Tuesday, June 16, 2009

A Feast from Farm and Freezer


This past weekend marked a couple of milestones.  

First, I got another year older, just like that.  Some good friends gathered and helped me say good-bye to 43.  This coming year promises several significant life shifts in our family, so I look forward to 44 with a unique eagerness.  Dylan is leaving elementary school and starting a hybrid of middle and homeschool; Mark is leaving his workplace; I hope to begin work on a book. 

And, the farm is beginning to be self-sufficient.  I decided to celebrate its newfound solvency by challenging myself to lay out a feast without a trip to the grocery store.  Guess what?  We did it!  Not everything was from our own backyard, but it was produced by hand on a small-scale, either here or nearby.  To wit, our Birthday Menu:

Appetizers:
Fresh-baked Spicy Cheddar Artisan bread and just-picked snap peas with Hazel's garlicky Fromage Blanc (Hazel is our friend's Guernsey dairy cow)

SSF Frittata with SSF eggs, Russian kale, and garlic scapes and Hazel's cream and Fromage Blanc (I have to say, this was absolutely delicious)

Mains:
Rosemary garlic Leg of Lamb
Calgary grass-fed Black Angus sirloin marinated in our own Syrah (OK, and some Lea & Perrins and olive oil) and grilled
Grilled line-caught salmon (sold road-side by an islander) with herb rub

Salad of 4 lettuces and fresh-picked snap peas

Dessert
Just-picked strawberries with whipped Hazel cream

YUMMY!  What fun we all had.  Thanks everyone-

2 comments:

Idaho Beef said...

The grass-fed Angus sounds delicious. You're fortunate to have a local grower.

Anonymous said...

Hey - a belated Happy Birthday!! Sounds like a great time. Best of fresh & local this year to you!!

xoxo,
jan