A couple years ago now we decided to charcuterie a pig liver, wrapping it in linen, tying it, and hanging it from a hook in our ‘dining room’. We were ecstatic to have hanging meat. We ended up being too nervous to try it after we left it for a ridiculous amount of time (somehow we forgot about it) and chucked it, though if I knew then what I know now – I would still try it even if it were still there. With that said, Josh is enamored with the little River Cottage book on Curing & Smoking, I expect our dream of hanging meats will be renewed.
What else is going on around here? It’s Tuesday so there are piles of bread, trays of bagels, jars of ricotta and pesto waiting to go out for delivery. It’s Pretzel Braed week – a sweet and savory braided bread with your name all over it. The chickens have started laying (gorgeous little eggs with deep colored yolks) and the rooster is being re-homed (today). There is apple jelly, apple butter, applesauce, and apple chips waiting to be finished and cider (whew!). And something delightfully sweet and special coming your whey (yes, I did that). A Fall apple Kimchi is bubbling away. I’m fantasizing about pumpkin butter and cranberry sauce, too (y’know, when I get a handle on this half of my chapter I have to write for this semester). And warmy teas are coming your way – the apothecary has been building all Summer and Fall (thank you Justin for the burdock root!) – rosehip, calendula, red clover, raspberry leaf, lemon basil, juniper berry, bee balm, yarrow, goldenrod, cleavers, lavender, thyme, mullein – it’s a good store this year.
Our Indian Summer is coming to a close this week (today at 70 degrees, next Tuesday back to 40), which leaves us just a smidge of room to get those windflower corms in the ground in the back orchard, and the handful of alliums and croci bulbs. Duende and I almost had Josh convinced to get us ducks but since we haven’t painted the chicken coop yet or taken care of the strawberry beds, he was less convinced we should add more to our plate at this time. Maybe we can work on him again in the Spring – ha! Though he is dreaming of bees, and I of pumpkins (and floors). D has been making little picnic tables with dishes and providing seedy food for the birds and chipmunks – adorable.
Enjoy yourself – it’s later than you think.
Rock Bottom Homestead 