SOLE food and other comings and goings

It has been fascinating, watching how the different animals respond to the colder weather. The goats are thrilled that the ground has finally frozen and that they no longer have to dip their dainty hoofsies in the mud. The seven of them run – quite magistically – the length of the enclosure, back and forth, jumping over obstacles and turning pirouettes. Sometimes they race to the top of the manure pile and I worry about those slender legs snapping from a bad fall, but they have it all under control. Naturally, I never manage to get a photo of them while they do this, so you’ll have to trust me that it’s just breathtaking.

Gathering the eggs tonight, I found such a sweet little gift. Pullet eggs are always smaller than those laid by the older hens, but it’s exceptional that we get these little marbles. We got two last season, and only one so far this season. I’ve laid it beside a normal-sized egg for comparison. It’ll be a nice surprise for Arden when he’s feeling better – I always tell him that the chickens lay the small eggs especially for him.

We’ve had a rash of peewee sized pullet eggs (about 2 1/2 times the size of this little one) so far this week – I guess the late bloomers in the flock have finally blossomed. For the past two weeks, the vast majority of the eggs have come from our light-brown layers: Plymouth Barred Rocks, Blue Lace Red Wyandottes, and Delawares. These bigger, heavier birds stand the cold well and it’s at this time of year that they really stand proud in the flock. The lighter Ameraucanas appear to dislike the cold, as we’ve had very few blue eggs lately. The Welsummers and Marans have also slowed down a little bit, but not as markedly. The Barnevelders are the youngest of the flock and haven’t really settled into a clear laying pattern as yet. The bigger birds have been patient about providing some extra warmth and mass for their smaller flockmates. Here, you can see Mr Doodles, Rowen’s Serama bantam rooster, cozying up under one of the Delaware pullets.

Soon to leave our little farm, or so we hope, is our Muffin. She’s fast approaching her 12-week birthday and is available for purchase. We sure will miss her, but our little farm is too small for seven goats. She’s a purebred Nigerian Dwarf with excellent bloodlines and she can be registered. If you’re interested, please contact me for more information.

But on to the food, right? Tonight’s SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) dinner was very late in reaching the table – what a crazy afternoon! – but it was just the thing for a cold winter’s night. When I was living in the Netherlands, a friend introduced me to the simple elegance of what he called a Spanish omelette. Here’s my version of that classic, with amounts to feed a family of six:

Peel about 6 big potatoes (mine came to me from Tide Mill Farm) and slice them thin. Boil them briefly – if it were spaghetti, I’d say al dente – and drain them thoroughly.

Peel and slice a good sized onion (thanks again, Tide Mill!) and sautee it in butter (yes, Tide Mill again) until it softens. This is your moment to add other local goodness like some frozen peas, harvested mushrooms (I am so doing mushrooms next year!), sundried tomatoes, or what-have-you.

Mix about a dozen large eggs in a bowl. I added a little dollop of whole, raw milk from Olde Sow Dairy to my egg mixture. If you have a kitchen herb pot still going strong, add snippets of whatever you have – I love fresh herbs! Basil, oregano, marjoram and parsley make wonderful additions.

Heat a generous amount of butter (2 tbsp or so) in two large cast-iron skillets. Before the butter browns, gently pour your egg mixture in (half for each skillet, obviously) and begin cooking on medium to medium high heat. Don’t set the heat high enough that your omelette begins to dry out. Layer the potatoes, then the onion (and other veg, if you added it), and cheese. Once the bottom of the omlette has set, put the skillet into a pre-heated oven of 350F and cook it just till the top becomes firm.

Bon appetit!

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