Recipe of the Week: Chicken Piccata

From Debbie's Kitchen:

This recipe is a real confidence builder; almost foolproof and very impressive. I have made it with both chicken and veal and it is absolutely delicious. I like to pound the meat with my French rolling pin to keep it nice and even. Keep tasting the sauce if you use organic lemons because the flavor tends to be stronger and deeper so you don't need as much.

This Italian dish illustrates the cooking technique known as pan frying. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are pounded into tender cutlets for even cooking and quickly pan fried. Then a flavorful sauce is prepared in the same pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each 8 to 9 oz., cut in half horizontally and pounded 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. minced shallot
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbs. capers, drained
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it. Shake off the excess.

In the nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Place 2 pieces of chicken in the pan and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter or individual plates. Warm the remaining 1 Tbs. oil in the pan and repeat to brown the remaining chicken.

Reduce the heat to medium and melt 1 Tbs. of the butter in the pan. Add the shallot and cook until softened and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, lemon juice and broth, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 Tbs. butter, the capers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and pass any remaining sauce alongside. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Cut of the Week: Skinless, boneless chicken breast

Our customers tend to fall into two very distinct and separate groups of chicken lovers. They either cook chicken breast only and are intimidated by the idea of a whole chicken or, like Debbie, aren't excited at the thought of dry, tough chicken breast smothered in some sauce for flavor.

Debbie's thoughts on chicken:

And then Chicken Piccata! A chef in Indiana made it for me and I left with a new determination to conquer this fear of frying - pan frying that is. All my favorite things in one dish - chicken, wine, lemon and capers!! Need I say more?

What I needed to find out was how to keep my chicken from drying out and becoming tough. Most people tend to look to poaching or brining but I like the idea of pounding chicken breast to a thickness of 1/4" and very quickly pan frying.

While poaching works for some recipes I love the bits of caramelized crust left stuck to the pan that make your sauce or gravy have a depth of flavor that you just can't get any other way.

The trick to pan frying success is the thickness of the meat, making sure that the oil in the pan is very hot and only turning the chicken once. Also, using a heavy bottomed pan will keep the burning to a minimum.

It is also important not to crowd the pan or the flour coating will come off due to the steaming rather than frying of the meat.

Meet the Buckeye Chickens

After some heavy casualties from hawks, we are moving the chickens and the dogs to the farm by they shop. We are looking forward to having them here for visitors to see. We also have some wonderfully adorable baby chicks chirping and doing their best to be cute.

We are going to experiment with several different breeds this year. At the top of the list are Buckeyes. Famous for being the only breed in this country to be developed by a woman breeder, these birds have plenty to boast about. Bred in the mid 1800 they have beautiful deep red feathers and yellow legs. They lay large, dark brown eggs and they are wonderful foragers. Another reason we have looked into this breed is that they are the top of the American Livestock Conservancy Critical List. This means that they are on the verge of becoming extinct. Being placed on the Critical list means that there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and the estimated global population is less than 2,000. These birds are definitely worth saving and we are proud to participate in that effort.

To receive updates like this on the animals, please subscribe to the Farm Newsletter!

Reduce Breast Cancer Risk With Grass-Fed Meat and Milk

A little over 10 years ago while traveling in Europe I came across a study that found that women who consumed 100% grass fed animal products could lower their chance of developing breast cancer by 74%.

Why do 100% grass fed animal products protect women from breast cancer? Grass fed meat, milk and eggs contain a much higher concentration of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) than do products from grain fed animals. Studies show that CLA offers many health benefits, including reducing the risk of breast cancer and tumor reduction. You can read more about the benefits of CLA from Eat Wild, The Townsend Letter, and The California Breast Cancer Research Project.

Reading the European study a decade ago changed the way I farmed and made me a purist when it comes to grass versus grain for my animals. For me, this means no grain fed to ruminants at all: not to get them to love me, not to get them to come into the barn or to stand still while milking or any of the other excuses I have heard for feeding grain. None of these reasons seem very important when I weigh them against the faces of friends who suffer with cancer, or women I know who have predispositions toward breast cancer. How can I imagine feeding grain if there is even the slightest possibility that my food could help them to avoid this horrible disease? Even the slightest chance is worth not having a little more milk to sell or an animal that goes to the butcher a few months sooner. The possibility is just too great to cut any corners here.

So please, if you purchase meat or milk from a farmer that you can actually speak with, ask them to stop feeding grain and let them know that you are willing to pay more to help them with the extra expenses. And if you don't buy milk or meat from someone you can persuade to go grass fed - you should.

Everyone Loves Free Range Chicken

With 175 potentially delicious girls out on pasture it was only a matter of time before all the skunks, raccoons, red fox, hawks and dogs came out for a dinner of chicken. We lost a few girls two nights in a row and knew we needed some added protection for our precious free range chickens. Enter Kitty our wonderful Great Pyrenees momma.

Although we have trained many of her babies to guard chickens we have not tried to put grown dogs in with the chickens for fear of the exercise being misunderstood as a chicken banquet beyond their wildest imagination. Kitty has been charged with caring for cattle for years.

Well desperate situations called for desperate measures and we decided to try Kitty out with the girls for added protection at night. What we found in the morning was Kitty surrounded by chickens who seemed calm and alive but a beautiful Kitty with the strong stench from an angry and thankfully disappointed skunk.

She has been out with the chickens for 2 weeks now and we have not lost a single chicken to predators although we have detected skunk scent each and every morning.

Stop by anytime and take a look at Kitty doing her job faithfully and diligently.

A Cheep off the Old Block

With our eggs from pastured free range chickens in such high demand we have made the decision to increase our egg production. We have ordered 100 Buff Orpington chicks and will bring in 100 Rhode Island Reds and 100 Plymouth Rock chicks.

Our Buffs arrived on Thursday and are settling in to their home nicely. One constant concern with baby chicks is suffocation. The chicks pile together in a corner and suffocate the smaller chicks that tend to pile in first. During a nightly check on the babies I thought I saw a small chick behind sticking out of a hole in a brick placed in the booder to keep critters out. When I picked up the brick thinking I would be prying a dead baby from a hole I found a pleasant surprise, two more babies resting comfortably in each hole.

Thankfully, all three girls were comfy and cozy and seemed quite miffed that I had disturbed them.

Delicious Homemade Raw Milk Vanilla Ice Cream

Pictured at right is the beginning of Debbie's Vanilla Ice Cream base!! Six golden egg yolks from our free range chickens!

The best vanilla ice cream is made with vanilla beans that have been steeped in custard to release their maximum flavor. If you haven't tried the Ugandan Vanilla Beans from the farm shop, this is the perfect opportunity to use them! If vanilla beans are unavailable, simply omit the steeping and add 2 tsp. vanilla extract to the chilled custard before freezing.

Delicious Homemade Raw Milk Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups half-and-half (you can use half raw milk and half raw milk cream to make your own healthy half and half!)
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks from a free range chicken

Directions:

1. Pour the half-and-half into a heavy saucepan. Place the vanilla bean on a work surface. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the bean in half lengthwise. Using the knife tip, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, then add the seeds and bean halves to the half-and-half. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Return the saucepan to the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until blended. Form a kitchen towel into a ring and place the bowl on top to prevent it from moving. Gradually pour the hot half-and-half mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
   
4. Return the mixture to the same saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the custard to boil.
   
5. Pour the custard through a medium-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Makes about 5 cups; serves 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Ice Creams & Sorbets, by Sarah Tenaglia (Time-Life Books, 1996).

How to Keep the Girls Happy

A large part of my job on the farm is to keep the girls happy, all 175 of them. Our "girls" are our Rhode Island, Delaware and Red Comet free range chickens. I think it is one of the most rewarding jobs on the farm. Here is how I keep them happy and laying great, golden yolked eggs. One note, these girls have plenty of water and feed in their feeders.

The first thing we do to keep the girls happy is to just show up. The girls come running when they hear my truck appoaching, searching for treats. You can't help but have a great feeling when 175 little birds come running to see what you have brought for them.

Next comes the certified organic grains, nutrient dense corn and wheat. It goes into the trough with a smattering of oyster shells and fish meal.

Water tops off the grain and keeps the corn and wheat soaked and the fermentation begins to take place and is finished by the following morning as they clean up the last of the soak grains.

Next, bring out the raw milk. Even in the jug the girls scramble to get at the clabbered white stuff. I clabber a gallon of milk every other day for a treat for the girls and a little extra protein. This is definitely the highlight of their lives. Everyone knows you need some milk with your cereals.

For a final little treat I pour some water on the ground, which they really enjoy. Now it is time to collect eggs, thank the girls and head home to get the eggs washed, packed and in the fridge for our valued customers to pick up and take home.
The bottom line on keeping the girls happy is to keep them out on pasture and give them all the things they need; lots of room to roam, certified organic grain from nutrient dense soil, fresh water and plenty of it and clabbered raw milk as a treat. They don't really ask for much but I think the results speak for themselves, rich orange yolked eggs with plenty of flavor.  You can't beat free range chickens for healthy eggs and entertainment!

Health: Natural Sources of Vitamin A

As with children, cows are susceptible to bouts of pinkeye from time to time. Part of sustainable farming is coming up with natural methods for managing problems like this whenever possible. One of the best natural cures for pinkeye in cattle (though not recommended for human children!) is putting drops of cod liver oil in the cow's eyes. This remedy cures the pinkeye quickly, as the Vitamin A in the cod liver oil promotes healthy eyes.

Vitamin A is available in a variety of natural forms. While the commercial pasteurization process removes vitamins and replaces them with synthetic Vitamins A and D in whole milk, raw milk contains natural Vitamin A among other beneficial vitamins and minerals. Eggs from free range chickens are another good source of Vitamin A, as are dark colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Cod liver oil is another good way to add Vitamin A to your diet, but be sure the brand you choose contains natural Vitamin A, not synthetic add-ins.

Choosing natural vitamin sources prevents toxicity and overdose concerns sometimes associated with synthetic vitamins. You don't need to resort to processed "fortified" foods and chemical reproductions of Vitamin A - the best sources are those found in nature.  You can support sustainable farming and your goals for natural living by meeting your family's Vitamin A needs with raw milk, eggs from free range chickens, and produce from local sources or your very own organic garden.