Okay, he’s small and on the right. Compared here to a Large Grade A. But good things come in small packages, right?

Well, the first thing is how orange the yoke is. I guess that’s from all the corn. We spoil the chickens. Also, they have been free ranging in the backyard (and the neighbors yards). And, since it’s pecan season, there has been more than a little “nut stomping”, which the chickens love.

Here is a comparison shot, the Grade A Large has a lighter yellow yoke, poor chickens probably don’t get out much. Our chickens (Golden Campines) are smaller than commercial layers, so the eggs will always be smaller.

Now here’s the deal. Everything is always better with a little “Good Sh–” on it. Seriously, this is good stuff. You should buy some. Find it a Callahans General Store or Johnny G’s.

I’m ashamed to say, that I ate it all myself. But I’m happy to report, there really was a difference in taste. The little one was much, much better. Creamy yoke. I have purchased many “fresh eggs” from the farmers market before, on more than one occasion, and couldn’t tell the difference between them and store bought, so hmmm, $3 vs $0.87, went back to store bought. Just one more reason to love these backyard chickens.

And we got a Rooster! He is very entertaining and fearless. His name is Roo, of course. He will take on dogs, cats, squirrels, crackles, mockingbirds, you name it, if he thinks they are threatening “his” hens. And he likes to hear himself talk, all kinds of sounds, some I didn’t really know chickens made - crows, coos, bawks, even gobbles like a turkey when he sees large flying birds. I recommend getting a rooster if you live somewhere that allows it.

Here are the girls, from left to right. First is Oz. She is highest in the girls pecking order. She has green legs and “ears”. Then Hawkins and the littlest is Miss Le. We don’t have eggs yet, they are still too young and the days are getting too short. Maybe next spring!

Our local Post Office was kind enough to call at 5:45 in the morning announcing their arrival. Susie and I jumped into our clothes and headed around the corner to pick them up. We heard loud “peep peeps” as the Post Mistress carried the chicks up to the front door for us. All five chicks were alive, hungry and cute!

The home made brooder was ready and warm thanks to dear husband, Steve. Susie dipped each little peeping chick’s beak into the water dish and made sure they swallowed before releasing them. Sadly though, one of the chicks has a deformed leg and can’t walk on it. So, we’ll just have to see what happens because she is so cute and active – guess we’ll call her Cullen (bad joke, huh).

Susie spent the day being the mother hen. Cleaning up poop, watering, making sure they had plenty of food, and guarding against the cats. The wildlife sounds tape she played for the babies was a nice touch, too.

This recipe is from the book ‘Home Cheese Making’ by Ricki Carroll. Check her web site at New England Cheese Making Supply Company

Here’s what you need.

• 4 gallons unhomgenized whole milk
• 1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter
• 1 packet direct-set thermophilic starter
• 1/2 teaspoon lipase powder dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
• 1 teaspoon liquid rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
• brine - two pounds of salt dissolved in 1 gallon cool water

Here’s what you do.

1. Pour the milk into a 5 gallon, heavy bottom pot. Heat over medium high to 86° F stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
2. Sprinkle both packets of starter on the milk then stir well. Cover the pot and let set to ripen for 45 minutes.
3. Add the dissolved lipase powder and stir well.
4. Add diluted rennet and stir gently for a minute. Cover and let set undisturbed for 30 minutes.
5. Check curd for a clean break. (No? - let set another 10 minutes then recheck.) Cut curd into 1/2 inch cubes and let set for 5 minutes to heal.
6. Cut the cubes into rice size pieces by gently stirring with a stainless steel whisk for 30 minutes.
7. Gradually heat the curd to 104° F while constantly and gently stirring the curd. This should take about 45 minutes. Don’t try to heat the curds and whey directly on the stove; fill your kitchen sink half way with 110° F water and place the pot of curds and whey into the water to slowly heat the curds.
8. Let curds settle for 5 minutes.
9. Pour off the whey and drain the curds into a large colander for several minutes.
10. Line a 4 pound cheese mold with cheesecloth, ladle the curds into the mold and press with 15 pounds for 15 minutes.
11. Remove from the press, peel away the cheesecloth, flip and redress. Press with 15 pounds for 15 minutes.
12. Remove, flip, redress, press with 15 pounds for 15 minutes.
13. Remove, flip, redress, press with 30 pounds for 6 hours.
14. Remove from mold and cheesecloth. Place the cheese into the cool brine for 6 hours, turning once or twice.
15. Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry. Place the cheese on a cheese mat and store at 55° F for 5 days, turning twice a day.

Why chickens? Fresh eggs, fertilizer, insect control, entertainment, pets, big back yard. 5 one day old Campine chicks are supposed to be mailed (mailed?) to us on June 22. We are looking forward to their arrival.

Here’s what you need.

• 4 gallons unhomgenized whole milk
• 2 packets direct-set mesophilic starter
• 8 drops annatto coloring (optional)
• 1 teaspoon liquid rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
• 4 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup water

Here’s what you do.

1. Boil sage in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Strain the sage water into a bowl and let cool; reserve the boiled sage to add later.
2. Pour the milk and sage water into a 5 gallon, heavy bottom pot. Heat over medium high to 90° F stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Sprinkle both packets of starter on the milk then stir well. Cover the pot and let set to ripen for 45 minutes.
4. Add diluted annato and stir well to evenly distibute the coloring.
5. Add diluted rennet and stir gently for a minute. Cover and let set undisturbed for 45 minutes.
6. Check curd for a clean break. (No? - let set another 15 minutes then recheck.) Cut curd into 1/4 inch cubes and let set for 15 minutes to heal.
7. Gradually heat the curd to 100° F while constantly and gently stirring the curd. This should take about 30 minutes. Don’t try to heat the curds and whey directly on the stove; fill your kitchen sink half way with 110° F water and place the pot of curds and whey into the water to slowly heat the curds.
8. Maintain the curd temperature at 100° F and continue stirring for another 30 minutes. Let curds settle for 5 minutes.
9. Pour off the whey and drain the curds into a large colander for several minutes. Pour the curds back into the pot and stir with your fingers to separate any matted curds.
10. Add the salt and sage and mix with your fingers.
11. Maintain the curds at 100° F for another hour (put the pot back into the sink full of 100° F water). Keep the curd from matting by stirring every 5 minutes.
12. Line a 4 pound cheese mold with cheesecloth, ladle the curds into the mold and press with 15 pounds for 10 minutes.
13. Remove from the press, peel away the cheesecloth, flip and redress. Press with 30 pounds for 10 minutes.
14. Remove, flip, redress, press with 40 pounds for 2 hours.
15. Remove, flip, redress, press with 50 pounds for 24 hours.
16. Remove from mold and cheesecloth. Place the cheese on a mat and air-dry at room temperature for 2 to 5 days (cheese should be dry to touch).
17. Wax the cheese. Age at 45 to 55° F for 2 to 6 months.

Is it really cheddar cheese if you don’t “cheddar” it? Taste’s like it, so I guess so.

Here’s what you need.

• 1 gallon yogurt (I used home made yogurt)
• 2 cucumbers - peel, seed & chop
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 clove garlic - pressed through garlic press
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill - chop
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what you do.

1. Moisten the butter muslin (cheese cloth) and drape it over a colander. Carefully pour or ladle the yogurt into the butter muslin. Tie the four corners into two knots and hang over a bowl to drain for about 12 hours.
2. Remove the yogurt cheese from the butter muslin and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Combine the chopped cucumber, cider vinegar, salt and sugar and let marinate for an hour. Drain the cucumber in a colander and squeeze out any excess moisture with a paper towel.
4. Mix together the yogurt cheese, drained cucumber, garlic, dill, olive oil, and tarragon vinegar and beat well.

This is so good on sour dough rosemary toast, crackers, dip for veggies or on sliced tomatoes. Very fresh. I hope you try it.

• One gallon of whole milk
• 8 teaspoons of lemon juice OR 2 teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 2/3 cup water
• good thermometer
• large heavy bottomed pan
• Butter muslin (cheese cloth)

Here’s what you do

1. Pour milk into the pan and turn heat on to medium high. In order to prevent the milk from scorching, stir frequently. The heavy bottom pan will also help prevent scorching.
2. Continue heating the milk until it boils gently; it should look just foamy.
3. Pour in the lemon juice or dissolved citric acid and stir gently. The curd should begin to separate from the whey. Stir for another couple of minutes then remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4. Moisten the butter muslin and drape over a colander. Carefully pour the curds and whey into the colander to drain the whey.
5. Tie the four ends of the butter muslin into two knots and hang the curds over the sink or a bowl to drain for about 2 hours.
6. Remove the cheese from the butter muslin. You can use it in recipes right away or store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for about a week. I like to freeze any panir that is not used immediately.

This is a great first cheese to make. Panir does not melt, so you can use it like tofu, or as a meat extender. It absorbs the flavor of the foods that it is cooked with. ]]> http://petersonweb.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=50 http://petersonweb.com/blog/?p=16 http://petersonweb.com/blog/?p=16#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:13:11 +0000 beth http://petersonweb.com/blog/?p=16 Here’s what you need:


• 2 gallons unhomogenized, whole milk (“Cream on Top”)*
• 3 teaspoons citric acid powder
• 1/4 tablet rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• a good thermometer
• a large pot

Here’s what you do:

1. Pour cold milk into a large pot. I like to use a 4 gallon, heavy bottom pot for this recipe.
2. Sprinkle citric acid into the cold milk and stir. Turn the burner on to medium and begin to heat the milk to 88°-90°, stirring occasionally to get an accurate temperature reading.
3. When the milk temperature reaches between 88°-90°, pour in the dissolved rennet while stirring gently.
4. Keep stirring slowly. Within a few minutes, the milk will begin to thicken. The curd (globs of clotted white curd) will separate from the whey (the clear, yellowish liquid). I usually move the pot off the burner for a couple of minutes until the milk begins to separate.
5. Turn up the heat to medium high. When the temperature reaches 110°, place a colander over another pot and carefully pour the curds and whey into it. Return the whey to the large pot and continue to heat. Gently press the whey out of the mass of curds remaining in the colander for a minute or so then put the mass of curds back into the heating pot of whey.
6. When the whey temperature reaches 120°F, start stretching the mozzarella. Lift the mass of curds out of the whey with your hands (let it cool a few seconds if it’s too hot to handle), then begin pulling and stretching the curd mass into a rope. If the curd mass breaks when stretched, press it back together and put it back into the pot of whey to heat up a little more.
7. Stretch the cheese into a rope, working out any lumps. Allow the ends of the rope to drop back into the whey as you go. Fold it in half and stretch it out again into a rope a few more times until you have a soft, stretchy, smooth, shiny rope of cheese. When the whey reaches 150°-160°F you should be done stretching.**
8. Squeeze the cheese into a ball and let it sit in the hot whey a couple of minutes until the cheese is hot throughout. Sprinkle the salt onto a work surface. Working quickly, take the hot mozzarella ball out of the whey and knead in the salt (like you’re making bread). Put the salted mozzarella back into the whey for a minute to get hot, then roll it into a log or a ball. I usually cut the cheese into 4 equal pieces.
9. The mozzarella is ready to eat! It is wonderful fresh. It will be good for about a week refrigerated and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

* I get my unhomogenized milk from Remember When Dairy which is carried at Central Market or Whole Foods.

** If you let the whey get too hot, the cheese will melt back into it. If you are using homogenized milk, it will probably start to turn grainy like ricotta as the temperature approaches 160°F. You could use calcium chloride to prevent this but I’ve never tried it.

]]> http://petersonweb.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=16 http://petersonweb.com/blog/?p=8 http://petersonweb.com/blog/?p=8#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:14:02 +0000 beth http://petersonweb.com/blog/?p=8 Here is what the railroad company does to trees that grow too close to the tracks. Every couple of years they come by with a giant “tree wacker” and obliterate whatever they can reach. These pretty Soap Berry trees are wacked, but they didn’t reach the Hackberry trees. Hackberry trees are Texas sized weeds and somehow they seem to plant themselves right on the fence line. So our only buffer from train noise once again is the stinkin’ Hackberries. Supposed to be a drainage easement back there too, but over the years it has filled up with debris from the railroad property - wack it down and leave it. Sheesh.
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