Channel catfish, FRIED

I know you'll  are baking and grilling fish, anything but FRYING.
Well, remember all things in moderation so a moderate amount
of fried catfish is a must. Besides, its want we do here in Kentucky.

Channel cats, Flathead cats and Blue catfish can be caught here.
Alot of folks like the Flatheads (flaties) the best, probably because they are
smaller than the channels or the blues.
They are called cats because of the whiskers and they prowl at night just like our house cats.
If the cats are caught in flowing water like a river in cooler weather, they will not have the
"musty, twangy, fishy, muddy"  flavor.





a channel catfish has dark spots

We soak the catfish overnight in salted water after its been caught, skinned and filleted.
Catfish is heavy & meaty, so when frying, cut up into chunks big enough for 2 bites.
Coat with Cajun seasoned corn meal (or store-bought as shown in photo)
I fry a few pieces with the lid on the fry pan, then take the lid off  and turn the pieces
to fry the other side without the lid.   Fry until the meal is crisp.
Remember catfish is meaty and it takes longer to fry than other white fish.

Serve with coleslaw or greens and relishes.



Catfish chunks to be enjoyed

Beans KY style

              
               We all eat beans around here. They're simple, thrifty, nutritious, delicious and very filling.
               Try a pot of them simmering all day.



                                                                       Beans and Cornbread



Begin with dry pinto beans and add lots of water and boil. Drain the water off the beans.
Fill pot or crock pot with water and add the beans. For extra flavor add a ham bone and other flavors
such as salt and pepper or hot seasonings or Cajun seasoning. Simmer all day until the beans are tender.
Thats it for a great tasting fulfilling dish.

For the cornbread, decide if you like sweet or unsweet cornbread. If you like sweet, just use the jiffy
mixes. If you like the unsweet flavor they're other brands that aren't as sweet or grab a cookbook
and mix up your own batter.
Add extras  to the corn bread batter like hot peppers, onions, shredded cheese. A cast iron skillet is
great for a crispy crust on the cornbread. Just melt butter in the bottom of the skillet in the oven
while the oven is pre-heating and add the corn bread batter to the hot skillet.




A perfect meal.



Goats

Why goats. Well for me they are a manageable livestock compared to cattle or sheep shearing
or messy hogs.  They can become pets as they are a lovable animal that make us laugh and brings joy.




6 month old nannies



The baby goats or kids are the funniest animals when they're playing.  Besides being natural comics,
goats mow down the grass, provide milk, eat kitchen scrapes, provide compost in the form of used stall straw to use on the gardens and cash when sold. Some people (>70% of the worlds population) consume goat meat and goat cheese. Goat meat is in high demand. My goats are dairy goats. Maybe some day I'll learn to make cheese.



yearling nannies






2 year olds soon to be mommas



Mister Billy Bob


Did you'll know that pound per pound of body weight, a dairy goat is more efficient than a cow?
It takes less feed to produce a gallon of goat milk than a gallon of cow milk. And goat milk
is easier to digest than cow milk because the fat globules are smaller and it has only trace amounts
of casein which is the allergen in cows milk.   Got goats milk?

Lasagna with Italian venison sausage



Fresh Venison Italian sausage


what is Italian venison sausage?  Most venison is made into breakfast sausage or jerky.
The Amish made some of the venison into Italian sausage for the many Italian dishes that we love.

Just think of what wild deer eat compared to what feedlot hogs and cattle eat.  Go wild!

The last time I bought ground beef from the store, it was recalled for some sort of organism in it.



Lasagna

homemade Italian tomato sauce with lots of garlic
ground meat of your choice or leave out and add vegetables like sauteed eggplant
Bechamel sauce - made with milk, flour and olive oil - instead of ricotta cheese
fresh winter greens, chopped and steamed
mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese grated
lasagna noodles cooked firmer than usual, because the noodles will cook more in the oven

Layer all and top with the bechamel sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake until a golden crust forms on top.
Allow to settle for ~ 8 minutes before serving.

Serve with a slices of avocado and big glass of red wine.

Blackberry pick'n

                 Pick'n blackberries begins in early June.  Eat'n blackberry cobblers begins in the winter.


I pick the wild blackberries in the lower pastures where the horses are. The horses see me coming
with a bucket in hand and here they come a running, looking for grain. "No grain this time, I'm pick'n
blackberries, so leave me and get back", I tell them. Well, that doesn't work, they hang around with
their noses in the bucket.
Well, I thought, if grain is what they want, its what they'll get. I went back to the barn and got a bucket of ear corn and sure enough they spent the whole hour eating the corn while I picked the blackberries in peace.


I try to pick the berries just after a rain. I then spread them one layer thick on cookie sheets to freeze.
They turn into marbles and are then easily froze in quart freezer bags.

Another cold winter day, so on goes the oven for more heat and in goes the cobbler.

Add a cup of tea for an afternoon treat.

More Blackberry canes where planted near the deer pens last year. The deer will enjoy the canes as they grow through the pen wire and I'll be able to pick blackberries closer to the gardens. These blackberry canes are from a nursery and should yield more berries per cane and larger berries on an almost thornless cane compared to the wild  berries which grow in a thicket full of thorns and the berries are small and more seedy.  (Yes, the nursery berries are larger, but it turns out the berries have larger seeds)

More berries = cobblers + blackberry wine.

Roses



a bourbon rose from 1872



When I started to plant and grow roses, I had no idea about roses, their history and the many different classes. I only knew what color I wanted and for it to bloom all summer long. I bought whatever looked pretty down at the local garden shop. By accident I got an "old rose" grown on its "own roots" for $1.00.
This rose was a damask from 1928 named Banshee. It was the best rose success I had and I attributed this to its old breeding. I was hooked on "old '' roses.
The more I read and learned about the progression of breeding from the wild roses to the current form of modern hybrid tea rose, the more I appreciated this beautiful flower and its history.

I write this to inspire you'll to not buy the 1st pretty rose in bloom you spot at the local nursery, but to research and find what rose would be the best choice for the qualities that suit the space the rose will grow.

Consider the climate, the eventual size of the rose bush, production of edible fruit or not, the size of the flower,  a single or a double flower, a classic rose shape or an old English look, repeat bloomer or a single flush of flowers in early summer, the color of the flower, the fragrance, climbing, shrub or ground cover or rambler, shade or sun, the name of the bush, or the age such as the first known cultiver to the first hybrid tea or the latest trend such as the knockout roses or David Austin English roses. I'm hoping the latest trend will be in the vintage or old roses, not the latest hybrids. So, enjoy learning about roses and don't forget to slow down and smell the rose.

John Cabot rose at Portland rose garden

Delicata squash

Delicata is a type of winter squash that is a good keeper. I picked these squash last summer and 5-6 months later they are delicious baked up. They're easy to grow and one is a perfect size for two people.
Winter squashes need to be peeled or the pulp scraped out of the peel. This squash need not be peeled. Maybe that is where the name comes from, as the peel is "delicate".



The vines produce many squashes



Sauteed Delicata Squash with sweet browned butter

Remove seeds and slice the delicata squash crosswise into 1/4 inch slices (no need to peel)

Combine equal parts of olive oil and butter in large skillet, add squash

and salt and pepper and cook over medium heat. Add a little water

if sticking. Stir occasionally and cook until the peel is soft.

Stir in a bit of brown sugar to taste.

Can also bake this dish in oven instead of skillet.

Add a chopped apple.

Donald really liked this dish.

Last year only two hills were planted. Because these squashes keep so well, many more squash hills will be planted next year for a hopeful bounty.

CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS



Dominiques

 


Brown Leghorn Rooster

 

Chickens are the rage. I can see why. They are cute, easy to care for, fun to watch, eat leftovers,
produce almost an egg a day, are inexpensive to buy, easy to sell, taste great, hens are quiet,
don't need much space, get you up in the morning and come in all sorts of colors.

                    I have my favorite breeds.

                    Brown leghorns
                    Buff Orpingtons
                    Dominiques
                    Golden Laced Wyandottes
                    Roasters

The Brown Leghorns are the classic white egg layer and have nice feather coloring. These guys know how to care for themselves. Leghorns don't sell well as people think they are the fighting games.

The Buff Orpingtons are also good layers of cream color eggs and the hens set. They are good sellers.
They are a beautiful big golden and full feathered heavy chicken.

The Dominiques are my favorite breed. They are gentle, calm, good layers, hens are setters, they have more sense than most breeds and are just the all around great backyard chicken. The roosters also don't fight like the orpingtons and the leghorns.

The Golden Laced Wyandottes are here for beauty. They are good layers of a jumbo egg, hens are good setters and they also sell good. They must be kept up and cared for.

The roasters are for meat and are around here only for a short time. They're about an 8# roaster in 12 weeks. They are a freak of nature the way they grow and eat and soon they are off to the Amish for butchering and freezing.


I keep a few chickens loose to hang around the yard and goat barn for entertainment and clean up crew.

The beautiful Golden Laced Wyandottes

Citrus Marmalade

what to cook on a cold winter day, besides chili or cookies?
what food will last the rest of the winter and bring a bit of sunshine in?
A citrus marmalade, a jam.
Many, I know do not like citrus marmalade, but it really is tasty.
It is hard to find marmalade's without the fructose corn syrup that is in store jams.
So, I thought I'd try to do the home made thing and make it myself.
Well, I was in for a surprise. Not only was it easy to make, it tasted delicious
and for much less than the expensive $4.00 a jar jams.


Citrus Marmalade

4 oranges or a combination of grapefruit or tangerines (about 2 pounds)
1 lemon
1 cup sugar for each cup of pulp
pectin (add according to package directions)

Wash all the citrus. Peel all the citrus.  Cut the peels into thin strips. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice.
Place the peels, juice and 7 cups water into pot and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for hours.
Simmer until the peel is soft. Add the sugar and pectin (according to the package directions) and stir until dissolved. Continue to cook until it starts to thicken. Do the refrigerator test to test for jelling.
To preserve follow the directions from Ball or Mason jars. Makes about 7-8 small jars.

A bite of Florida sunshine

wild turkey enchiladas

Well, if you don't have a wild turkey breast in your freezer, I suppose chicken will do.
I usually make this recipe using leftovers from a roasted chicken anyway.
We were lucky this year during turkey hunting season and put away almost a flock of wild turkeys.
So, for Christmas we all enjoyed roasted turkey breast and with the leftovers I made the enchiladas.


                                                                                Enchiladas

Meat of your choice, leftover meat works great, shredded chicken, turkey, sausage, ground meat, steak shredded
Homemade salsa, about 2 cups
Jalapenos chopped
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups cheese of your choice
Corn tortillas, 12-15, the soft ones found in the refrigerator section
1 cup cooked pinto beans or 1 can refried beans


Fry the corn tortillas one at a time in hot oil for a few seconds each side to increase flavor and soften
Set aside tortillas in your oven baking dish to cool. Gather all other ingredients.
Fill each tortilla with beans, meat and a little chopped onion and fold and place in the baking dish.
Cover all with salsa, shredded cheese, jalapenos and any leftover meat or onions.
Bake 350 for 40-50 minutes until bubbly and cheese begins to brown.
Serve with avocado slices, a side of rice and/or beans, salad, sangria or beer.

A good dish for a crowd

cats and dogs



pretty kitty & lily

 

Blackie in bowl

The cats are barn cats. They have a job. The farm has lots of grain which brings mice and rats nearby. The cats control the population of the rodents. The cats do a great job. They still love to sneak in the house to lay on the bed or hide on the chair seats under the dining room table.

                                                      

                                                                   The dogs also have a job.

Dogs love getting out and about





Katie the Great Pyrenees is the great protector of all the animals. She roams the perimeter of the property during the night and helps to keep all the predatory creatures away from all of our precious animals.

She walks in slow motion, barks and howls. She does a great job.

The other dogs are hunting dogs and alert us when people come around.
They love to run non stop, unlike Katie. The hunting dogs mind commands, unlike Katie, who has a mind of her own and keeps walking away when her name is called.

this is what the dogs do if not hunted

Donald loves to take his hunting dogs out to the woods and down to the river. They hunt rabbits, squirrel and raccoons. But mostly they just run and run.

The only animal that get to stay in the house is Oscar.
A dachshund. His job is to keep us company, behave and alert us when we're sleeping.

He is a wonderful pet.


Oscar the wiener dog.





Katie is the best dog ever!

Next we have to meet the rest of the animals:

ducks, guineas, chickens, dairy goats, whitetail deer, miniature stallion, quarter horse, calves
did I forget any?

A New Years Day Dinner in the Woods

Johnny at the wood stove

       Menu for New Years Day Dinner

Black eye peas simmered with hog jowl

Cabbage simmered with butter and salt

Skillet corn bread cakes

Hickory chickens*  baked with hot sauce

Greens simmered




We enjoyed all except for the greens. The greens were missing from the meal cause one of the quests,
well I quess she celebrated alot the night before.
This meal is a tradition in many countries because it is believed to bring good luck and money
in the new year. So, bring it on.  I'll  have seconds, please.






* the hickory chickens is a Appalachia term for a wild Oyster mushroom
   we just picked the mushrooms that morning from poplar trees
   they are a delicacy, tasty and addictive.

Chili without Carne

its the seasonings and beans
that make great chili

1 Tbsp olive oil
1or 2 onions, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic
1 sweet pepper chopped
1 or more hot peppers chopped
canned tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato puree
about 6 cups total or more
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp brown sugar (sweetener of choice)
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
                                                          1 can each of black beans, kidney beans and a white bean
                                                          1 can of corn (drain beans & corn to remove excess salt)
                                                          cooked rice if you like rice with your chili
                                                          top serving bowl with shredded cheese

In a dutch oven or large heavy pan heat the oil and saute the onions, garlic and peppers. Add tomatoes and all the rest of ingredients except the rice. Simmer all day. Use a large crock pot to simmer if desired.

Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, they are mostly all seasonings.
The seasonings mellow with age, therefore the flavors are good now and better later on.
This is a good recipe for a crowd.
Add ground beef, sausage, turkey chunks if you miss the meat.
Or add a coarse grain, cooked, like a bulgur or maybe a barley.