin and fat; which leaves the leanest meat you probably can find.

You'd think all of those uptight people who eat chicken breast and who've influenced our pork industry to breed out all of the fat from our pigs would love this cut....but oh yeah- they're scared of everything, so they wouldn't try heart.

This was also the first weekend of our vacation, so we were out a lot, and we went to Meatopia - a BBQ event on Governor's Island - marred by the unacceptable inclusion of Sixpoint beer.

Weekend Evaluation: I Just Want To Make An Omelet

This will be the last Geico reference for now - I promise.

We moved this weekend, so we were busy - but I was able to make an omelet.