Winter Market Update

We are in the throws of winter these days, but that doesn't mean that we don't have access to locally grown/produced food. There are more and more winter farmers markets popping up around the city. All we need is more folks to know that these opportunities are available to them. If you check out the Local Beet you can find a market almost every weekend and in neighborhoods all around the city! A few that we are participating in are:

Green City at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Center (Saturdays 8am to 1pm)
February 27th
March 13th
March 27th
April 10th
April 24th

Logan Square at the Congress Theater (Sundays 10am to 2pm)
February 21th
February 28th
March 7th
March 14th
March 21st
March 28th

The Empty Bottle
Saturday February 27th from 12pm to 5pm

We will be selling our pasture raised lamb, mutton, goat, beef and veal. In addition to all these great meat products we will be selling our chicken and duck eggs at the Green City market. We will also be selling our farmstead honey at the Green City and the Empty Bottle markets!

We hope to see you at one of these markets. Please help to spread the word to others- bring a friend! Chicago needs more support for its winter farmers markets. We want them to succeed and we need your help.

February Meat CSA

Love is in the air and this month's selection of meat is all about cuts that we love and can't live without!

Half Share:
1# Ground Lamb
2# Veal Shoulder Chops
1# Beef Skirt Steak
1# Mutton Loin Chops

Whole Share:
1# Ground Lamb
2# Veal or Lamb Shoulder Chops
1# Beef Flat Iron Steak
1# Mutton Loin Chops
2# Lamb or Veal Top Round Roast
1# Beef Kabob Meat
1# Lamb Bratwurst Links
1# Veal Sirloin Steak

This month we offered a new meat to our members, mutton. Mutton has been around for a long time, but it is not a popular meat in America and we rarely ever see it available at market. This is unfortunate because we love mutton and we hope to spread its wonders to Chicago!

As I was doing research for this month's newsletter, I discovered that the Prince of Wales started in 2004 the Mutton Renaissance in Britain. He started the campaign to support British sheep farmers in selling their older animals and to get delicious mutton back on his nation's plates.

Here in America, we are still in the dark about mutton even with the growing interest in lamb products. In the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, I discovered that our country's interest in mutton and lamb has been tied to our war history and the wool market.

In this month's share, we gave each member a package of Mutton Loin Chops and a recipe for Honey and Dry Cider Marinaded Mutton Loin Chops. This recipe comes from a sheep farm in Britain, Elan Valley Mutton.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

4 Mutton Loin Chops

3-4 tsp of locally raised Honey*

fresh Rosemary Sprigs

1 tsp ground Ginger

¼ pint of Dry “hard” Cider

Salt and Pepper

*Mint Creek Farm Honey is now available at the Green City Indoor farmers market.

Method:

Season the mutton loin chops with salt and pepper. Put chops in a shallow roasting pan and sprinkle the ground ginger on the chops. Drizzle the honey over them and lightly rub the honey and spices into the chops. Lay fresh rosemary sprigs on top of the chops, then pour the dry cider over the meat leaving it to marinade for a couple of hours or overnight if possible. Be sure to cover pan with a double layer of foil (honey is inclined to burn) and braise in a 325-350° oven for approximately 2 hours. Remove the meat from the pan and reduce the pan drippings on the stovetop until slightly thickened. Plate the loin chops, and drizzle the cider sauce over top. Garnish your meat platter with more fresh rosemary sprigs.

And since we mentioned the local honey, we are proud to announce that we have released our 2009 farmstead honey at the Green City Farmers Market! It will be available now at every market, until supplies last. We are retailing it at 1lb for $8, 2lbs for $15 and 5lbs for $35.

January Meat CSA

January was a cold and snowy month, one that is perfect for tough cuts of meat that require long slow cooking methods to render fork tender meals! We gave our members just that for this month's CSA share.

Half Share:
1# Lamb Italian Sausage
1# Ground Veal
1.5-2# Beef Short Ribs
1-1.5# Lamb Leg Steaks

Whole Share:
1# Lamb Italian Sausage
1# Ground Veal
2# Beef Round Steak
1# Lamb Leg Steak
1# Lamb Stew Meat or Boneless Neck Filets
1# Goat Rack Chops
1.5# Veal Rack Chops (pkg. of 2 chops)
1.5# Beef Marrow/Soup Bones (2 pkg.)

One of my favorite beef cuts is short ribs. These meaty bones scream to be braised for a long time in a flavorful sauce. The meat just falls of the bone and shreds perfectly. Cook up a mushroom risotto, black beans or a cheesy polenta and you have the ultimate comfort food to warm you heart and soul.

Here is one of my favorite recipes from Smitten Kitchen:

Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Cream

Serves 4 (generously) to 6

6 beef short ribs, about 14 to 16 ounces each
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, and 4 whole sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups port
2 1/2 cups hearty red wine
6 cups beef or veal stock
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Horseradish Cream (recipe follows)

Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon of thyme and the cracked black pepper. Use your hands to coat the meat well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking, to come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season them generously on all sides with salt. When you take the ribs out of the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. When it’s time to cook the short ribs, heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the short ribs in the pan, and sear until they are nicely browned on all three meaty sides. Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to sear the meat in batches. Do not crowd the meat or get lazy or rushed at this step; it will take at least 15 minutes. [I find this takes closer to 45 minutes if you're really thorough. Be thorough!] When the ribs are nicely browned, transfer them to a plate to rest. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme springs, and bay leaves. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize. Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine. Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Arrange ribs in the pot, lying flat, bones standing up, in one layer. Scrape any vegetables that have fallen on the ribs back into the liquid. The stock mixture should almost cover the ribs. Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours. To check the meat for doneness, remove the lid and foil, being careful of the escaping steam, and piece a short rib with a paring knife. When the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife. Taste a piece if you are not sure. [If you would like to cook these a day ahead, this is where you can pause. The next day, you can remove the fat easily from the pot -- it will have solidified at the top -- bring these back to a simmer on the stove or in an oven, and continue.] Let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then transfer them to a baking sheet. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Place the short ribs in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown. Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the sauce (if you made these the day before, you will have already skimmed them) and, if the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning. Serve with horseradish cream (recipes below) on the side.

Horseradish Cream:

3/4 cup créme fraîche
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the créme fraîche and horseradish in a small bowl. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Taste for balance and seasoning.

And if you have never tried Marrow Bones, you have to give them a whirl. We have some that are incredibly meaty and would be perfect as an elegant Osso Bucco entree with the marrow being utilized as an appetizer.

Here is a recipe for Roasted Marrow Bones from Fergus Henderson:

8-12 center cut beef or veal marrow bones

1 c roughly chopped fresh parsley

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 t capers

1 ½ T extra virgin olive oil

2 t fresh lemon juice

course sea salt to taste

toasted baguette slices

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.) Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.

Check out this video with Fergus Henderson as he prepares this unique and delicious dish:
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/10/18/dining/1194817116711/bone-marrow-by-fergus-henderson.html

A New Look for Mint Creek Farm

We are proud to share with you our brand new logo. This logo was designed for us by one of our very own CSA Members, Sarah Becan. Sarah spent an afternoon with us at the farm and has been a CSA Member since we first started the program. We could not have found a better candidate to create an image as important as this one for us. She worked hard on this design and we appreciate her patience (in dealing with us changing our mind constantly) and talent. We think she created the perfect design to characterize our little haven at Mint Creek Farm. Thank you Sarah!

December Meat CSA

For the month of December we are excited to offer a limited seasonal product, our Heritage Stew Hens! These flavorful stewing hens are the perfect main ingredient in chicken broth or for an elegant Coq au Vin. We also celebrated the holidays with our members by giving everyone a lovely Rack of Lamb for their holiday table. And as a stocking stuffer, we tucked into everyone's bag either Lamb Suet or Lamb Liver and Kidneys. These novel morsels are very healthy and tasty and are becoming quite popular among top chefs!

Half share:
2-3# Heritage Stew Hen

1-2# French Rack of Lamb or Lamb Loin Roast

1# Beef Stew

Bonus: Lamb Suet or Assorted Lamb Organ Meats

Whole share:
2-3# Heritage Stew Hen

1-2# French Rack of Lamb or Lamb Loin Roast

1# Veal Stew

2-3# Beef Rump Roast or Chuck Roast

1# Lamb Breakfast Sausage Links

1# Ground Goat

Bonus: Lamb Suet or Assorted Lamb Organ Meats

Rosemary Suet Dumplings
Adapted from BBC recipes
These are a perfect addition to your favorite beef or lamb stew recipe. Just add them on top of the stew for the last 20 minutes of cooking and you will have perfectly steamed stew dumplings. A yummy winter comfort food like no other!

Ingredients:
· 2/3 c / 5 oz of flour
· 1/4 c / 2 1/4 oz of shredded suet
· 1/2 t of baking powder
· pinch of salt
· 1 T of finely chopped fresh rosemary
· 3-5 T cold water
· 2 c / 500 ml of stock or water
(only necessary if you are not adding them directly to a stew)

Method:
Mix together the flour, suet, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in the fresh rosemary. Add enough of the water to form a sticky dough. With floured hands, divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Place the balls on a plate and chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Bring the stock or water to a simmer then add the dumplings and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with your favorite stew meat and enjoy!

Holiday Specials

We love the holidays here at Mint Creek Farm and we are very excited to share with all of you some of our "Best Specials of the Year" for the holiday season. These specials will run NOW through the 22nd of December (one week only), so hurry and get your order in while supplies last!

1. We have drastically dropped the price on ALL Racks of Lamb, Lamb Loin Chops and Lamb Rack Chops to $14/lb! And for this week only- Get an additional 10% OFF when you purchase at least 5 lbs. of Racks, Loin Chops OR Rack Chops. Offer good for 5 lbs of any 1 of these items, but we will offer 10% OFF of each of these items! So, go ahead and purchase 5 lbs. of Racks (Get 10% OFF), 5 lbs. of Loin Chops (Get 10% OFF) and 5 lbs. of Rack Chops (Get 10% OFF)! That adds up to a ton of savings for you and some tasty presents for your family and friends too.

2. Save 25% OFF ALL Ground Beef and Ground Veal! Buy 1lb of Ground Beef or Ground Veal and Get the second one 1/2 OFF.

3. FREE Shipping on ALL online orders over $100! Please order by Friday December 18th, so we can get your present to its recipient in time for Christmas.

4. Gift Certificates are NOW available for $25, $50, $75 or $100 increments. Get an additional $5 FREE gift certificate for every $50 purchased in Mint Creek Farm Gift Certificates! These make great stocking stuffers!

5. Fresh Christmas Turkeys delivered to your home in time for your holiday meal! Each turkey is $5.25/lb plus $10 for delivery. The average weight for our turkeys this time of year is around 15 lbs.- perfect for a large holiday crowd. All turkeys will be processed on December 22nd and will be delivered Fresh to your door on either Wednesday December 23rd or Thursday December 24th. Turkeys are limited to a first come first serve basis, so place your order Today! Call 815.256.2202 for reservations.

6. Winter CSA Shares for February-April are still available! Get 3 months of organically raised grass-fed meat for only $150! This includes 5 lbs. of meat/month (15 lbs total). Each share will contain an assortment of cuts from our lamb, goat, beef and rose veal. For more information please email us at hcarr@mintcreekfarm.com. Shares may be purchased on our website at www.mintcreekfarm.com.

We hope that there is something here for everyone's last minute shopping list.

Enjoy and We Wish You a Warm and Wonderful Holiday Season!

Stew Hens

What exactly is a stew hen? Well, it is a laying hen that is past her prime. So, you turn that hen into a rich flavorful broth that can be used in many different recipes! In my last posting I have my go-to recipe for making broth with either a stew hen or a leftover roasting carcass. If you want a thinner liquid always use a whole hen to create a higher meat to bone ratio. If you want a thicker stock rich in collagen, always use a leftover carcass that has a lower meat to bone ratio. Either are perfect for soups and stews but if you want to make a sauce with this liquid always use a collagen-rich chicken stock instead of a broth! The stock helps to bind the fat from pan drippings (au jus) so you have a completely coagulated sauce. Broth would not bind the fat and just give you a "broken" sauce. It is kind of like making a salad dressing. You add enough fat (oil) until everything binds or emulsifies. Stock can also be used as an alternative to cream or butter when deglazing your roasting pans. And I might add here, that you should always roast your meats in a "flame-proof" roasting pan, that you can place over your stove burners to deglaze all those flavorful fatty drippings! Never waste your pan drippings. They will create a dimension to any sauce that will elevate your dish and make you everyone's favorite chef. Now where do you get your hands on a stew hen? Ask around at the farmers market. We had processed a few with our Thanksgiving turkeys, but they went to our CSA Members. We may do some more, but it depends on the hens. And remember to always use your turkey carcasses for stock too!

Now if you make some homemade broth or stock, here is an excellent soup that my family loves!

Turkey/Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from the Rebar Cookbook

Ingredients:
8 cups of homemade broth
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1/2 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
dried oregano
2 hot peppers, fined diced (I used poblanos, but if you want more heat use jalapenos)
3 cups of frozen corn kernels (try to find fire-roasted corn- it gives the soup a slightly smoky-sweet flavor)
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large orange bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups of shredded meat (I used up the rest of our turkey leftovers)
store bought corn tortilla chips
2 avocados, diced
shredded Mexican cheese

Method:
Cook the onion in a little olive oil until it is translucent and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika (sweet or smoky) and the oregano. Cook until garlic is fragrant and lightly golden. Add the hot peppers, be careful not to "smell" the pot at this point. Hot peppers will burn your nasal passage once they get a little hot in a pan! Cook the peppers until soft. Add the sweet bell peppers and corn to the pot and give a good stir to make sure all the seasonings are well mixed. Add a little more oil to coat and adjust seasonings to taste. Add the shredded meat and pour the broth over everything. Stir to incorporate all of the flavors. Cover loosely, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all the vegetables are cooked and the soup has had a chance to let all the flavors meld together, at least 20 minutes. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with shredded cheese, diced avocados and crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy the soup as everything slowly melts into it creating many different flavor sensations!