This time of year, we enjoy raw milk and homemade yogurt, butter, cheese and frozen and dried fruits and vegetables. I freeze extra eggs during the fall and use them through winter so I can force the chickens and ducks to take a "break," to ensure they make it through winter healthy and happy. Dairy products make up a large portion of our daily meals instead of wheat-based foods. I enjoy preparing meals from the chicken, turkey, quail and beef we raise and butcher on the farm. Knowing where our food came from, how it was treated, and what it was fed (or NOT fed, as the case may be), makes a huge difference. I find myself eating less and enjoying more as I eat, because I know the true cost and value of honestly-raised food.
There is a beautiful rhythm and healthful simplicity to being fully involved in every step of raising, growing, and preparing your own food.
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Our livestock and poultry are still enjoying the stored squash and hay we planted and lovingly harvested all Summer and Fall. Winter chard and lettuces still grow in our gardens, despite the freezing temperatures. The fresh greens are a nice treat for our animals in the dark cold of winter.
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Our ducks and geese have turned out to be the easiest birds to feed through winter - they are voracious foragers and will dig through two or more feet of snow in the pastures to eat winter grass and weeds.
Like our waterfowl, we eat with the seasons. It makes every meal comfort food.
What comfort foods are you enjoying this winter?
8 comments:
As always, your pictures are fantastic! For comfort food, we've rediscovered scalloped potatoes -- but not the kind in the box! Made from scratch... Yum!
we have whatever is in season, but here in Florida a lot of stuff from even the produce market is imported from South America and so everything is always in season, but citrus is a winter ripening crop so we have a lot of that, what a satisfying feeling you must have growing and raising your own
You know that food taste so much better. We just traveled and I can tell you that there is some strange stuff out there passing as food....we have a pig and lamb in the freeze -local grown- so good!
That sounds fantastic, despite (or more likely because of) the hard work. For the past few years my goal has been to be more self sufficient, eventually getting to where you are. Thankfully I think my wife is starting to warm up to the idea a little more.
Comfort foods here are soups, warm tapioca and baked goods. I'd be interested in learning more about your egg freezing. Do you freeze them in ice cube trays so they remain separate? How do you use them?
Roasted an extra large Green Hubbard Squash, peeled, cubed and flavored with olive oil. Enjoyed it with just a slight sprinkling of raw organic sugar. Had enough left over to make a thick creamed soup and a squash pie.
Even though it's not as cold here as there we are still enjoying lots of warming soups as well as homemade yogurt and bread.
I didn't even realize you could freeze eggs, my comfort foods in the winter are shepherd’s pie and minestrone soup. Do you grow beans too? I am working on getting myself to a more self-sustained place, your blog helps with the motivation and inspiration!
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