the farm circle -

Our friends Barbara and Tom Boyer Grow Organic Hay and also have a small market garden - Barbara has been successively pulling out her winter greens to make room for all her spring starts - When the winter greens like Brussel sprouts and cabbage go to seed they make some yummie food in the process - the tops sauteed in just a little butter are so delicate and sweet!!



so yummie greens not only for us but for my chickens too! thank you barbara for our now third pick up load of spent green the chickens are very happy as are we !!



and the trees are budding like crazy around here it feels liek a little slice of heaven!

If you're in Portland this Friday Night stop by Garrisons Fine Wines!!

Big Thanks to Travis of Garrissons fine wines!! He's included our Syrah in a tasting tonight - stop by if you get a chance and give it a try -

-------------------------------

NW Syrah Tasting
April 24, 2009
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

From GFW- blog - "I have to say I am excited about this tasting. We will be featuring a series of new wines that should ‘wow’ you. Some of them are new releases from known wineries, while some are new releases from new wineries. One was a find at Taste Walla Walla about a month ago, El Corazon (which for some reason makes me think of the movie Romancing the Stone from when I was a younger). Another is a project from the winemaker of Illahe, Genius Loci, produced from a small vineyard in Southern Oregon. The bonus pour is a new project from a CA-transplant that runs a farm just outside of Gaston."

$15 Tasting Fee+ Bonus Pour

2006 Genius Loci Syrah Folin Vineyard
2006 K Vintners ‘Motor City Kitty’ Syrah
2006 Dominio IV Syrah ‘Purple Flower’
2005 Cristom Vineyards Syrah
2007 El Corazon Winery ‘With Love’ Syrah

Bonus Pour $4
2006 Big Table Farm

http://www.garrisonsfinewines.com/

the chicks and pissing off my dog : )

Horses and more Horses!!

Friday I went with my friend and mentor Duane up to Madras to the Small Farmers Draft Horse sale and Auction and boy was that a good day - we saw so much great farm and draft equipment and harness and a bunch of 4 legged guys for sale too. It was like old home week for Duane and Jeb who are old friends and pretty deep into the draft community! I saw lots of members of our draft horse group which was fun. I also was able to identify most of the farm equipment there this year - now next step start using some of it!!! The ride up started on farmer time we left Duane's house at 5am which required me to get up a little past 4am - which I'll just say I'm not really accustomed to but I tried to to whine too much as Duane is tough as nails and I already look like a big softy compared to him. So it was me and 5 cowboys in a pick up with me in the bitch seat for a 3 hour drive each way to the auction - under anyother circumstances I might complain - let's just say I enjoyed my self what girl wouldn't - horses and cowboys NICE -



just a small bit of the gear!! : )


One of the auctioneers! he was amazing!


Jeb and Dusty - part of the auction possy : )

Saturday was more horses I dragged my sorry ass outta bed sat morning early again as we'd gotten in the night before at 1:30am yikes - anyway there where horses to get ready so we got them loaded and went to the mcminnville historic farm day and I got to drive Duane's lead team as well as a three abreast! It was thrilling and Sarah was at my side helping me all the way- Thank you Duane and Sarah I owe so much to you both!!












Sarah giving me help with some finer points!


Sarah having a great day!


Duane in his element - with his lead team - they where on fire on Sat!

I was so inspired by Saturday I went home and drove Hummer Saturday afternoon and the Huston on his first pull at Big Table on Sunday YOU GO Huston!! he did great as did Brian who was my 'swamper'. So It was a LOT of horsey time this weekend but somewhere in there we also managed to get some farm work done .. Katie came back on Saturday and worked all day with Brian while I played with horses!! Big Thanks out to Katie for showing up and putting in the work!! Sunday we moved the pigs and built out the second mobile chicken house (the smaller ones for the meat birds) and have about 50 or so baby chicks eeping away in the grass : ) with more coming next week!! boy is it spring all this and it it's been about 75 degrees and my fruit trees have finally rewarded my for my patience or lack there of! - It's good to be alive with weekends like that!!


lookin like spring araound here!


happy pork!





and to top it off Brian never disappoints with weekend breakfasts! god I love that guy ...

(eggs with his homemade sausage topped with a gorgeous holindaze!)

Easter Dinner

We had a diverse and multi - talented group of friends for dinner last night - and I get to link you to all there blogs and web sites as port of my story - it's like one big plug for all these fabulous people they are really deserving of you clicking through and taking a look at what they are up too!!-

The menu started with appetizers of:

fried and marinated smelt (these are small fish that Brian did a beautiful job with!)



a rabbit rilette (made by the talented david padberg!)



some head cheese from last summers pig



with mustard made by our good friend matt


Our first course was homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta, carmilized onions and pine nuts




The Main was corned beef made from beef from Mossback farms! (yumm) gratin potatoes from Square Peg and fresh asparagus with Brian's aioli



this was followed by a warmed arugula, walnut and grilled onion salad with greens provided by Chris and Amy of Square Peg farms

Bruce of Vino (a great wine shop in Portland) did a wonderful cheese course with some lovley cheeses from Pastaworks (which we all love of course)

and the grand finale was david comming in again with a grand chocolate finish two beautiful chocolate deserts that I can't describle one was a flourless hazel nut chocolate dessert and the other a thick rich chocolate ganache type cake!

Andrew Rich brought some stellar wines as did Bruce - all and all it was just a gourgouse meal and a wonderul celebration of all things portland! and a fun intersection of people who bring us good things for our table!!




Kathleen who has a great foodie blog took all these beautiful photos and provided us with some beautiful bread from portland!



Thank you all for coming and celebrating in such grand style!! and being game for my farm tour and 'lecture' in the pouring rain : )






special thanks to Rabecca who made the trip to the airport to bring home our baby chicks safely!! : )

lovin' Ned Lud and Moovin' cows

Last night despite being a bit under the weather Brian and I FINALLY got to try Ned Lud Oh my gosh - anyone reading this who lives in Portland GO TO THIS RESTAURANT!!! Jason French is the chef and owner - he is a true artist and a lovely person - his place is totally HIM - and he's doing some very special small plates amazing unusual meat dishes - pretty darn tasty things you haven't seen - his artistry really comes out!! beautiful food and completely affordable (under priced as far as I was concerned...) you can also get our rose by the glass there...

in other news -






Lots of cows posts of late but here's one more non the less - there right around the house so I can't help myself - We had a super young lady Katie who volunteered to come out to the farm today and work!! I sadly didn't get to hang out with her other than over lunch a bit, as I'm still nursing this cold from over doing it earlier in the week (did a 36hour trip to Ca and just packed it in!) - so any way I was very grateful to Katie today as there was work to be done and I was in no shape to do it.... in she walks and put in a full day on the farm - "well I'll be" stunning! nice work people... I'm kind of struck by folks wanting to just come out and work - but I'm totally grateful too - so keep it coming people - I'll have a garden to put in soon!! big love - clare

stoned on grass

We moved the cows to new spring grass and boy are they in heaven - big thanks Branden Gales Meadow Farm for the farm help -

Spring!!!... is creeping in

After Mary Eoin and Kate - Dara and Walter came for a visit! boy that kid is growing up fast!! - we also got the first of several orders of baby chicks - nothing saiys spring like little chirping baby chicks!!! by early summer we will have about 80 new peepers! (meat and egg chickens) the daffodils have been blooming and the fruit trees are moments away!!