In honor of spring I thought I’d share one of Lucy’s favorite lullabies – Winter’s Come and Gone.
Karri says that Lucy is becoming adept at faking sleep so I’ll stop singing to her.  I think I sound just like Gillian.

Usually I don’t follow recipes, I just get in the kitchen and give it a shot hoping something decent comes out. Today however, I cooked something good enough I felt the need to share so here goes my first try at recipe writing.

Roast

3lb Broadview Chuck Roast

1 large yellow onion – roughly chopped

2 large carrots – peeled and chopped

1 large can of dices tomatoes

1 large can beef broth

couple healthy dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Risotto

Arborio rice

Butter/Olive Oil

Wine – I happen to have used a pinot noir rose

Cheese – I used some Gruyere and sharp cheddar I had left over from burgers

First place the chuck roast, onions, carrots, and tomatoes in a crock pot. Barely cover with beef broth and then add Worcestershire sauce and a bit of salt and pepper. Turn on high for 6 hours.

Then when you are about 30 minutes from dinner time. Melt the butter and oil together in a sauce pan and add the rice. Allow the rice to slightly brown on medium heat then add a cup or two of the wine which the rice will almost immediately drink up. Then ladle broth from the roast into the rice, just covering it and then allowing to absorb and repeating again. My broth was pretty thick so I would alternate a ladle of hot water every other time. It take a bit of patience to slowly add the liquid, never more than just covering the rice and never letting it dry out. Continue until the rice has softened but still holds its form. Melt the cheese by stirring into the hot rice right at the end.

By far the most important part of the meal is plating. I used two forks to pull nice chucks of beef off the roast an piled them together, topped with some of the onions and carrots and then placed a nice pile of the thick risotto just beside. The pairing was incredible with a nice glass of wine. Good luck!

On the front page of the NY Times website today was this article on Beef Products Inc. which came up with the brilliant idea of injecting industrial beef with ammonia to kill E. coli and salmonella. More disturbing even than the fact that industrial beef contained these bacteria or was pumped full of ammonia, is the fact that it was an unsuccessful treatment. If you ever wondered why you buy from Broadview Ranch you need look no further. These are the frightening side effects of trying to industrialize food production. Thankfully we’re able to op out of the system and eat safe, healthy and delicious meats from the farm.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html?_r=1&hp

Check out this review of Brix in the Roanoke Times

http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/eat/wb/230672

Brix is a restaurant in Lexington that utilizes Broadview beef, pork and eggs in their menu.  They prepared our excellent farm dinner.

Check out this video from Emeril Green about grass fed beef raised just the way we do it at Broadview. Why Grass Fed Beef

Anna’s Egg Casserole

from Anna Sorensen via Betty Huxel

This delicious breakfast is great for feeding a crowd on those holiday mornings or can be cut and fridged or frozen for tasty individual breakfasts all week.

1 dozen delicious Broadview eggs, beaten

½ cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

16 oz. Low fat cottage cheese

1 lb delicious Broadview pork breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

1 lb grated monterrey jack or whatever cheese you like, grated

2 bunches green onions, chopped

1 small can chopped green chiles

can also add

mushrooms, broccoli (cooked ahead), or whatever you like

Mix all of above.

Spray pyrex dish or pan with pam or rub with butter.

Bake at 350-degrees until done (about 1 hour) when brown.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Broadview Ranch! We are excited to celebrate the season with all our friends and family and the best way to do that is over delicious holiday meals. The farm store is open and fully stocked with beef, pork and eggs so swing by swing by and pickup beef roasts, fresh hams, breakfast sausage, eggs and anything else for your holiday cooking. We are also pleased to offer holiday gift packs and gift cards at a 10% discount from now until January 1st! Call us at 540 458 1001 or email us today for details on arranging your holiday gift pack or gift card.

Thanks everyone for making this a great first year for Broadview Ranch!

Show your support by taking a minute to nominate Broadview Ranch as your favorite local Farmer on Edible Blue Ridge’s 2009 Local Hero Awards.

http://www.ediblecommunities.com/blueridge/

Brix, the newest restaurant in Lexington and our newest partner opened this weekend with a bang. The family style dinner they served this Friday and Saturday for their opening weekend was met with a standing ovation at the end of the evening. Now open for normal business Brix has a tapas style menu featuring beef, pork and eggs from Broadview Ranch. On the menu now are Broadview Ranch short ribs as well as tiramisu and crem brulee with incredible deep color and flavor from our delicious eggs that is to die for.

Most exciting is that on Saturday December 12th Brix will be hosting a Broadview Ranch dinner featuring our products in a special four course menu. Space will be limited though so be sure to get your tickets now. Email me for more details and to purchase tickets.

Josh@broadviewranch.com

Check Out Brix

This week marks the season’s end for the Lexington Farmer’s Market. There will be one more market date on the wednesday before Thanksgiving, but after that, where are you going to find local foods during the winter months? “Local Food Forager” Tara Miller has come up with an answer: a winter farmer’s market called “Farm to You”. The basic idea is that twice monthly, you’ll be able to get get fresh local food from Farm to You. There will be the option to pick up your order directly at the Farm to You hub on Waddell Street, or if you’re in Lexington, you can get your order delivered direct to your home.

Broadview Ranch is working with Farm to You in hopes of providing another way for customers to get our grass-fed beef, truly free-range eggs, and exquisite acorn-finished pork. Look for our products along with such items as artisan cheeses and butters, coffee, baked goods, root vegetables, chard, kale, collards, and salad greens.  To find out more, contact Tara at staramiller@hotmail.com or 540-460-2990.

In addition to Farm to You, there’s another farm-to-table venture in Rockbridge County, Cheese to You.  Megan Mary Hall is offering artisan American and Old World cheeses on a subscription basis.  If you were lucky enough to attend last week’s opening reception, you got to enjoy some of the delicacies that she will be offering.  (The Ewe Blue was incredible!)  For more info, contact meganmaryhall@yahoo.com, phone: 540-463-4389, cell: 540-319-3129.

These are great ways to bring excellent foods into your kitchen and support family farms at the same time.  The money we spend at Farm to You and Cheese to You will stay in our communities, making it easier for businesses like this to thrive and continue to deliver delicious, high-quality food for us and our families.