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Coppa di Testa, Sülze, or Brawn anyone?
Experimenting in the kitchen is all the rage...and we have a fun project for you that's easy to make, tasty, and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! All you need is a very large stockpot and a will to experiment with some "nose-to-tail" cooking. We've got all the ingredients you need to get started - just email us to reserve your noggin ($20 - without cheeks; $30 with jowl) and trotters today ($3.50/lb).
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Still fundraising..MPPU!
You might have wondered, what's up with this Eastern Mass MPPU? Is it built yet? No, but construction plans are in the works and thanks to the generosity of dozens of individuals (scroll down page to see list of contributors), we are certainly getting closer to our goal. We would really benefit from your support to help us enhance the future MPPU with some additional roadworthy safeguards, appropriate weatherization installations, and some equipment upgrades to help the next unit succeed. If you haven't yet donated, please consider making a donation today!
Click to Donate to the MPPU
Scroll to gift option 3 and designate MPPU" or "New Entry Sustainable Farming Project."
 Your gift is tax deductible and will help dozens of small farmers across Eastern Mass access appropriate processing infrastructure and provide more local chicken for everyone to enjoy! Thank you for your support!
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Ingredients:
1 or 2 Pete and Jen's Rabbits
Olive Oil
Garlic, Onions, and Chillies (if you like it spicy)
Root Vegetables: Carrots, turnips, swede, celeriac, potatoes
or any
other root veg you have on hand
A couple of pints of chicken stock (made from Pete and Jen's
birds!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
- Joint the Rabbits into back legs,
front legs, and saddle - cut the saddle in to two pieces and
discard the rib cage (or use for stock)
- Chop the root vegetables into large chunks. Note:
the potatoes are added later.
- Heat the chicken stock ..bring it to a boil
and then turn down to a very slow simmer.
- Using a heavy frying pan with a liberal
splash of olive oil, sweat the garlic (crush and chop it), onions (roughly
chop them), and chillies (finely chop them). Once tender, transfer
them to a heavy stew pot.
- Return the frying pan to the stove and add
another liberal splash of olive oil to "seal the rabbit joints"
in the frying pan. Note: don't go overboard on the frying,
just fry enough to give the meat a light brown color and seal in the
juices.
- Once the rabbit meat is a golden brown,
transfer the rabbit joints to the stew pot and pour the hot chicken stock
over the rabbit. Season the broth to taste with salt and
pepper.
- Add the chopped root vegetables to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Turn down the heat to a low simmer, stir the
stew, cover and leave to simmer for about an hour.
- After an hour, add the potatoes (cubed) and
bring the stew back up to a slow simmer. Stir it and leave for about
another 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
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Greetings!
Happy Autumn! The farm has been a bustle of activity this fall season - raising our fall capons, growing our rabbit herd, keeping the laying hens protected from migratory hawks and hungry owls, and raking up acorns for our pastured porkers. All the work has been a joy to bring everyone an alternative source of local, humanely-raised, and environmentally restorative meat you can feel good about! We would also like to take a moment to appreciate all of the hard-working volunteers who helped us with chicken processing this season...we couldn't have done it without you - and who knew that slaughtering would be so en vogue? Folks are "flocking" to help us process birds on the MPPU, and we're not alone...check out the NY Times articles on rock start butchers and weekend meat cutting workshops! It's been a great season, and we appreciate everyone who helped out, so thanks so much again! It's no wonder knowing where your food comes from and helping it get to the table is so hip. With the increasing focus on the destructive impacts of industrial farming highlighted by films such as Food, Inc., books such as Eating Animals, (check out NPR's On Point story and interview with Jonathan Safran Foer), and the plethora of local panel discussions and food forums on "all things Food," you begin to feel hopeful that change is brewing and a real movement is in the works (and here to stay)! We, as your local growers, are extremely proud to be part of the solution and to offer you sustainable, and delicious, food choices.  Our mantra has always been to "vote with your fork (and thus, your food dollar)," and conscientiously or not, we shape our landscapes with our food choices each and every day. The infamous Wendell Berry's quote, "Eating is an agricultural act," emphasizes that we are all connected to agriculture whether we identify as such or not. James Howard Kunstler's solution for the future is "...to grow our food closer to home, in a manner that will
require more human attention. In fact, agriculture needs to return to
the center of economic life." This holiday season, we hope that you  choose to vote with your fork
to shape the kind of world you want to live in and to support the kind of farming you believe in. It might not be convenient, it might not be cheap, it will take extra effort, but it's so worth it - and it's energy you can feel good about - one bite, one full belly at a time!
We hope you will join us this holiday season in giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives. Please know that we count among our many blessings all of the dedicated and committed folks who believe in and support (with your fork) what we do. We are very grateful, and your encouragement and appreciation certainly keeps us growing! Happy Holidays to you and your family from your local farmers,
 Pete Lowy and Jen Hashley
Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds
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Pasture-Raised Pork is Here!
Pastured Porkers - Tasty, Tasty
Our 2009 piggies have been "harvested" and are awaiting you in the mini-store freezer. This season, we filled over 100 pork samplers, sold 10 whole hogs, and we have individual cuts available for purchase! Feedback so far has been extremely positive....
" The pork chops are so juicy and have the best flavor of any I've ever had..." - Chris Datillo
"The pig is/was amazing, the fat was so firm and creamy (if that's possible). The flavor is great!" - Peter McCarthy, Evoo Restaurant
This year we continued to raise heritage breeds of Tamworth, Large Black, and Gloucester Old Spot crosses and for the first time, we successfully  farrowed and raised our own piglets on the farm from our sow, Fern. This fall, we kept another gilt (unbred female pig) which we named, Nutmeg who will join Fern to keep our piggies produced as locally as possible. Good piglets raised on pasture are hard to come by, so we're really happy to finally be raising our own! We've been partnering with Codman Community Farm to use the "services" of Waldorf the boar - a famed purebred Tamworth boar who spent a long life at the Plimoth Plantation. His incredible genetics have helped us produce some amazing and delicious pork.
This fall, we also added extra value to our pork by changing their feed over the past two months to a custom-ration of Certified Organic barley, field peas, wheat, and some corn (no soy!). We also fed them copious amounts of acorns which adds some nice flavor to the meat and fat. We trust you will enjoy it!
Currently for sale in the mini-store - visit our website for pricing: pork chops, country-style ribs, sausages (Sweet Italian and Hot/Spicy Italian), spare ribs, boneless ham roasts, ground pork, Boston-butt shoulder roasts, feet, hocks, organ meat, backfat (make your own sausage or lard!), leaf lard, and rendered lard. We have pig heads, soup bones, and uncured belly available by request (email us to order). Check out our blog for a step-by-step instruction on making brawn or headcheese - delicious!
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Rabbit - the other white meat!
Resourceful Rabbits - Tasty, Tasty
Did you know that rabbits are the most productive among all domesticated livestock? They are also all white meat, and far lower in %fat and cholesterol than chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. Rabbit meat is the most nutritious, has the highest percent protein, and is "in season" any month of the year. We raise New Zealand whites, Californian, and Satin crosses of rabbits for their excellent meat:bone ratio. Rabbit meat is rich and delicious, a little goes a long way and our rabbits make several delicious meals!
Rabbits are currently for sale in our mini-store $10 / lb. Don't forget to check out the delicious rabbit liver, kidneys and hearts ($6/lb).
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still serving our Savory Sheep!
Savory Sheep - Tasty, Tasty
 We still have our fall sheep meat available in the mini-store. It's as mild as any lamb we've eaten and completely delicious. We have a limited supply of ground sheep and loin chops, but still have several shoulder chops, rib chops, and lots of bone-in stew meat! Get it while supplies last!
Savory Sheep Stew
Ingredients
 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 onions, roughly diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 carrots (washed, but not peeled), roughly diced
1 head celery, roughly diced
6 sprig fresh rosemary, left whole
4 pounds sheep stew meat (mutton)
1 bottle red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 potatoes, scrubbed and roughly diced
1/4 cup butter
Directions
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to
glisten. Stir in the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and fresh
rosemary, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the mutton and stir until all sides of the meat have browned. Add
the wine and tomato paste and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Then
add the vegetable stock or water, reduce heat to medium-low and allow
to simmer for 4 to 6 hours, periodically checking to make sure the
liquid doesn't dissipate, and adding water if needed. When the meat is
beginning to become tender, add the potatoes. Season with salt and
pepper. The stew is finished when the meat is very tender (the flavor
should be intense and very tasty). Adjust the seasoning, as needed, and
whisk in the butter just before serving to make the sauce a little
richer.
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