Utah Natural Meat -- Shop Here if You are Able

Utah Natural Meat
7400 S. 5600 W. West Jordan, UT

       I wanted to make a quick shout out to a local haunt my family adores. Utah Natural Meat is the farm where we purchase our meat. Shayn and and Kristen Bowler are third generation owners and operators of this little family business. And when I say little, well, I mean tiny as businesses go these days. They hire temporary help here and there, but they employ only one regular staff member. This is a true family business, and has been in the family since the 1940's.

Some of the things I love about about this little family and farm:

• They are so obviously hard working. They go out of their way to make sure their customers are happy. And at times when I've been pregnant, they have always gone out of their way to make my visit as easy as possible.
• They are honest. I was chatting one day with their worker as she checked out the packages I was buying. The conversations went something like me saying, "I really love this store. The family has always seemed so great!" To which their worker said something like, "Oh, I love working for the Bowlers. They are beyond scrupulous. It is just so nice working for people who are so concerned with being honest about the way they operate." Conversations like this say a lot to me about a business owner. I'm sold.
• They sell a variety of meats, and have very reasonable prices. You will find beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, and turkey. They sell the muscle meats, which are awesome, but they also sell organ meats (liver, kidneys, and heart), fat from pigs and beef for rendering into lard and tallow, and bones.

• They sell eggs pastured eggs! Walking up the the store you will often see a variety of chickens meandering around.

• Speaking of that, all of their animals are pastured. As you drive up to the store you will see fields with pigs running around, mother cows with their calves, a tiny little donkey named Pepper, two draft horses, King and Duke. (We recently went to a family day at the farm and got a wagon ride with these beautiful horses. Amazing animals.) They often times will have turkeys wandering around too. And our favorite, the farm dog, Maggie. She is just the sweetest fuzzy girl.

Shayn with Duke and King

• Another great thing about family operations like this is they are a family. They have children the same age as mine, and so all of these animals are accustomed to children and their antics. I love going there and seeing toy tractors all over the place, and knowing that I can let my kids wander while I grab what I need. Maggie thrives on the attention the kids pour on her.

• They specialize in a heritage breed of cattle called corriente. If you click on the link to their website, you can read there all the great things about the corriente breed. I can testify, it is excellent quality beef, and again, the price cannot be beat.
• Along with their animal ventures, they also grow vegetables to sell in the summer and fall months, and they have local bee keepers, and artisan soap and cheese makers who sell their wares in the farm store as well.
• Oh, and they grow all their own feeds for their animals. Yes. I know, can real people be this fabulous? Non-GM alfalfa, and during the winter they have a green fodder system so the animals get greens year round. Bless them.*

      So there you have it. I am an advocate for buying locally, and wanted to get the word out there about this fantastic family and their little store. We can't raise all of our own meats yet. In the mean time (whatever that means) we feel good about our purchases here, knowing the animals raised here have good lives in sunny fields free to roam, with good real foods to eat. 

Thank you, Kristen and Shayn!

*Utah Natural Meat is not organic certified, however, they do use non-GM, corn/soy free feeds for all of their animals. You can read about their choice to remain uncertified here.

Note: It appears I forgot to mention Utah Natural Meat's store hours. They are open Thursdays 2:00pm-5:30pm, and Saturdays 9:00am-12:00pm.

The Soggy Lettuce Conundrum (and How to Stop It)

Sometimes I lose produce before I can use it.

Well, it actually happens less often since I stuck this nifty sticky whiteboard to my fridge. Now I write down all our produce and perishable leftovers so I remember what's going on in my kitchen (both in and out of the fridge).

I took this photo back in January (probably after a CSA box 

or a trip to the Farmer's Market since there's so much on there).

I have always hated losing produce. It's such a waste, not only of the food itself, but of everything it took to grow that food.

I recently watched this TED talk by Leyla Acaroglu called Paper beats plastic? How to rethink environmental folklore. I think all 18 minutes are worthwhile. I've watched it twice.

Toward the beginning of the talk, Acaroglu points out that biodegradability is "a material property, not a definition of environmental benefit." That got me slowly nodding my head. She went on:

When something natural [like food waste or paper] ends up in the natural environment, it degrades normally. Its little carbon molecules that it's stored up as it was growing are naturally released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. But this is a net situation. Most natural things don't actually end up in nature. Most of the waste that we produce ends up in landfill. Landfill is a different environment. In landfill, those same carbon molecules degrade in a different way because a landfill is anaerobic. It's got no oxygen. It's tightly compacted and hot. Those same molecules, they become methane, and methane is a 25x more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. So our old lettuces and products that we have thrown out that are made out of biodegradable materials, if they end up in landfill, contribute to climate change.

Whoa, what? When I throw the soggy lettuce in the trash, it's destiny is methane? When I toss a piece of paper in the trash, it's destiny is probably methane?? Why did this never occur to me?

Realizing this actually made me glad about two things.

First, that we compost, which means that this:

turns into this:

We use it to enrich the soil and feed the earthworms. :)

However, when the compost tumbler is a-tumbling, I don't add anything to it for several weeks (which is why having two would be awesome). So, second, when I can't add my biodegradables to the composter, I typically toss them behind these lovely bushes in the front yard. 

Here's a close-up:

When I started doing this over a year ago, I figured that even though I couldn't use the compost how I'd like, I was still feeding the earth. Something beautiful will grow there some day.

I'm happy to have another way to care for the earth in my arsenal, and a good reason for doing so!

If composting isn't an option for you at the moment, is there somewhere else you can toss those kitchen scraps so they don't wind up in a landfill? If you don't have a yard, you could always add your scraps to broth or soups to get more life out of them. I bought an eBook bundle once that included one called Don't Compost It, Cook It. I haven't read it thoroughly, but the the author has some good ideas for getting as much mileage as possible out of your food.

How do you avoid losing produce? How do you make use of any peelings and trimmings?

How to De-Seed Your Pomegranate in 30 Seconds

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I love pomegranate season. Our California trees are laden heavy with fruit, begging to be eaten yet simultaneously defying us to try to pick all those scrumptious, nutritious, versatile little seeds from their insides. Only the most patient among us can win, right?

Not anymore!!

Up until recently, I used to boast that the ultimate way to de-seed a pomengranate was to dismantle it in a bowl of water: the seeds sink, the membrane floats. No juicy mess! Yes!

And NO FUN! And still soooo LONG.

May I present an infinitely better technique? (If you already know about this and didn't ever tell me, you are in big trouble.) We have been eating so many more pomegranates these last weeks for the ease of it. The bowl of water method doesn't even hold a candle!

Items Needed

pomegranate

knife

bowl

wooden spoon

STEP 1: Score pomegranate with a knife, about 1/8" deep.

STEP #2: Twist apart to open the fruit.

STEP #3: Loosen the membranes a little by gently pulling back around the edges with your thumbs. If you do this too hard, you could crack the fruit (the technique will still work, but might be messier).

STEP #4: Turn upside-down and whap it hard with a wooden spoon, rotating the fruit in your palm as you strike. Smile.

Demonstration video:

The video cut off just before I finished, but it literally takes seconds to strike out all the seeds (see here or here for extra proof). Behold the finished product:

STEP #5: Gobble down those precious seeds so you can have another whack at it!

Happy smacking! May it make your holidays a little brighter and a little tastier.

Simple Sourdough Feeding Routine

A couple years ago, I wrote a post about how to catch your own wild yeast. If you're new to sourdough (welcome, welcome!), that post is a good place to start, as it contains some good information about the hows and whys. Click here to check it out.

Since then, I have made my own starter a number of times, in a few different ways, with much success. The one I'm maintaining right now came from Azure Standard, and it's just beautiful. I've made bread, rolls, pancakes, crepes, crackers, muffins, cinnamon rolls, pizza crusts, pot pies, and even chocolate cake. It's marvelous to work with, and a little practice pays off quickly. We love the taste and our bodies love to digest it.

Today I thought I'd show you my feeding routine. Meet The Mama.

Isn't she lovely?

The keys to caring for your starter are food and warmth. If you feed once or twice a day, you can keep her out on the counter. If you'd prefer to feed her less frequently, keep her in the fridge (where things happen more slowly). Just remember that the longer you go without feeding her, the longer it will take to renew her vigor. I never use my Mama starter for recipes. More on that in a second.

(Incidentally, I have a wonderful book on natural yeast wherein the author states that she always gives her starters male names. That did not resonate with me. She must be female because she is full of life.)

I keep a pretty pitcher of water on my counter at all times. You must feed your starter with pure water, and though I'm fairly sure my fridge filter gets rid of the chlorine, I know chlorine evaporates, so I leave it out. Just to be sure.

I also always have a jar of freshly-ground flour on my counter. I generally grind my grain right when I need it, leaving any extra in a jar for sourdough feeding. It's always quite fresh. The fresher the better.

So here's what I do. It all takes 3 minutes or less.

I take roughly half of what's in the Mama starter, and discard it into a quart jar. I only use the starter from the quart jar for recipes so I never make the mistake of accidentally using all my starter. If you simply want to strengthen your original starter, you can always compost the discard.

I make sure I have 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup measuring cups on hand (the 1/4 for water, the 1/3 for flour).

Add a 1/4 cup of the pure water to each jar and mix well. I usually double the amount in the quart jar so I have more sooner. :) If you want, you can safely triple without overwhelming.

Then, add a 1/3 cup of the (preferably) freshly-ground flour, and stir vigorously. Again, I double the amount in the quart jar.

Scrape the sides, making sure the rim of the jar is clean, cover with cheesecloth or a paper towel, and you're done! I thought that pint jar was looking a little crusty, so I changed to a new one after the feeding. I don't always.

Here's what they look like thirty minutes after feeding. See the life? They will eventually about double in size as the wild yeasts have their feast.

You can start making recipes right away. Many bread recipes only use 1/2 cup of starter! Once you have two cups in that quart jar, you absolutely must make this cast iron pancake recipe: Erin's Oh-So-Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes. I one and a half the recipe for my family of four big eaters and one little eater. There's no added flour, so you can make it right away with no additional souring time.

Here's my now 3-year-old blowing out his birthday candles on his own little pancake just yesterday (after he'd nibbled at the side a bit).  His breakfast request.

There are hosts of other sourdough recipes online. If you want a great collection, the Gnowfglins Sourdough A to Z ebook is my current favorite, though the other I mentioned earlier (The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast) is good as well, with lots of information and lovely pictures.

Happy Souring!

Re-Growing Kitchen Scraps

So I've heard a bit of a buzz about regrowing store bought romain hearts and I wanted to give it a try.  And you know what?  It works!

Three Budding Romain Hearts

I started them on my windowsill, but when some of them started to grow a little mold, I moved them outside to the garden where they have done very well!

Romain Hearts Get a Second Chance

I've learned a few things though.  If you keep them inside, try to give them a bit of sun.  Change their water when it gets yellow.

And if you cut them too short, they end up taking longer to grow, and when they do grow, it's in kind of a funny way.  I'm definitely keeping this guy to see what he does.

I've tried with different little artisan heads, and they all seem to do well.  I'm so in love with this idea, I plant a head or two a day.  

Apparently, you can do the same thing with lots of different vegetables!  I tried leeks. I cut them too far down and damaged the center of the leaves (Does that make sense?  I cut into the part that holds all the leaves all together. When you cut, you want to see the tiny leaves all the way to the center of the lettuce or leek). It started sprouting more roots, but it started attracting bugs so I ditched it. I'm trying again this week and will let you know if it works!

Here are some vegetables I hear tell you can re-grow:

• Celery
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Bok Choy
• Basil (I have done that. Just take your little basils out of the plastic and put them in water and they grow roots! Even if you don't plant them, they stay much fresher much longer.)
• Sweet Potato
• Potato (Melissa? Nonie?)
• Avocado (?!)
• Leeks
• Pineapples (just cut and plant the top, although I guess it takes a couple years. Fun to have a pineapple plant, though!)
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Fennel
• Scallions
• Lemongrass
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes/Peppers (anything with seeds)

And also, if it has seeds... (this is probably illegal) try planting them!  I was frustrated that my pepper seedlings weren't coming up, so when I was cutting a store bought pepper, I just plopped all the seeds in a little pot with some good dirt and they came up!  Wow!  (You can tell I'm new to this garden thing, I'm surprised every time I put a seed in the ground and up comes a plant.)

Happy First Day of Summer!

I'm sure there is some kind of spiritual analogy here: one eternal round . . . born again . . . circle of life? I guess that will be another post. That Meredith will probably write.

Have you given new life to any of your kitchen scraps?  What has worked and what hasn't?

Dinner Prep Tip: Veggis

We eat lots of vegetables in our house, though, we could always do better. And you know what usually takes the longest for me at dinner prep? Cutting up those veggis...

So in an effort to have dinner ready at a more reasonable hour, I have started cutting veggis during nap time.

Because naps are over at 3, usually, cutting the veggis at around 2:30 doesn't leave them cut, but uncooked, long enough for them to dry into grossness.

I find when there are a lot of steps to a given dinner, taking time to do as many steps as I can here and there throughout the day, makes the actual cooking time less stressful.

Being in the "prep" mindset allows me to make meals that are more digestible, and nutritious for my family, in a more time economical way -- time economical = less stress. For me. Sometimes prep work is done the day of a given meal, sometimes a few days in advance i.e. soaking grains, or flour; sprouting nuts, seeds, and beans; fermenting a side veggi, etc.

What have you found to save you time in the kitchen, while not letting nutrition fall to the wayside?

And here's a bonus:

The clothes are a little big for him, so they make him look super skinny. He is on the leaner side than George was at this age, for sure -- though, he is super long...

Cutting Onions (for sensitive eyes only)

One day I was rummaging through a kitchen cupboard in my Bruxelles apartment, and found a little French book of cooking tips. As I briefly leafed through, this gem shot off the page:

If you cut onions under cold running water, they won't sting your eyes!

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True fact.

We go through a lot of onions around here, and I have very sensitive eyes. A sad combination, to be sure. When I don't apply this gem of knowledge, I look quite distraught each time I cut an onion.

Just balance your cutting board on the sink divider, or place it atop a pot in one side, and trickle a little cold water from the faucet over the onion as you cut. It's an eye-saver!

If the balancing act doesn't work for you, simply rinse the onion in cold water after peeling and again after cutting in half. Works nearly as well.

Enjoy cutting onions as never before (and enjoy this little song while you do)!