island home.

 

i hadn't been to the island since christmas. but this weekend, one of my dear friends from new york got married to a man from california. they now live in seoul, korea. so the island was a natural mid-point for them.

it was a crispy bluebird weekend. which made me ache for more days there. so we took one more. and now we are on the ferry boat. headed back to the great world of Off Island. where we will see a farm today that we may be able to rent. and then off in the dead of night. back to our little hamlet in the berkshires. back to the tent. back to the 6 am wakings. back to the gloriously large and wonderfully simple farm dinners and breakfasts and lunches. 

its happened before that nick and i have attended a wedding and only come home with a handful of self portraits and none of the dear bride and groom. but that is just our vanity. something we have to deal with one day at a time. and sadly, something you have to witness here, from time-to-time.

an afternoon in the kitchen

the sun came out today. but not until just recently. maybe an hour ago. up until then, things had been rather dreary. five days of straight rain can have a gloom-ful effect on even the most cheery of individuals. we all slept in until 8h the past 2 mornings...because...what's the point of rising so early if the sun won't show her warm welcoming face?

i had fallen ill from exposure. which i loved saying, because it seemed very dramatic. very 1850s. but yesterday, i did indeed spend too many hours outside, in the steady rain. with soaked boots and soaked socks.

so today, my fellow farmers took a dear amount of pity and told me to stay indoors and tend to the dairy processing.

and i obliged. happily. i started the day milking and then turned my gains into butter and ricotta.

i thought today, i'd start out that backcountry How To with a quick lesson on ricotta.

ricotta is quite simple. don't be intimidated by it just because its a cheese. my advice is to just go for it and you will always learn from your past mistakes.

*this is technically a queso blanco and not a ricotta, but i don't have a mozzarella starter so that is for another day.

you'll need a thermometer, vinegar, salt, milk, cheese cloth, herbs, and a colander. 

1. heat skimmed milk on a double broiler to 185F (about 30 minutes)
2. when milk reaches temperature turn off heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt  and 1/3 cup vinegar to each gallon of milk.
3. stir very gently for 30 seconds.
4. place mixture with lid on away from everything. you don't want the ricotta to be disturbed while it is inoculating.
5. allow mixture to sit. curds & whey will separate. this takes about 2 hours.
6. after 2 hours of sitting. strain the curds & whey through a cheese cloth & colander.
7. leave ricotta with a bit of whey to keep it moist in the jars.
8. mix in additional salt and fresh herbs to taste (i use s&p, chives, dill, parsley, etc..).
9. enjoy! it will be good for probably up to a week. so eat it up. love it. repeat and tweak as you see fit. 

sugar deficient rain soaked woman

it hasn't stopped raining since sunday. we live in a tent so that is a Pretty Big Deal for us. the tent and her contents all range from sickly damp to sodden. i couldn't take the weight of all this rain so i made a complicated and wordy excuse to run to the creamery. where i sought solace in the sweet processed sugar of a toffee bar.

please let the sun come out tomorrow. ormy teeth will rot and my tent bed will float away.

a dollop of back country How To

i have had women in the past year requesting kindly in writing that i stop yammering on about piglets and outdoor tubs for one blessed moment to address the How To. How To make butter at home. How To can peaches in a simple syrup for the belly of winter. How To quit one's job and become a paid/ unpaid farm hand. so i wanted to provide to you a terribly unofficial forum to request any certain and specific How Tos that i am undoubtedly no expert in but nonetheless can share a morsel of knowledge about. so suggestions? comment or email me and we'll get this blogball rollin'.

peaches & carpentry

preparations for farm shabbat dinner are in full swing. we made challah this morning. dug trenches for the ground wire. built a better chicken door that allows the chicks to stream in and out but keeps the feed-minded pigs and goats at bay. lunch of fresh bread and our ricotta. an afternoon of canning 10 boxes of peaches. this is how the friday goes. about to take a little hot sun jog up and around a steep nearby hill to get a fresh view on this bluebird day. have a stellar labor free week-end. n & i will be down in nw conn for some maple syrup, lake swims, and good solid time with two of our most beautiful friends.