Treaty Rock Farm

Kids in the Kitchen

Patrick Beck — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:44:54 +0000

Howdy Farmers Market Friends:

Each of us are entrusted with important gifts to pass along to our children and other kids too. Among these – a foundation of good manners, a healthy revulsion for the New York Yankees and a love of food and cooking. The kid who doesn’t learn family foodways soon finds him/herself on an island – “the little prince/ess” who assumes that food is prepared for him/her. To steal a punchline from my suburban NY youth: “The only thing a Jewish-American princess knows how to make for dinner is reservations”.

Now hold on a minute and put your pitchforks down – this kitchen-challenged condition cuts across all ethnic and socioeconomic lines. I can name an Italian-American princess with hairspray and jewelled cell phone and her brother the “Mameluke” in grad school who still has Mama ironing his undershirts and can’t read a bus schedule.

For you etymological enthusiasts, this interesting term (originally ma’amluq) derives from a medieval slave military force in the Muslim world comprised of South Indian captives taken as plunder and eventually rising in rank among their captors. The parallel is undeniable and troubling – spoiled kids remain captive to Mama’s cooking and her overarching influence in their lives, creating unhealthy conflict later in life. Build their skill set and set them free !! If the kid don’t help, the kid don’t eat.

Make a conscious effort to spend time together in the market, in the garden and in the kitchen building familiarity with food and cooking skills. You are empowering your kids with health, creativity and economic independence. Good food does not come in a box and costs less than the crap that does if you know what you’re doing – important for recent grads on a budget.

Start small with low expectations and modest time commitment. You will do most or all of the work, getting help with chopping, measuring, stirring, assembling. Your time spent together sharing stories and chores will yield an incredible return on investment as you develop favorite routines together. The experiments, successes and spectacular failures are all building blocks in a skill set that you will cherish together for years to come.

My friend Paul Z is a BarBQ pitmaster who takes his daughter along on the weekend competition circuit. She recently showed the boys a thing or two, running the table in the youth division at Lake Placid, NY Barbeque Championship. That’s an empowered young woman. Woo-hoo !!

In our house we are about a year into this learning curve and Colin (12) has begun to prepare dinner for the family once a week. We got him a great 3-ring binder book called “Anyone Can Cook” and it’s excellent. It stays open to the page you want, has good ingredient lists for shopping and sequential instructions and short cuts for dishes that are not difficult and are very rewarding for a young chef. This week he made the Easy Shepherd’s Pie and wanted me to share the recipe with y’alls.

Non-stick cooking spray
1 pound Treaty Rock Farm 100% grass-fed dry aged sirloin tips cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Olive oil to brown meat
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can beef broth
Flour to thicken gravy
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t thyme, dried and crushed or fresh chopped
1/8 t fresh cracked black pepper (5-10 grinds)
1 box instant mashed potato flakes (just add water, milk, butter and salt)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 2-qt. square baking dish with cooking spray. Brown sirloin tips on hot olive oil, turning to brown all sides. Add onion & Worcestershire sauce and saute till onions are clear. Add vegetables, tomato soup, beef broth, thyme and pepper. Bring to boil. Add flour a tablespoon at a time, whisking vigorously to thicken up pan gravy. Transfer to baking dish. Prepare mashed potato according to directions. Whisk till smooth then spoon in mounds on top of beef / vegetable mixture getting even coverage. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes until bubbling around edges. Sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese and return to oven for a couple minutes more. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes before serving with crusty bread and a tall glass of milk.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

The Abbondanza Papers

Patrick Beck — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:39:33 +0000

When I was a kid, my friends and I quickly learned which of the neighborhood houses were the right ones to show up at just around mealtime. This was where I learned the Old World term abbondanza – abundance, plenty, copiousness. Of course the places I made this memorable discovery were the homes of my Italian-American friends – one in particular where there usually was homemade gravy (please don’t say spaghetti sauce) on the stove and a plate of cookies on the table. There was a men’s kitchen (yes) downstairs where the sausage (sopressata) was made and the anisette was drunk. We didn’t snoop around there uninvited – big Nick was a warm and towering bear of a man who could be positively frightening with his dander up. You could not leave without sitting down to visit with Miss Rita and have “a little something” – maybe some rice balls or veal and peas with a little macaroni and a little salad for your digestion. The ways in which an authentic food culture links generations and neighbors and gives kids important grounding touchstones as they grow up and move away cannot be overstressed.

Many families have lost and are losing anything resembling food culture in the name of packaged convenience and prepared meals (family structure and stability is a big part of keeping foodways intact). We who love actual food defend the fortress and pass along tradition and lore to those we love. Our recipes express our travels and experiences and joys.

My son and I planted our garden this spring with great excitement and anticipation. We envisioned summer meals with tomatos and basil and mozzarella. We saw ourselves trading the abundant harvest with our neighbors for eggs and blueberries and venison in the fall. The arugula and sweet peas have come up well and we started cutting our first baby zucchini in mid-June marinated in olive oil herbs and balsamic vinegar sliced thin and grilled. Then we departed on our annual flyfishing trip to the North Maine Woods and returned to huge baseball-bat sized zucchinis way bigger than my wife likes grilled or sauteed. What to do with these things other than fend off an unwelcome intruder ??

Like a thunderbolt, Miss Rita’s recipe for baked stuffed zucchini with a savory meat filling popped into my head so I made them for Farmers Market last Saturday and people seemed to like them well enough.

Cut zucchini in half the long way and then each long piece in half cross way so you have 1/4 zucchinis. Core out the middles with a sharp knife and discard or use for something else. Parboil your zucchini for 5 minutes in a big pot of salted water to soften them up a little. Remove, drain and place in oven pans for stuffing. Roast 2 sweet peppers till skins blacken. Let cool. Slip off skins, remove seeds and chop. Saute a sweet onion in olive oil till clear. Add a chopped summer squash (fine dice) and some Italian herbs, dried crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Saute till onions start to brown. Add roasted peppers and a package of Treaty Rock dry aged 100% grass-fed beef and brown dicing it apart into the saute. When beef is browned, transfer to a big bowl and add 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs and 1 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese. Mix well, fill your zucchinis and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Abbondanza !!

Treaty Rock Farm takes great pride in producing 100% grass fed, dry-aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY. We have a full supply of new inventory from 3 animals that came from the meat packer this past week. The 1 1/2″ thick Porterhouse and T-bone steaks will bring out your inner Pleistocene man. Put in your order for a 20-pound Pasture Pack and save 10% on the wonderful steaks, roasts, ribs and ground beef that your family loves.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

Good Grass, man

Patrick Beck — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:02:35 +0000

Twenty-some years ago these words would have found me along with friends Benny and Zippy in a college dorm room cleaning a bag of pot on an opened up “Yes” album cover or maybe “Frampton Comes Alive”. Now entering the middle part of middle age, my botanical pursuits have taken a tamer turn, leading me to spend my time visiting the garden center and tending the backyard veggie patch.

But I still gets excited about really good grass, the kind you find along the Sakonnet River in Little Compton, RI. Cool moist ocean air and mild coastal temps create the perfect conditions for growing the good stuff. Here Treaty Rock Farm is fortunate to maintain 100 acres of pasture for our beef herd. It was just last summer that I tasted some outstanding 100% grass-finished steaks and burger for the first time. The flavor was amazing and inspired me to embark on a journey marketing and sharing my passion for this top-quality, back-to-basics beef operation. We take a longer time bringing an animal to market than most other beef producers and sometimes struggle with maintaining inventory levels. We respect the animal’s natural design and feed them only grass and hay – items that they naturally eat.

I took a walk in the field the other day with my friend Jennifer to see the herd and take some photos (see below). We wanted to contrast our beautiful healthy animals with the confined feedlot operations of the Midwest (delivering corn, grain, antibiotics & high-calorie supplements containing fish meal and chicken feathers) that typify the vast majority of our nation’s protein foodstream. Feedlot methods create unhealthy animals that put on fat quickly that is unhealthy for us.

Treay Rock Farm is proud to produce 100% grass-fed dry aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY. See you soon.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

My Supper Has A First Name

Patrick Beck — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:41:05 +0000

My son and I attended an organizational meeting last evening for the RI Raised Livestock Association annual Fundraising Dinner to be called the Carnivores Carnival. Thought I would mention it since each of you who (1) value local natural seasonal food and (2) make the conscious choice of “mindful eating” would surely groove to this inspiring scene.

Early planning stages indicate a casual evening event to be held at one of our local vineyards on a Sunday in September or October. Various association member farms will be paired at tasting stations with outstanding RI chefs who feature locally raised produce and donated animal protein. Guests will mingle, meet the farmers and see photo displays depicting the operations / philosophies / methods mounted throughout the event so as to encourage discourse between non-member public and farm members.

The featured farms who donate product for the tasting stations will enjoy publicity and accolades by having their meat in such skilled hands. Could anything be more exciting ?? I’m pleased to note that 4 of the 6 chefs in the discussion are already customers of Treaty Rock Farm 100% grass-fed dry aged beef. Colin and I shared a silent high-five.

In the past our events had the feeling of a Farm Supper for members only but this year the Association wants to acknowledge and celebrate with the public who supports our hard work and buys our products. Ticket prices and dates still very much in early developmental stage. There will likely be a supporter level ticket that would be paired with some great premium prizes / discounts at member farms / participating restaurants etc. Any ideas ??
I will be happy to keep interested parties appraised of details and date for the Carnivores Carnival upon request.

So anyway, other local farms specializing in produce / cheese / seafood aquaculture will likely be involved via the chef stations but will not take over the primary function of the event recognizing local animal husbandry operations – Quality of life = Quality of meat.

We acknowledge the ultimate gift, accept it humbly and with respect and reverance. We don’t shy away from the fact that we have our animals killed – we walk the last mile with them and stand in witness to the dignity of their lives. We are proud of our product and need to bring people in contact with that mortality and, by extension, their own mortality. This is why so many people say “I just don’t want to know where it comes from.” Well guess what ?? Our kids need to know.

This past week for Farmers Market I butterflied and stuffed Medallions of Eye Round Bafana Befana style with the South African futbol team colors in an exuberant moment of World Cup fever. I roasted some yellow peppers rubbed with olive oil under the broiler for 15 minutes turning regularly. Sauteed some spinach in olive oil, salt and pepper with a splash of balsamic vinegar for 4 minutes till just wilted. Let the spinach cool. Pull the skins and remove the seeds. Make little sandwiches of pepper / spinach / pepper and place in the butterflied and seasoned eye round. Toothpick closed and cook for 30 minutes at 375. Perfect medium with the green and gold layered when you cut into it.

A GOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!!!!!!!

You can see previous weekly recipes in the Beef Blog section at www.treatyrockfarm.com
We are proud to produce 100% grass-fed dry aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

Slovenian Rhapsody

Patrick Beck — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:01:20 +0000

We collect tastes in our travels and increase the sum of our being in the hopes of living a life worth looking back on down the road. A transformative food experience of this sweeping magnitude was nowhere more powerful for me than in the lovely little country of Slovenia flyfishing with some pals 8 years ago this week. We stayed in great little country inns called gostilna(e), shopped in local markets with our guides who remain our friends today and shared the memorable Slow Food created by real people who take pride in their products. The famous prsut (prosciutto across the border in Italy) – the forest mushrooms and soft caimak cheese and baby goat and wild boar neck and cherry brandy and smoked trout. But perhaps the finest moment was an evening on the Unica (pronounced Oo-neech) when our driver Eddy disappeared to his uncle’s house nearby and returned with a twilight picnic repast that we enjoyed on the grassy banks watching trout and grayling dimple the quiet water winding between the willows.

Eddy and I shared few words together – mostly hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions but we communicated with great enthusiasm. He pointed out the good places to eat and reminded us at regular intervals that he could locate some “dancing girls” if we tired of the fishing. While it’s not clear that Eddy didn’t dabble in black market car parts on his days off, that possibility still cannot be categorically eliminated. Anyway, he returned with a blanket and big basket of dishes and bowls.

The spread included some tiny little sausages called chevapchichi served with hot mustard and ayvar (also spelled ajvar), a delicious grilled eggplant / red pepper concoction loved by the Slavs & Hungarians. It resembles a relish without vinegar or sweetness. I have occasionally been able to find it at ethnic stores but with some advice from Chef Jon Cambra of Castle Hill Inn, I made a respectable stand-in for Farmers Market on Saturday and will never buy it again.

Rub 4 red peppers and 5 cloves of garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper and place them whole in a roasting pan. Slice a sweet onion in half and place it in. Slice an eggplant in 1/2″ slices and place in, adding more olive oil, salt & pepper and turning the eggplant slices so everything gets coated. Chop 10 sprigs of fresh thyme and sprinkle in, mixing well. Roast at 450 for 15 minutes to soften up the eggplant and peppers. Start a wood fire beforehand so your coals are hot now. Put the pepper and eggplant on a grate over the coals for about 10 minutes turning every couple of minutes till you get at good char without burning. Leave the onion and garlic in the oven separating out the leaves of the onion as it starts to fall apart. It should be soft and clear and sweet smelling. The garlic should be golden and yielding like your first girlfriend’s sun-warmed thigh. Take the eggplant and peppers off the fire and return to the roasting pan and turn off the heat. Remove from the oven and let the vegetables cool. When they have cooled, slip the skins off the peppers, remove the seeds and put everything into a food processor with juice of half a lemon, double handful of parsley from the garden (chopped coarsely and 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne. I did not have smoked paprika but a teaspoon of this would surely have been at home. Puree till it reaches smooth texture with small chunks. Serve with grilled grass-fed steak marinated in Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Enjoy. Let me know if you want a 40 pound share in a big beautiful steer we are having slaughtered July 6th. Shares will cost $400 per. We take pride in producing premium 100% grass-fed dry aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

Remembering Bub

Patrick Beck — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:31:15 +0000

Surely we all know a taste that brings back a flood of memories from our youth – thoughts of people long gone who return crystal-clear in our mind’s eye with the first bite. One of those tastes for me is a good German potato salad. I always liked going into the butcher shop across from Freddie’s Sporting Goods in suburban New York where Bub held court in his white apron. He was a huge man (possibly rendered larger by the passing of several decades) with massive hands and an old-fashioned handlebar moustache. Knives were everywhere, sharpened edges gleaming like a medieval armory. In the glass cases roasts were tied up, cheese wheels lovingly displayed with cured hams, and carefully garnished plates of raw meat offered a visual feast. Sometimes lambs and rabbits hung in the window. This was clearly a man’s realm though women shoppers were always greeted with courtesy. A craft was practiced here that you can still find in a few places but not at a chain supermarket.

The fellows would talk of hunting dogs and tools and cars and I wanted to be included. Not sure if I ever really was but Bub always had a kind word as I ordered a deli sandwich and a dish of his tangy German potato salad with bits of bacon and scallions. Several years later I would stop in for suggestions for my evolving chili recipe as I (unsuccessfully) took to the competition circuit for a few seasons.

I hadn’t thought of Bub for a least a decade before this past Friday when I heard a recipe for German potato salad on the radio. So I made it yesterday for Farmers Market as a suggested accompaniment for your Memorial Day burgers. Different than Bub’s but he would have approved.

Boil 2 pounds of red bliss potatos (skin on) in salted water for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Boil a bunch of asparagus and a bunch of scallions (each cut in half) in salted water for 6 minutes – I added a few shakes of Mrs. Dash seasoning. Fry 6 slices of bacon till crispy pouring off the fat. Leave to cool. Pour the veggies into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Leave to drain. Cut up your potatos into medium sized cubes – cut the veggies into 1/2″ pieces and place in a large serving bowl. Chop the bacon fine and combine with about 6 small sweet gherkin pickles chopped fine, 2 big spoonfuls of coarse stone-ground mustard (Inglehoffer is the best), a big pinch of brown sugar, 2T olive oil and 3-4 T red wine vinegar. Whisk vigorously and toss gently with potatos and veggies. Season liberally with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy and remember to thank a veteran.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

God’s Own Mayonnaise

Patrick Beck — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:04:15 +0000

An appreciation of food chemistry can lead you to an understanding of how different elements in the culinary landscape interact with each other to good effect. This past week we experimented with the Dark Art of emulsification in search of the perfect accompaniment for a 100% grass-fed dry aged burger.

We got the basic recipe for roasted red pepper aioli from Chef Derek at Nick’s on Broadway (Providence), Treaty Rock Farm’s newest customer. We are excited to embark on a food journey with Derek and his staff who specialize in making memorable seasonal food from scratch using the finest local ingredients. Derek’s burgers were voted Best in Providence and we are proud to announce that he will be using Treaty Rock Farm dry-aged 100% grass-fed Devon beef this summer.

Oh ye of little faith, come closer as we speak of this mysterious alchemy called aioli. The wonderful garlic mayonnaise is a highly whisked suspension of egg yolks in oil. A cast of complementary flavor components combine to sing backup vocals in a satisfying harmonious composition – garlic, dijon mustard, lemon, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Roast 2 red peppers at 450 for 15 minutes then turn on the broiler to finish them and char the skins. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pull skins off easily and deseed, retaining only roasted pepper strips. Set aside.

Look now upon a heavy bottomed pot and separate 3 eggs of the best quality you can find. Walking-around hens that eat bugs and grass are best. Vigorously whisk egg yolks, a spoonful of dijon mustard, 1-2 cloves garlic chopped fine, juice of 1/2 a lemon and 1-2 T cider vinegar with a vulture’s wing bone (or you can just put it in a food processor). Puree till fully combined. Slowly start drizzling in 24 oz. of oil (canola / olive oil blend) in a thin stream into the running machine. This will create a stable suspension of microscopic mini-globules of egg yolk as the aioli stiffens up. Add a big pinch of sea salt and 10 turns of cracked black pepper. Add in your roasted red pepper strips and puree. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper and possibly lemon juice. You can give it a kick with a few dashes of the incendiary Thai chili sauce called Sriracha (with the rooster on the label). We opted out since this was being served to a wide audience at an art opening.

Prepare to accept the accolades graciously – “So glad you’re enjoying it….it’s really quite simple….Oh you’re too kind”

At Treaty Rock Farm we take great pride in producing premium 100% grass-fed dry aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

Satay Night Fever

Patrick Beck — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:37:26 +0000

Funny how good passed appetizers, just like Jordache jeans, narrow leather ties and Bee Gees LP’s, never seem to go out of style. A great host will have perfected a favorite few standbys that can be prepared before the party and rolled out in a succession of little amusing bites to complement a glass of wine and enchanting conversation (or overly informative personal medical details) among the assembled throng.

I’m partial to a pastry dough rounds cut with a shot glass, baked then topped while warm with roasted sweet potato round tossed with olive oil, chili rub and curry powder and finished with a dollop of goat cheese.

Holiday guests enjoy oyster stewed in Guinness with a dash of fish sauce in phyllo dough cups with scallions.

And my new favorite is the bull burger mini meatballs with Peanut Satay (thank you Midge).
You’ll need to visit a good Indian spice shop since the items at Stop & Shop are stale and 5-10 times the price. There is a good one on Hope Street in Providence near Seven Stars. Don’t know about Wakefield ?? The spices stay fresh for a month in an airtight container in the cupboard or freeze portions for 6 months or more.

Our 100% grass-fed dry-aged bull burger is well mixed by hand with 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, big pinch of sea salt and 10 turns of cracked black pepper to keep them moist. Roll them into mini meatballs 1″ or a little less in diameter. Cover the bottom of a baking dish. 2 pounds of beef made around 100 for my Farmers Market tasting. Set aside and make your Peanut Satay.

Roast a double handful of raw peanuts at 400 for 5 minutes or so till they are very fragrant and starting to color medium brown. You want to warm and release the oils but not too dark or the oil can get bitter quickly. Put in a bowl to cool.

Toast 1 teaspoon ground coriander
         1 teaspoon turmeric
         1/2 teaspoon cumin in a pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes till fragrant as above. Remove from heat while you add
        1 sweet onion chopped medium and
        4 Tablespoons olive oil. Sautee till onion is clear – 5-8 minutes
Take 2 pieces of fresh lemon grass and peel the hard outer sheaths. Chop the more tender interior pieces and put in a blender with all of the above and
        4 Tablespoons soy sauce
        1/2 cup coconut milk or a little more
        1 teaspoon brown sugar plus a little and
        Good pinch sea salt and 8-10 turns cracked black pepper to taste.
Puree till smooth but chunky. Set aside till after meatballs are cooked.

Bake meatballs 15 minutes or a little more at 400. Take out with a few minutes to go and slather with Peanut Satay and put back in to warm sauce and brown slightly.

Serve with toothpicks and move effortlessly through the crowd graciously accepting the compliments with a dismissive wave while basking in the knowledge that your appetizers kick some serious ass.

Treaty Rock Farm is proud to produce outstanding 100% grass-fed dry-aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

Blame it on Mario

Patrick Beck — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:41:37 +0000

I brought a marinated and grilled London Broil to Farmers Market yesterday along with an herb Gremolata sauce inspired by my hero Mario Batali. People loved it and I would like to share the recipe with you. I’ve been experimenting and making it my own. My friend Gaetano who owns Ortygia, a rustic Sicilian restaurant in Bradenton, Florida suggested the lemon zest and I envisioned the sun-dried tomato paste in a flash of brilliance.

In a food processor or blender combine:

1/2 cup olive oil & 2 T red wine vinegar
Double handful of spinach sauteed with garlic till soft
Double handful washed & chopped flat leaf parsley
2 T capers
1 T thyme leaves
1 lemon zested and a good squeeze of juice (no seeds)
Good amount of sea salt
Big squeeze of sundried tomato paste from a tube
10 turns cracked black pepper
Puree while drizzling in another 1/2 cup olive oil
Add a finely chopped clove of raw garlic
Add 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs slowly as it purees to thicken slightly so the oil doesn’t run out.

Enjoy.

We take great pride at Treaty Rock Farm we take great pride in producing 100% grass fed, dry aged beef LOCALLY, NATURALLY & HUMANELY.

Respecting the Protein, PMB

Ronan – Our Herd Bull

Patrick Beck — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:31:24 +0000

Ronan, our herd bull, is munching his last bites of grass at Treaty Rock Farm. He is scheduled to head up the road in a couple of weeks since we need to ensure the genetic diversity of our herd. He will be missed - he produced very healthy calves. As an older bull, he is likely to be tough, so we will be grinding him into some extremely tasty hamburger with all of the steak cuts going into the grind. Let me know if you want in on some. We'll miss you, old fella.