Bluebird CSA

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Order Your Lamb Pack Now!

GRASS-FED LAMB

We have a few lamb packs available now for pickup this Saturday and a few other dates.


 Hurry, order right now! See below for our ordering details. Our lamb packs sell quickly! If you miss out this time, we’ll have more lamb packs ready around October.
 Our lambs are raised on grass pastures. No grain for fattening.  Fat from grass pastures only.  Rotationally grazing for healthy land and healthy animals.

 Lamb Packs:
Vacuum-sealed, frozen.
Approx. 1/3 of a lamb.  You’ll get a great variety of amazing cuts of lamb for roasting, stewing, broiling, and grilling. Vacuum-sealed, frozen.
 Approx $175.
1 leg of lamb roast (average 2.75 lbs) •2 packs thick lamb rib chops- 2 chops/pack (0.85 lb/pack)
•2 packages of thick lamb loin chops-2 chops/ pack, (0.55 lb/ pack) •4 packs of ground lamb (1 lb/pack)
•2 packs of lamb stew/kabob meat (1 lb packs) •1  free pack of meaty riblets for broth 

Pickup:
8/2 Sat. Hickory Farmers Market, 8-noon
8/2 Sat. Morganton Farmers Market,  8-noon
8/2 Sat. Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, 8-noon
8/6 Wed. Hickory Farmers Market, 10-3pm
8/6 Wed. Bluebird Farm 4-6pm
8/9 Sat. Hickory Farmers Market, 8-noon
8/9 Sat. Morganton Farmers Market, 8-noon
8/9 Sat. Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, 8-noon

Pay at pickup with check or cash.  No deposit necessary.
Each Lamb Pack costs approximately $175, however the actual total of your Lamb Pack can be between $160-$190 after your lamb is weighed and prices are calculated.  Since we organize and total the lamb packs just before market, we can’t have a total ready for you by phone or email in advance of the pickup date.  

Order Now: 
Please email by 1pm Friday 8/1 for pickup Saturday, 8/2. All other orders after 1pm can be picked up either Wed 8/6 or Sat 8/9.  Please email back BluebirdFarmNC@gmail.com with the following information:

1. Name, Pickup Location and Date.
2. Number of lamb packs.
3. Requests for any additional items of lamb with your lamb pack. First come, first serve. (ie: additional 2 lbs ground lamb and 1 leg of lamb roast)  We will try our best to accommodate these requests, but we pack any additional items just before market, so additional items will be a surprise! We will add them to your lamb pack total.

Lamb Prices per pound for Lamb Packs and additional lamb items
Ground Lamb        $11/ lb
Lamb Kabob           $11/ lb
Leg of lamb roast  $14/ lb
Lamb Chops           $19/ lb

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Grilled Peaches and Bone-in, Thick Pork Chops with Marinated Pole Beans

Those of you who have had our amazing pork chops, you know the robust, savory flavor of our thick bone-in chops after you’ve grilled them…Everyone who eats meat or who cooks meat for other people should check out the marinated pork chop recipe below.  

Grilled peaches, bone-in thick pork chops, and a marinated pole bean salad- YUM! Summer! You can’t go wrong when you’ve marinated pork chops for a few hours.  So, if you are a little nervous about grilling very thick pork chops, you’ve got to try this method…it is a little harder to overcook marinated pork chops.  

You want to go for a nice rosy pink on the inside of the pork chop. I always say “If it is underdone, you can always put it back on the grill for 30 seconds to a minute, but you can’t undo it if you over cook it!”

Now we don't have any peaches for you (we support other farmers and purchase local peaches), and we don't have any pole beans for you (we mainly grow that harvest labor intensive crop for our CSA as a tasty treat.) But you can find some flavorful peaches and nice beans at the farmers market. Just remember to seek out someone who is selling their own fruit and produce and support a farmer directly!


Epicurious.com
Bon Appétit | June 2012
by Jeff Cerciello
Farmshop, Santa Monica, CA
yield:Makes 6 to 8 servings
ingredients
·         1/2 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
·         1/2 cup vegetable oil
·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
·         2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
·         2 tablespoons minced garlic
·         1/4 cup white wine vinegar
·         Freshly cracked black pepper
·         4 1 1/2"-thick bone-in pork chops (about 1 pound each)
·         4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
·         8 cups (1 1/4 pounds) pole beans (such as Romano, haricots verts, yellow wax, or green beans), trimmed (You can use half as much beans if you’ll have other side dishes, just reserve half as much vinaigrette and half the shallot or scallions)
·         1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot rings  (I substitute the lovely white and light green scallion stems)
·         3-4 semi-ripe peaches, halved, pitted
preparation
Pork Chop and Pole bean vinaigrette: Combine 1/2 cup olive oil and vegetable oil in a measuring cup. Combine 2 tablespoons marjoram, Dijon mustard, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk oil mixture into herb mixture until creamy. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer about 1/4 cup dressing to a small bowl; cover and chill.
Pork Chop Preparation: Season pork chops with 4 teaspoons salt. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag; pour remaining dressing over, spreading evenly to distribute. Seal bag; chill for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
Pole Bean Preparation: Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl of ice water to chill. Drain beans; pat dry. Transfer beans, remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram, and shallot to a medium bowl; toss with enough reserved dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper.
Pork Chop Grilling: Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Remove pork chops from bag, scraping off excess dressing. Grill chops, turning occasionally on all sides, until browned on the outside and cooked til they are slightly pink inside , about 14-20 minutes total. (Be sure to cook thick chops on the edges, too, and melt the thin strips of white fat; they'll cook more evenly.)
Peach Grilling: Place peaches in a medium bowl; drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Grill peaches, cut side down, until they begin to soften and char, 4-6 minutes. Transfer pork and peaches to a cutting board; let pork rest for 10 minutes.
Slice peaches. Serve pork and peaches with bean salad.

Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Auntie Bonnie’s Potato Cucumber Salad
From the cookbook, How it all Vegan, 1999.
This tangy, tart salad will tickle your tastebuds.

2-3 cups new potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp fresh dill, chives or parsley, chopped
¼ cup green onions
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
¼ cup flax oil (or your choice of salad type oil)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2-3 cups cucumber, cubed
In a medium pot, boil the cubed potatoes in water until they can be pierced easily with a fork.  In a small bowl, whisk together the chosen herb, mustard, vinegar, horseradish, oil, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.  Once the potatoes are done, drain and rinse under cold water until cool.  In a medium bowl, mix together the potatoes, cucumbers and dressing just before serving. 
Marie’s adjustment:
I like to give the potatoes a quick rinse, then pour the dressing over the partially-cooled potatoes and refrigerate for a few hours.  Then mix the cucumbers in before serving.  This lets the flavor soak into the potatoes more.
·         Variation: Add some healthy protein- Chop boiled eggs into large chunks and sprinkle over the salad after combining the cucumbers into the potatoes.

Cold Cucumber Soup
Ingredients
·         3  medium seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped
·         3/4  cup(s) thinly sliced green onions
·         1  tablespoon(s) lemon juice
·         1  teaspoon(s) lemon zest
·         1  teaspoon(s) sea salt
·         1/2  teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
·         1 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth (I use water)
·         1/2  cup(s) sour cream (I use plain yogurt)
Directions
  1. Place cucumbers, green onions, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper, and vegetable broth in a blender or food processor and puree.
  2. Stir in sour cream and chill until very cold, about 1 hour.
  3. Serve topped with additional chopped cucumber, green onion, and lemon zest.
http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/cold-cucumber-soup-recipe

Here is a link to 15 garden fresh squash and zucchini recipes.  http://www.thekitchn.com/summer-squash-15-recipes-for-z-120015  Try the Zucchini Garlic Soup.  It is good cold.  http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-zucchini-1-32520


Teeny Zucchini with Onions

From Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes 2001

Note: squash can be substituted for zucchini
Health Note: We like to get include some other form of protein in our meals, when not eating meat with a meal. We tend to eat meat just 3 times a week. The walnuts in this meal are a great protein source.

1 lbs baby zucchini or 3 medium zucchini
1 tblsp. Olive oil
1 Small Onion, cut into thin wedges
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ tsp dried oregano, crushed
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Rinse and trim zucchini. If using medium sized zucchini, cut each in half lengthwise, then turn into ½-inch slices

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes until vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add walnuts, oregano, salt, and pepper to mixture in skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Makes 4-6 servings.