Quick Bites: Turtle Mist Neck Roast

So I do realize that something which takes 3 hours to slow cook isn't exactly quick, but if you consider that this takes 15 minutes of prep, at which point you can walk away for 3 hours, its pretty easy. I spent the morning at Turtle Mist yesterday, and Bob asked me for some advice on what to do with a neck roast. This is what I came up with; everything is local.

• 1 lb. lamb neck roast
• 1 tbsp. bacon grease
• 1 large long hot or mild pepper, chopped
• 1 medium purple carrot, sliced - do not peel!
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 3-4 fresh sage leaves, julienned
• 1 cloved garlic, minced
• 4 cups of lamb stock (chicken or vegetable are OK too)

1. Cover all sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat up the bacon fat to medium in a medium-sized pot.

2. Brown the roast on all sides. During the last few minutes of browning, add the garlic, peppers, and carrots, and stir.

3. Add enough stock to cover the roast halfway. Stir in the tomato and sage.



4. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to low heat, and braise for 3 hours. Your meat will be falling-ff-the-bone tender.

Becoming Locavores, Part 2: Late Summer Farmers' Market Dinner

Another Saturday, another successful trip to the Creedmoor and Wake Forest farmers' markets. This week's haul included purple carrots, Malabar spinach, goat's milk Roquefort, goat cheese w/ fresh herbs, spelt flatbread, tomatoes, hot peppers, eggplant, Mississippi Red peas, Yukon Gold and red potatoes, and organic, pasture-raised pork loin chops.

The spinach and carrots came from Turtle Mist, and as always, it was good to see Bob and Ginger. I'll be going over to their farm tomorrow to trim hooves and tag ears. Should be a wonderful learning experience.

I also learned a lot more about Pine Knot Farms. We've been getting vegetables and fruits from Mark for a few months, but I just recently learned that this farm is certified organic and also does pasture raised pork. I picked up some loin chops this morning:



and they turned out wonderfully:



Kate used the eggplant to make baba ghanouj:



and I took the carrots, hot peppers, goat's milk Roquefort, and spinach:



and sauteed them all together in a little olive oil:



for this wonderful meal:



And as you can see above, Mike T. Bunny loves the purple carrots too. Check back soon for a post on making bacon, start to finish. If you can get a whole pork belly, its not as tough as you might think. I continue to be amazed at what I can find within 20 miles of home.

Becoming Locavores, Part 1

In recent months, we've spent a lot of time exploring local farms and farmers' markets in Granville, Franklin, and Wake counties, and also learned about pickling / preserving / freezing / etc. As we meet more farmers and find more local variety, we're quickly moving away from grocery stores and buying local whenever possible. Meats, produce, eggs, and cheeses are all easily obtained in the Triangle area. I've personally met the growers / farmers and in addition to having great food, they are great people.

This weekend's haul included:

• figs
• Malabar spinach
• goat's milk feta
• goat's milk 5 pepper cheese spread
  
• lamb spareribs
• lamb leg chops
• purple-hulled peas
• Crowder peas
• butterbeans
• okra
• white eggplant
• Yukon Gold and red potatoes
  
• eggs

But this is only a sampling of what NC's farms have to offer. We've built a pretty solid network of farmers that we like; here's a rundown:

Lyon Farms Hwy 15 and Munns Rd, Creedmoor, NC

• strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries in season; can pick yourself
• They do sell other produce but much of it is shipped in and not local, we stick to the berries.
  

MAE Farm Mitchell Church Rd, Louisburg, NC / NC State Farmer's Market
http://www.maefarmmeats.com/
Mike and Susanne Jones

• pork - all cuts, including bacon, ham, and many types of sausage
  
• beef - all cuts
  
• goat - all cuts
• all meat is pasture-raised
  
• eggs
  

Turtle Mist Farm 227 Suitt Rd., Franklinton, NC / Creedmoor and Wake Forest farmers' markets. Creedmoor Wednesdays; Wake Forest Saturdays.
http://turtlemistfarm.com/
Bob and Ginger Sykes

• lamb - all cuts, many not found in stores such as spare ribs and neck roasts. Pasture-raised.
  
• eggs
• various veggies
• aloe plants
• jewelry
  

Mark / Pine Knob Farm Creedmoor Farmers' Market

• Butterbeans
• Crowder peas
• Melons
  
• Okra
• Pork
  
• Squash
• Eggplant
• various other veggies and fruits depending on season
  

Deborah's Fresh Vegetables Creedmoor Farmers' Market

• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• cucumbers
• banana and hot peppers
• butter beans
• purple-hulled peas
• corn
  
• tomatoes
  
• squash
• melons
• various other veggies and fruits depending on season

Sleepy Goat Farms Pelham, NC / Wake Forest Farmers' Market

• goat cheeses, such as feta
• goat cheese spreads - garlic/paprika, 5 pepper, curry, etc.
  

Creedmoor Farmers' Market Hwy 50 and Hwy 56, Creedmoor, NC
http://www.creedmoorfarmersmarket.com/

• Wed. 1-6 PM, Sat. 8 AM - 1PM
• April - November
  

Wake Forest Farmers' Market White Ave. and Wait Ave., Wake Forest, NC
http://www.wakeforestfarmersmarket.org/

• 8AM - 12PM in season
• Holiday markets
• Winter markets
  

The Creedmoor Farmer's Market and Local Lamb

Last Saturday, Kate and I made quite the haul at the Creedmoor Farmer's Market. It's not nearly as large as something like the state market in Raleigh, but there are a variety of vendors and some amazing finds.




This trip brought eggs, basil, banana peppers, cucumbers, white and Italian eggplant, Silver Queen and Peaches & Cream sweet corn, zucchini, cantaloupe, shelled butterbeans, and Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes.



The majority of this food made an amazing dinner Saturday night, but the cucumbers and banana peppers were pickled in a matter of hours:



Earlier in the week, we got some local lamb from Turtle Mist Farm in Franklinton - shanks to be specific. Priced at $6/lb., grass-fed, pasture raised, USDA inspected, and processed in a local Halal facility, this is some of the best lamb I have ever eaten. I braised the shanks with celery, onion, tomato, and garlic in lamb stock, for about 2.5 hours, and it was fantastic. I just bought more from Bob yesterday.

We've also discovered MAE Farm in Louisburg, and I just talked with Susanne for the first time today. Their pork, beef, and goat is raised with the highest ethical and humane standards, and the farm holds a Certificate of Compliance from the Animal Welfare Association. I'll be going up Sunday to get pork tenderloins, butts, and a belly; beef chuck, skirt, and ribeye steaks; goat chops; eggs; and jalapeno-onion and Andouille sausage. I expect it will be nothing shy of amazing.

Well folks, it looks like Kate and I are going local. Stay tuned for a post on the Farmer's Market Dinner...