chevre

I've always wanted to make cheese. 

A couple of weeks ago we used Bekah's fresh milk from her goat, Lady, & we made chevre. 

It was the most delicious cheese ever & I can't wait to experiment with other recipes. 

Ingredients:

2 Gallons of Goat Milk

 1/4 Cup of Cultured Buttermilk 

 1/2 Tablet of Rennet (equivalent to 2 drops of liquid rennet) 

 1-2 Teaspoons of Salt 

 1/4 Cup of Warm Water

Process:

Warm the milk to room temperature (68-70 °F)

Dissolve 1/2 of the rennet tablet in 1/4 cup warm water

Stir in the buttermilk and mix thoroughly

Stir in the rest of the rennet and mix thoroughly

Cover and let it sit for a total of 24 hours

After 24 hours, check the mixture for clean breaks

At this time, the curd should be firm enough to cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Next ladle the curds into a sterile cloth located suspending above a colander

Place that in a refrigerator or cool place for 24 hours

After the 24 hours has passed, the whey should all be drained

Next add about 1-2 teaspoons of salt

Cover and place in the refrigerator

Palm Sunday: DIY Raised Beds

Obviously gardening started in the beginning in the Garden, but for us, it started this spring. Molly has become obsessed with health and wellness, organic food, farm-to-table, and being dirty, so I decided to make two raised beds for her, for her birthday in January. This post is a sort of "DIY Raised Beds" narrative. 

Construction:

Supplies: -6 (8ft) 2x10x1 boards (per bed)

-one 8ft 3x3 rod (per bed)

-5 lbs galvanized deck screws

-square

-tape measurer

-screw driver/ power drill

-table or circular saw with sawhorses

Process: -Start by measuring out six feet on each board and drawing a line that will be your mark for cutting off the extra two feet. 

-Cut off the extra two feet

-If you want, notch out half of each board (see picture), being careful to match them up properly. 

-the extra two feet of each board will be the end of the raised bed...these need to be notched too. 

-cut the 3x3 rod into four 2 foot sections.

-fit it all together

-screw

-Now that your first layer is done, screw in the 3x3x24 rod in each corner. 

-continue to build two more layers, stacking them evenly.

-Level out the ground and install bed on it. 

**Important!-If you use treated lumber, be sure to cover the inside of the bed with plastic. Cedar wood (can be found at Fresh Start) is best suited for Raised Bedding because it doesn't need to be treated, doesn't corrode as easy, and smells good.

What to Do With a Raised Bed

Raised beds are a better way to garden for a few reasons. First, they allow the gardener to use any soil they prefer...we use organic compost and potting soil from Bunton's or Fresh Start. Second, they allow crops to be contained to a special area without the intrusion of much grass or weeds. Last, they look cool and you don't have to bend down as far. 

If you do use raised beds, you will need to start by filling them with soil (if this gets too expensive it's ok to put a layer of gravel in the bottom) but you should definitely mix the soil with compost. After this is done section off the raised bed, keeping track of where you plant each different sort of seed. For tomatoes and peas construct or buy a lattice to support the growing plants and screw it into the side of the bed. 

I think that's about it, enjoy....happy planting.

Palm Sunday: Yard-to-Table

In my last year of undergrad I had the opportunity to take a break from kinesiology & physiology courses & branch out & take some anthropology electives. I was hesitant at first because I have only ever enjoyed math or science classes but Ben promised me that I would love it. Little did I know it would change my life, my way of thinking, & our home. I read omnivore's dilemma, a book that explores one man's journey of food & society. The book opened my eyes to a whole new world, I really started to think about what I was eating and where it came from. I then proceeded to watch Food Inc and began to understand big business over taking the family farm. I was quickly inspired to change my food ways starting with buying local, drinking raw milk, going to more farmers markets, growing my own stuff, and getting CHICKENS.

When I approached Ben with the backyard chicken idea he was thrown off but like always did whatever he could to make me happy. He literally built me a coop over night out of wood scraps from the fence he made. I met this lovely woman at a farm-to-table food event at Woodland Farm who accidentally ordered 24 chickens for her family instead of 6 so she was very eager to give us a couple. We started modestly with two and it was so easy we got two more!

Quick Facts on chickens:

1. You legally can only have 5 in the city.(We are a little rebellious & now have 6--don't tell).

2. You do not need a rooster to have fresh eggs every morning (hens ovulate and that process is what produces an egg...roosters just help them make chicks). 

3. Hens lay an egg on average every other day.

4. Chickens need grit--in our case oyster shells-- in order to make calcium to form the shell. We didn't know this at first and our chickens were laying shell-less eggs for a few weeks.

5. The best place to get organic chicken feed is Fresh Start on Jefferson St. Chickens also love fresh veggies or food scraps!

6. Water is essential and chickens like to peck at a bottle that has a nipple lid. We use a 2-liter Dr. Pepper bottle with a coat hanger through the bottom that hangs on the roost inside the main coop house.

7. They love to eat my weeds which is a really nice perk!But watch out...they don't know the difference between weeds and hydrangeas.

8. When you build a coop make sure it is well ventilated, has some removable nesting boxes (think wooden half shoe boxes), & elevated bars for roosting during the night. They also love to be warm in the winter so invest in a little heating light. Also, hay or cedar chips are good to spread around on the floor because they insulate, cut down on poo smells, and provide a cushion for projectile egg laying.

9.Make sure you secure the coop door at night to hinder critters who love the taste of chicken like I do! This is not a joke...be prepared, if you get chickens some will die and it is weird at first. 

10. Chicken poop makes GREAT compost!

P.S. You can get almost all the equipment you need at Fresh Start! Advice included!

The Red Wheelbarrow

William Carlos Williams

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

Palm Sunday: Peach Jam

Well its peach season and the time to make my favorite jam is finally here! Last year I had the opportunity to work on my professor's farm. We picked blueberries, I bared my soul, got advice, & learned how to make homemade fresh blueberry jam. Ben's grandparents lived next to Reid's Orchard in Owensboro, and every year I get so excited waiting for a fresh batch of peaches! After learning about the joys of jam last year, I decided to give it a go, so when Momma Iva and Poppa called with this year's bushel of fuzzy fruit, we quickly gathered supplies & invited friends (Chels & Morg) over to have a jam session. Its a new year and a new flavor but the experience was much the same & I wanted to share it!

Ben peeling the peaches...so ripe the skin just fell off! YUM.

Mash peaches, add pectin, bring to a boil, add sugar, & stir.

The finished product.

"Geez Mom, hurry up! I need some attention!"-Ryder