Lamb Potato Sausage with Braised Cabbage

This is a classic winter combination. For this meal I drew inspiration from "Chefs on the Farm" by Shannon Borg and Lora Lea Misterly. This is a great book and is full of great seasonal recipes. I have made the sausage once before but I bought the already ground meat at the market. This time I ground my own meat. I chose lamb neck for the lamb meat and some pork shoulder for some good fat content. It turned out good. But, I am just learning about sausage making and there a few kinks I need to work out.
So I will leave you with a great recipe taken from, "Chefs on the Farm".

Cider Braised Cabbage with Chiles, and Apples

serves 4

In a large cast iron skillet, melt over medium heat:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add and cook for 4 minutes:

1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly

5 whole garlic cloves

Stir in and cook lightly:

1 small head Savoy cabbage, cored and sliced

2 Cameo apples, cored and sliced

Add and toss together:

2 dried arbol chiles

6 whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon honey

Reduce heat to medium-low, add and, cook covered for 10 minutes:

2 cups apple cider

Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Cook stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is gone. Add:

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

salt, to taste

Continue to cook until all liquid in gone. Serve under some great homemade sausages.

That looks like Oatmeal.

Half-way through my venture, I am always reminded of how much work goes into a loaf of bread. Mixing, Kneading, Punching, Prodding, Rising, Pushing, Shaping, and then FINALLY Baking.

But when those loaves come out of the oven and the whole house smells of bread, a wave of accomplishment comes over you.

Everyone should make at least one loaf of bread in their lifetime, maybe two.

Today's accomplishment was Maple Oatmeal Bread, incorporating Bowker's 100% pure maple syrup from Barron, Wisconsin. And since every loaf of bread comes with a story, I'll share this one from Bernard Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads":

Maple syrup- the truly natural product with nothing added- was discovered by the Indians who lived among the vast maple forests in North America, but it was the pioneer or Early American housewife who made the syrup's use into an art. Sugar was scarce, if available at all, but maple syrup was plentiful, and with it she made breads, biscuits, and pies and poured it over pancakes.


A fine example of this art is Maple Oatmeal Bread, which comes from an old New Hampshire farmhouse now turned in- Stafford in the Field, which looks out over meadows and orchards and maple trees in the shadow of the Mount Chocorua.


The loaf is a creation of the inn's baker, Ramona Stafford (her mother is the cook), who adapted it from a century-old recipe. The bread is baked for the evening meal at the inn, but Ramona says it is even better for lunch sandwiches– sweet and hearty with a chewy crust.


The loaf has an interesting texture, thanks to the oatmeal, and a light sweetness in taste, thanks to the syrup.

Full Wolf Moon

One of Scratch's traditions is honoring the meanings behind each full moon, each month. The New Moon is upon us, marking the beginning of this month's moon, therefore I'll share the history behind January's Full Moon.

As January is often the coldest month of winter, (in colder regions), food in the wild would became scarce. Wolf packs would howl hungrily outside Indian villages, thus this moon was referred to as the Full Wolf Moon.

Shallots and Garlic

This is the start of this years garden.  Actually I planted the cloves of garlic and the bulbs of shallots back in October.  They have been slowly making there way upward all winter.  Compared to the garlic I planted last year, these guys are much further along.  This is the first time I am growing shallots, they are the plants in the rear of the photo.  I use at least a shallot a week at home so these should keep me supplied for a while.  As far the garlic, this year I am growing five times as much as I did last season.  I am growing both a hard neck and soft neck varieties.  The soft neck garlic aren't pictured and are a bit farther behind then the hard necks.  I am getting excited for the garden this year, I have lots of planning still to do, but that's half the fun.  As far as these alliums are looking, I say this should be a productive year.

Scallops and Beans

So I haven't blogged in forever. But, I would like to get in the habit again. I am going to start blogging the recipes for the dinners I make on my days off. I currently have three days off a week so that is a guaranteed three posts. I will also supplement the blog with posts of our grocery shopping at the farmers markets. This means what we got, where we got it from, and maybe some plans on what we will be cooking that week. The garden is going to get going real fast here, so there will be plenty of garden updates, too. So here is the first recipe. I made this on Sunday after returning from our 3 day trip to Vancouver for Nova's birthday.

Seared Scallops over White Beans and Bacon

serves 2

Soak overnight in plenty of water:
    3/4 cup cannellini beans
Drain and transfer to a heavy pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off the any foam. Simmer gently for an hour, or until the beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during cooking.
Season to taste with:
    Salt
In a medium sauce pan, saute over medium heat:
    1/3 cup of bacon, diced
Cook until crispy and then add:
    1 small shallot, fine diced
    1 garlic clove, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon thyme, picked
Cook for 1 minute. Drain beans add to sauce pan with:
    3/4 cup chicken glace
    1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Cook on a strong simmer. Continue until liquid is reduced, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare:
    1/2 cup Salsa Verde
Remove the small muscle( the "foot") attached to the side of:
    1/2 pound sea scallops
Season the scallops with:
    Salt
    Fresh-ground black pepper
Warm a heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat; when hot, pour in:
    Oil to coat the bottom of the pan
Turn the heat up yo high and add the scallops in a single layer. Don't crowd the pan. Cook the scallops for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serve scallops over the beans with sauce and spoon the salsa verde over the top.