FROMONLINE | 2014-05-21

  • By Daphne Ross
  • May 21, 2014
  • 470
                        
Every farm has a barnyard bully Column Summary Barnyard bullies do not live by The Golden Rule, it’s a good thing the faithful farmer does. Compared to many, I am a country girl through and through. Although I did not grow up on a working farm I spent a great deal of my first ten years on my Grandpa Miller’s grain and sheep farm east of Smithville. For a couple pre-school years our family lived on Kauffman Avenue in Sterling, the main street in one of the smallest of towns set in the country. After graduating from Smithville High School my best friend and me (an original farm girl) shared a second floor apartment on the square in the Village of Smithville. That is the most of my big city living experience. In agriculture country, farm safety is a big issue and has certainly changed over the decades. My aunt Amy and I, only two years apart spent a lot of playtime on her parent’s, my grandparent’s farm. We scaled grain elevators, climbed wooden barn ladders to the highest of platforms, conquered barn peak stacks of hay bales, and yes, we played in corn filled gravity wagons. And while these are dangerous escapades, it was back then the greatest of playgrounds; better than the Orrville park, better than our elementary school playground. We all know that on every playground there is a bully, a bully that is egged on by the crowd, a bully that acts on his own, and a bully that dishes it out but never takes it. The farm playground is not any different, as bullies are plentiful; one paces behind the chicken coop, one scans from high rise barn beams, and one prowls the darkest corners of the barn floor. Barn cats, were plentiful, many new litters every year. When grandma would call “kitty, kitty” as she walked from the farmhouse kitchen with a scrap pan of morsels covered in milk, the kitties came running from every corner. With such a crowded feasting, it was an inviting opportunity to reach down and pet one; hiss, snap, growl. One of the best of times was during lambing season, we just wanted to get right in there, cuddle and play with the newborn lambs, but a big sheep mama was right there to nudge you away, and if you didn’t back off, soon push came to shove. If you tried too hard to catch a duckling trailing mama across the pasture mama duck cut out of line and chased you off. And if a visiting goose was nearby I never dreamed of jumping the fence in. Even on our own five acre mini-farm we have experienced a bully in the barn. Our children’s own Grandpa Miller yes my dad, truly enjoyed giving peeps from the Farm and Fleet every Easter season. Cute as they were all puffy and soft, they grew quickly, and had a few ugly weeks prior to egg laying age. And wouldn’t you know out of all those peeps, we got a rooster in the brood. And he grew big, and he grew bossy, he was strong, and he was very intimidating to our children who would have to sneak into the barn just to find the kitties, just to grab a puppy. One day, it was the final straw for our small barn dominator. He had crowed his last wakeup call the day he cornered our little girl in the barn, she was frozen, he was frozen. That tough old bird met his Holy Father and an angry daddy on the very same day. Who’s the bully now? What fruit pie cools on your windowsill? Share your favorite recipes with Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, Ohio, 44691.Emails are always welcome: thewritecook@sssnet.com Cow Pile Cookies 2 cups sugar 1 stick unsalted butter 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy 2 1/2 to 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla. Bring to a slow boil and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter and 2 1/2 cups oats. The mixture should be thick; stir in additional 1/2 cup oats if too runny. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes to cool. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop the mixture by heaping tablespoonful onto the lined sheet. Let the cookies stand at room temperature for 1 hour to firm up. Store in an airtight container. Chicken Legs Spicy Style 2 sticks butter Juice of 2 to 3 lemons 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 24 whole chicken legs Line baking sheets with foil. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic, and stir. Set aside. Rinse and pat the chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, dip them one by one into the butter mixture and place on the prepared baking sheets. Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking sheet, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Bake them in a 450 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes baste a couple times during roasting. Remove them when they are golden brown and fully cooked. Pigs in French toast Blankets 12 pork breakfast sausage links (about 14 ounces) 6 large eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of freshly nutmeg Pinch of salt 12 slices potato bread 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Powdered sugar Maple syrup Arrange sausages on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned and cooked through, about10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside; reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Trim each slice of bread into a 2-by-4-inch rectangle, then flatten slightly with your fingertips. Starting at a short end, roll each piece of bread around a sausage, pressing firmly to seal. Transfer to the bowl with the egg mixture and soak 5 minutes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it begins to brown and foam, add 6 of the bread-wrapped sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and repeat with the remaining 6 sausages. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup. Grilled Lamb Chops 2 large garlic cloves, crushed 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves Pinch cayenne pepper Coarse sea salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 lamb chops, about 3/4-inch thick In a food processor add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in olive oil and pulse into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 1/2 minutes for medium. Biscuits & Milk Gravy Milk Gravy: 1/4 cup bacon grease 1/4 cup flour 1 1/2 cups warm milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoons pepper 2 tablespoons melted butter Heat bacon grease in a cast iron skillet; add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly for about 1 minute. Add warm milk slowly; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and stir, until thickened, about 5 minutes, adding milk as necessary to control the thickness. Season the gravy with salt and pepper. Serve hot over biscuits. Garden Green Beans with Cheese Sauce 1 pound green beans, trimmed Pinch salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard Pinch of pepper Pinch cayenne 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 4 ounces cream cheese, softened Bring 1/4 cup water just to a boil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the green beans and salt, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to high and cook until the water has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter and continue cooking until the beans are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, garlic powder, dry mustard, pepper and cayenne and cook, whisking continuously, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cheddar cheese and cream cheese and heat until melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the green beans, or serve on the side. Fresh Corn Tomato Salad 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons salt Pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cups fresh corn kernels 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves Whisk the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing. Toss in the corn, tomatoes, scallions, and mozzarella. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let set for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Before serving tear the basil over the salad and stir. Potato Salad 3 pounds small white potatoes Salt 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill Pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped red onion Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.


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