Text 18320, 98 rader
Skriven 2008-12-23 22:38:00 av Dave Drum (1:124/311)
     Kommentar till en text av RUTH HAFFLY
Ärende: Re: Natural Farms
=========================
-=> Ruth Haffly wrote to Dave Drum <=-

 RH> Do they give tours? Sounds like an interesting operation to visit.

 DD> Not as far as I know. Although if one was to come across the owner at
 DD> the coffee shop and express an interest ....

 RH> If you knew what the owner looked like.  Probably the only one not
 RH> sportig the name of a big seed, farm equipment or fertiliser company on
 RH> his hat. (G)

Actually he's liable to be wearing a John Deere or a New Holland cap. Deere
makes equipment in all sizes. You won't catch him with a Kubota or Mahindra
cap, though. His motto is "Buy American!"

 DD> He's no dummy. And he's helped his oldest boy buy an adjoining acreage
 DD> which they are/have getting converted to natural, non-mega practices.
 DD> Which takes about three years or maybe a bit more.

 RH> IIRC, it's 3 years of growing pesticide free, then a few more years of
 RH> growing organic before an application can be made.  Then it's a while
 RH> before it is approved, having gone thru a number of checks in the
 RH> interim. The farmer is smart getting his son in on an adjoining
 RH> property now.

They aren't necessarily going for "organic" status. Just natural, sustainable
farming with the attendant quality of product that that brings.

It's just that it takes about three years of natural practices to bring the
soil back to life and make it productive after a long period of single cropping
and mega-fertilisation. One of the tip offs is being able to go to any field
and dig up fishing worms to use for bait in the pond. Can't do that on a
mega-farm because A: they wouldn't have a pond and B: the pesticides and
herbicides dumped willy-nilly onto the soil have sterilised to the point that
nothing but the single crop they plant will grow. And then only if fertilised,
pesticided, and herbicided into doing its thing.  Bv(=

Don't get me started on what has happened to "organic" since the frimpin'
gummint codified it and ConAgra decided that it could be a nice profit node to
do organic.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Savory Prosciutto & Gruyere Palmiers
 Categories: Five, Ham, Cheese, Pastry
      Yield: 70 servings
 
      1    Sheet of puff pastry
           Whole-grain Dijon mustard
      2 oz Prosciutto
      2 oz Grated Gruyere
 
  Palmier is French for palm leaf, although these pastries
  are also called "elephant ears." While palmiers are usually
  sweet, Lynne Char Bennett's savory versions can be served as
  hors d'oeuvres.
  
  Preheat the oven to 375ƒ. On a lightly floured surface, roll
  the puff pastry out in a rectangle about 12 inches wide and
  about 1/8-inch thick.
  
  Brush with a light coating of the mustard. Cover with a single
  layer of prosciutto. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated
  cheese. Cut pastry sheet in half lengthwise, making 2 long
  strips each 6 inches wide. Mark the middle of each strip,
  then starting with one of the long edges, tightly roll
  toward the middle. Repeat with the opposite edge, rolling
  back toward the middle. Gently press to firm up the scroll-
  shaped pastry. Repeat with the second piece.
  
  Use a very sharp knife to cut slices about 1/8- to 3/8-inch
  thick. Place slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving
  at least 1 inch between palmiers. Bake until cooked through
  and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
  
  Variations: Try making these with olive tapenade; pesto and
  chopped nuts; or grated Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes.
  
  Do-ahead note: These palmiers can be made ahead and frozen.
  After cutting them, place on parchment-lined baking sheet
  and freeze. When fully frozen, place the palmiers in a self-
  sealing freezer bag, or wrap tightly in foil. When ready to
  bake, place palmiers on baking sheet. Bring to room temp,
  then bake as above. Alternatively, freeze the rolled-up,
  uncut palmiers. Thaw and proceed with cutting and baking
  Yields about 70 palmiers
  
  URL: http://sfgate.com
  
  MM Format by Dave Drum - 23 October 2008
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM
 
... "Are you sure it isn't time for a colorful metaphor?"
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