Front door frolics and a Friday recipe

This has been a busy week at Zoar. Odo has gone to live with his male cousins, and with that, our culling of the herd this year is complete. Breeding season is in full swing. Feed changes are in place for the does and our barn is full of hay. We've got one little problem right now....Holly our herd queen has taken to escaping each day just after lunch. She doesn't go far, just to the lawn outside the fence.  She walks as well as most dogs on a lead, so we just lead her back to the barn after a couple hours free grazing.

There is a type of vigilance among shepherds, though. Like a sixth sense. The items in the photo are almost always by my front door. The boots, lead line and dog are my tools, along with my crook. With these assets I can handle most minor things here at the farm. The only things I would add to this action kit might be: a hammer, nails, baling wire, my folding knife and on rare occasions, my 12 guage.

Grey Feather, just before shearing

Many years ago we raised llamas at Zoar. If there's one thing llamas enjoy it's running through the countryside. Yes, there was a time when I would get regular calls from the Sheriff's dispatcher. "Are your llamas loose?"  Needless to say they were the most cunning escape artists on the planet. People have no idea just how cunning they are. Out here, a lot of people at the time didn't know quite what they were. I remember being asked on several occasions..."Can you eat'em?" I was horrified! When I explained that we raised them for their fiber I knew I had lost most of them. "You spin it?  Like in olden times? Why would you want to do that?

I'm digressing, sorry. The point is, if you raise animals they get out. So, it just makes sense to have what you need to get them back by the front door. By the way, Beau doesn't live by the front door. He goes where I go. He's really becoming a darn fine farm dog.

I have another recipe I thought you might like to try. This one is from Sicily. The Bear and I lived there for three years when the cubs were small. This is simple and delicious. It's good with a nice Malbec.

Four Flavor Linguine

1 cup (heaping) fresh, chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine (more if desired)
1 small can tomato paste
1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine (more if desired)
1/2 teaspoon dry red peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
linguine 

Chop parsley and garlic; assemble remaining ingredients while noodles are cooking. Drain cooked linguine al dente. 

Quickly, add all ingredients (except cheese) to pasta and toss. Add cheese and toss again. 

Serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of cheese on top.

Goat News and Friday Recipe

Farm Dog Beau

It's been quite a week here at Zoar.  Stormy was a sick little goat, but she's recovering nicely now after plenty of TLC and several quarts of "bounce back" (equivalent of Pedialyte for human children). She  is back with the flock.  The big news is Badger is finally weaned.  Now all the mama goats can get some R&R before kidding next season.

We're gathering the last of the vegetables from the garden, and are ready to clear and mulch the land.

I hope you are getting good local apples where you live.  They are amazing here this year, due to really good rainfall. The Jonathans, Galas and Golden Delicious are all, well, delicious.

Friday Recipe for Spinach Quiche

Speaking of food, I wanted to share something with you all that we like to have often.  I like to use fresh goats milk, instead of cow's milk in this, but cow's milk will work just fine.   So, without further ado, here's a great Friday recipe for you:

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup feta cheese

6 farm fresh eggs

1/2 cup Swiss Cheese

1/2 cup milk 

Your favorite pie crust recipe

Sweat the spinach in 1/4 of water with a pinch of salt until wilted, drain. Beat eggs with milk and pour into an unbaked pie shell.  add remaining ingredients, and place in a   375 degree oven for approx. 45 minutes.  Test the middle to make sure it's set.  Let cool slightly and serve. 

Wash on Monday

At Zoar we adhere to the old nursery rhyme on Mondays. Ava our Saanen dairy goat is in charge of quality control. She keeps her own milky white coat so clean it seems only logical!

Casserole is in the oven, laundry is done and now it's time to do some serious knitting for our Prayer Shawl Service Group. We are currently making winter hats for the homeless, prayer cloths and shawls and a wonderful new project that I will tell you all about in a later post.

Hope you have a great Monday!

Welcome to the farm!

This is Molly when she was two days old. Yes, that is my tea cup, and yes, that is my kitchen table. We roll fast and loose here at Zoar Farm! You never know what you will see in a farm kitchen. A bushel of tomatoes, a power saw, a box of newly hatched chicks, or maybe even a newborn goat. Why sometimes, there's even dinner in here!

I hope you'll come and visit often. There's so many things I'd like to tell you about.