Chicken Salad with a Kick

May 1, 2018/0 Comments/in The Farm

Boring food? Not in this house! David and I are foodies who enjoy a wide variety of colors, textures, and flavors.

At our house, Wednesday nights in the summer are salad nights, so I wanted to make a chicken salad. I was looking for one with excitement–some zip and zing. Curried Chicken Salad fits that description perfectly. It has flavor, crunch, a hint of sweetness, and is just the thing for a warm spring or summer evening.

I served ours on beds of dark, mixed greens, but this would also make a nice sandwich filling or would be great on crackers. An added bonus: the longer this sits the more the flavors meld together which makes for some pretty delicious leftovers. Here’s the recipe.

Curried Chicken Salad

4 cups of cooked chicken

1T curry powder–adjust to taste

1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries. David isn’t a fan of raisins, so I used the cranberries. He loved them.

2 cups of chopped celery

1 cup pecans or almonds, rough chopped–I toasted my pecans in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees to give them extra crunch

1 cup mayonnaise

Put the chicken in a large bowl and add the curry powder, stirring to coat. Next, add the cranberries and finally, the rest of the ingredients. Stir to incorporate.

Chill or serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6-8 generous servings

Now I need to tell you about my OOPS!

The first time I made this, I took some leftover salad to work for lunch and mindless stuck it in the microwave. Groaning, I thought, “Well, why not give it a try anyway?” It was delicious–kind of like a curried chicken casserole. I guess accidents can lead to some great inventions.

I think, however, as a casserole, it needs a little more curry powder.

And now, the news you have all been waiting for: the chickens are coming!

Our pick up dates have been adjusted for this year. Feel free to go ahead and order. In my next post, I will give more details, but if you have questions, give me a call or send an email.

Are you ready for fresh, pastured chicken??

Goat Milk? Who Drinks That Stuff?

April 23, 2018/0 Comments/in The Farm

Honesty You Can Trust

April 12, 2018/0 Comments/in Cooking, Health and Nutrition, The Farm

Congratulations! You have made the commitment to choose a healthier diet for yourself and your family. And now the search for real food begins.

How confusing!

As you shop, you are bombarded with words like, “all natural,” “organic,” and “whole grain.” Yet in the news you hear stories of large companies who, for the sake of the dollar, have used these labels in compromising ways. Yes, it’s all natural and whole grain–but it is loaded with sugar and questionable oils. Yes, the grain was raised organically in its native country, but it was sprayed for potential insects upon reaching the US port.

So who can you trust?

As a student of American history, I remember reading about the HJ Heinz Company, founded in the late 1800’s. At a time when all sorts of nasty things were being thrown into tin-canned foods, Henry J Heinz insisted that his products be sold in clear glass jars so that buyers could see everything that was inside. This held his company to a superior standard of accountability while creating a trusted bond between the producer and his customers.

I love this philosophy!

As you search for real food answers for your family’s needs, who better to help than local farmers who share your belief that healthy food should be produced with integrity?

Where do you find these farmers? Farmers’ markets, farm stands, and food directories like Local Harvest and Farm Fresh are great places to start.

When you talk with these farmers, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Are they quick to respond with honest answers? Are you allowed to visit their farm? Are they willing to listen to your needs and help you find solutions? Can you see yourself building a working relationship with them?

When it comes to improving your health, what could be more important than the food you eat? You have made the choice to use pure, honest ingredients. Find a local farmer who will be purely honest with you.

Call or email to begin your conversation with us. We will answer your questions, arrange your personal tour, and help you with your order. We love what we do. We love being your farmer. We are Love Led Farm.

Dying Brown Eggs

March 26, 2018/0 Comments/in Cooking, Egg Layers, Family, The Farm

Will I ever outgrow the fun of coloring Easter eggs? Not as long as I have family around. Even after the girls left home, one or more of them would gather around the table a few days before Easter to plunge 2 dozen boiled white eggs into a rainbow of colors. White eggs?

The breeds of hens that I raise lay brown eggs. And like most people, I assumed that dying them would be a problem. So each year, I have dutifully made my way to the supermarket’s egg display to buy my sale-priced, 2 dozen, white eggs while my hens produced dozens of beautiful eggs–mine for the taking. Not this year.

I recently read an article on dying brown eggs and decided to give it a try. I purchased the same cheap dye kit that we have always used and hard boiled the eggs just like always.

Here are the results.

Are you surprised? Me too! The colors are actually more vibrant and have a beautiful sheen. Thinking that brown eggs might need a longer soaking time to absorb the color, I left the first 6 in the color cups for about 5 minutes; the second 6 for only 2 or 3 minutes. There was no noticeable difference.

As my husband admired the eggs, he asked the question that is on all of our minds: “So with white eggs being less than a dollar and brown eggs being $3.50, why would anybody want to spend the money to dye them?” And, if all they will be used for is an egg hunt, okay, I might agree.

But I want to eat these eggs, while maintaining our healthy food choices. Deviled eggs, egg salad, dipped in a bit of salt, we love hard-boiled eggs. Yes, I want to be able to have my colored egg and eat it, too! This year I have learned that I don’t have to compromise which makes me feel pretty good about serving them to those I love.

Happy Easter, Everybody! Remember…the holiday isn’t about a bunny. It’s about a Lamb.

Robin’s Roast Chicken

March 5, 2018/0 Comments/in The Farm

How do you describe the smell of roast chicken when you walk in the door on a cold day? Mouthwatering? Delicious? Like Grandma’s house?

Roast chicken accompanied by a pan of oven roasted vegetables is a heavenly meal by itself. But that is only the starting point–a gateway to endless possibilities. Imagine, paying for one free range chicken and enjoying 3 or 4 full meals, each one easy to prepare because you already have the basic ingredient.

“Sure,” you say. “Like I have all the time in the world to bake a chicken.” Well, with a little organization, you probably do.

Over the years I have tried all sorts of ways to cook a whole chicken. After all, I am a chicken farmer, right? Some require you to be at home for hours. Some, result in meat that is rather stringy and tasteless. For help, I followed the advice of a more seasoned chicken farmer (pun intended). Her method became my hands-down favorite. The finished product is juicy, delicious, and is so easy to prepare.

In addition to a whole chicken, you will need: salt; pepper; 1-2 tsp. crushed thyme; a quartered lemon; a couple of stalks of celery; a small quartered onion; and 2 tablespoons of softened butter or olive oil.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. While it is heating, massage the outside of the chicken with half of the oil or butter and put the rest inside the cavity. Liberally sprinkle salt, pepper, and the crushed thyme–again, inside and out–and stuff the lemon, celery and onion into the bird.

Place your prepared chicken into your favorite roasting pan. Mine is a cast iron dutch oven but I have also used a glass baking pan and even a cookie sheet. When the oven is ready, roast the chicken, uncovered, for 40 – 45 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Now, turn your oven completely off and leave your bird inside for another 2 hours. Don’t even think about opening that door yet. What you have created is a giant crock pot. The meat will continue to cook but at a slower pace while the golden crust seals in all the juices. After the 2 hours, check the meat closest to the bone (the thigh, leg, and breast). When finished, the juices should run clear. At this point, I usually take the pan out, discard the lemon and vegetables, and cover it with foil–or in my case, the pan’s lid–and let it rest until I am ready to serve. If I am trying to keep it warm, I just leave my covered pan in the oven.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I have this clever device on my oven called a “Time Bake” feature. I can set it to start and stop whenever I want. That means, I can prep my chicken in the morning…I have done this before church…and it will be finished and waiting when we get home. If you don’t have such a feature, just start the process while you are at home and during those last 2 hours, go about your day. As Ima Gardner says, “How easy is that?”

After you and yours have feasted on this savory roasted bird, what’s next? I’m afraid you will have to come back for that answer. Throughout the year, I will share some of my favorite recipes in a once-a-month series called, “Leftover Chicken?”

As for filling your freezer with Love Led Farm chicken, watch for future announcements. Soon you will be able to preorder from this summer’s flocks. In the meantime, I still have a few smaller birds from September. If you would like one, just let me know.

Frozen Eggs

February 15, 2018/0 Comments/in Cooking, Egg Layers, The Farm

Ah Winter!

On one particularly cold January night, the egg basket sat forgotten in our garage. The result? Frozen eggcycles. Rather than toss almost 3 dozen eggs that could not be sold, I decided to experiment. Would they be any good? Could I use them as usual?

Any eggs with large cracks were discarded as I saw no need to invite unwelcome bacteria into our bodies. Those without cracks were divided into two groups. The first were rinsed and stored in a carton in the refrigerator where, after many days, they finally thawed.

One morning, in an impatient mood, I thought I would try frying a couple. After all, the dog, the cat, and I wanted to eat eggs. The finished product?

As the whites still contained plenty of ice crystals, they took longer than normal to cook. The key seemed to be “Low and Slow.” But as you can see, the end results were just fine.

The remaining eggs were placed in a basket where they sat at room temperature. Although I removed all traces of dirt, I did not soak them. This allowed their protective waterproof layer to remain intact. Thawing, was of course, much quicker and once thawed, the eggs were just…eggs. I cooked and baked with them with no noticeable differences.

So why would you purposefully want to freeze eggs? Maybe you found a great deal on them and want to load up. Perhaps you will be traveling and want to store the contents of your refrigerator until you return. Maybe you want to take some on your camping trip without the mess of broken eggshells. Or, perhaps you are food prepping and would like to freeze eggs in small portions for favorite recipes.

The American Egg Board has compiled an online, alphabetical encyclopedia about eggs. Searching though it, you will find all you could ever wish to know, including how to freeze them. Apparently, eggs can be successful frozen for up to a year. However, because they do expand their contents when frozen, it is better to crack them open and pour the contents into freezer containers. Here are some tips that they offer:

*Freeze only clean, fresh eggs and always label with the date you prepared them.

*For Egg Whites: Separate the eggs one at a time, pour into freezer containers or into empty ice cube trays. If you choose the latter, just empty each frozen compartment into a larger container and label.

*For Yolks: It is a property of eggs yolks to gel when frozen, making them difficult to use in a recipe. To help retard this this thickening, beat in 1 1/2 tsp. of sugar or 1/8 tsp. of salt per 1/4 cup of egg yolk (about 4 yolks). Then freeze in a container and label.

*Whole Eggs: Beat until blended. Pour into containers, or again, ice cube trays. Label with the number of eggs you have prepared and freeze.

To Thaw Frozen Eggs: Place containers of frozen eggs in the refrigerator overnight to thaw (I haven’t tried this but I assume they thaw more quickly without their shells) or under running water. Egg whites will beat better if you then allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Frozen or not, what other questions might you have about eggs? Check out the website of the American Egg Board for answers: https://www.incredibleegg.org. Then contact me for fresh–not frozen–non-gmo, free-range eggs.

Creating your best dishes, starts with the best ingredients.

Robin—Love Led Farm

Balancing My Year

January 31, 2018/0 Comments/in Animals, Egg Layers, Goats, Meat Birds, The Farm

“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” Jana Kingsford

Nature teaches us the truth about balance. God’s plants and animals know that there is a time for growing, producing, harvesting, and resting. It seems that we humans learn a bit more slowly. But when my body and pen were overly taxed, thanks to two back-to-back viruses, January became a time to rest and recoup. Resting the body, however, did not mean relaxing the mind. And so January also was a month of thinking, accessing, learning, and planning.

I am so excited about the months ahead!

The first big news to share with you is that in March, after 11 years, I will be leaving my off-the-farm job to become a full-time farmer. For me, this is a dream come true; for you it means more availability to help with questions and visits. In fact, this summer I will establish weekly”store hours” when someone will be available on the premises to personally help with anything you need.

Here is a summary of 2017 and then a quick peak at a few of the plans we have for 2018:

*Goats – Four herd share customers shared the milk of two goats last year. This year, I have bred a third doe, which means there will be more herd shares available. Call or email me if you are interested. Herd shares will begin in May.

*Eggs – In 2017, we sold 90-100 dozen eggs per month. That’s quite an omelet! We will continue to expand the flock this year, and yes, Oliver does have his famous blue eggs to sell. The roadside sign will probably go up in May. Until then, call or email if you want eggs. We have plenty.

*Meat Chickens – Last year we raised almost 200 delicious chickens. This year, we plan to raise 300. Due to Michigan’s finicky spring weather, we will start the first flock in early May. Pick-Up Days will again be in June, August, and September. Watch future posts for details and start planning your order.

*Hogs – David and Oliver will be raising a few hogs this year. You will be able to order quarters, halves and whole. Their plans are to start the piglets in early April and finish them by November. Let me know if you are interested so that they will raise enough.

*Sheep – This will be my “practice” year as I expand into non-gmo, grassfed lambs. This year’s flock will be small but if you are interested in lamb for your freezer this fall, let me know.

*Turkeys – We have talked about it for years–non-gmo, pastured turkeys. This year, we will add them to the farm. You’ve enjoyed our chicken. Why not buy your Thanksgiving turkey from us, too? Details will be coming, so watch and prepare to order yours.

What an ambitious year! I can feel my impatience, waiting for spring to arrive so we can take off running. But even as I write, I remember the need for balance. So instead of impatience, let me choose gratitude for these cold winter months. I need them, if only to remember that things other than farms are important, too…like the four little people who call us Papa and Nana.

Need Eggs?

September 28, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Egg Layers, The Farm

There was the time that I stood by a nest begging a hen to finish laying her egg. I needed it to fill an order for a customer who was standing in the garage/sales room, waiting for her order. Talk about fresh!

I am happy to report that we now have plenty of eggs for everyone–enough that we have put the roadside sign up again. These are non-gmo (always), free-range, and full of nutrition. You will find them in the blue cooler near our convenient, circular drive. We charge $3.50/dozen–a bargain if you have priced non-gmo eggs lately–and should stay fresh and delicious for 2-3 weeks. With holiday baking just around the corner, you will want to keep plenty on hand.

Delicious results start with delicious ingredients–insist on the best.

We’re Love Led Farm.

Better Hurry!

August 29, 2017/0 Comments/in The Farm

Have you ordered your chickens for the winter months yet? Better hurry! Our last two Pick-up Days are just around the corner: September 5th and 19th. Tell your friends and neighbors to stock their freezers with the most delicious, nutritious, non-gmo, pastured chicken in Holland. Buy local and know who raised your meat!

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

The Reminder

August 23, 2017/0 Comments/in Family, Just for Fun, The Farm

When our grandchildren come, the world stops. And this is a very good thing, especially in August when our farming world is spinning so wildly that we ask ourselves, “Why are we doing this?” In August, harvesting and preserving begin in earnest. We have more chickens than we can possibly count. The baby goats are no longer so little and cute–they are big and hungry. And the race is on to finish far too many projects before the snow flies.

Last week, all four grandchildren were here for several days–Cousin Camp. For a week, the world stopped and by the time they left and life regained its speed, we remembered why we have this special place called Love Led Farm.