Thanksgiving in April?

No, it’s not Thanksgiving, but our baby heritage red bourbon turkey chicks have arrived!

They hatched last week. They have settled in and are getting comfortable here at the farm. Our TLC begins now to assure the best tasting turkey for Thanksgiving.  Unlike the traditional white turkeys that arrive in late June and early July, the red bourbons come earlier in the year.

They require the additional time to mature, thereby requiring more upkeep and expense to bring to maturity. These little 3 once chicks, will be between 10 and 20 pounds in November.  They are in a warm barn right now, but they will soon go outside in the clean fresh air for they rest of the year.  Keep an eye out for more pictures of these interesting Heritage Red Bourbon Turkey chicks as they grow throughout the year.

Employment Opportunity

Right now at the farm, we have an opening for a driver to make deliveries through New Jersey.  We are looking to fill a part-time or full time position.

Please give, owner George Rude a call at 908-359-5375, if you are interested.

Chuck’s Corner

Check Out All of the Handwritten Tips from Food Network Chefs

Use a coarse Microplane to shave vegetables into salads or vinaigrettes. You can create an orange-fennel dressing by adding grated fennel and orange zest to a simple vinaigrette.
Paul Kahan
Avec, Big Star, Blackbird and The Publican, Chicago

Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter’s, Chicago

If you’re cooking for someone important — whether it’s your boss or a date — never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.
Marcus Samuelsson
Red Rooster, New York City

Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.
Mario Batali
Iron Chef America

After making eggs sunny-side up, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, then drizzle the sauce on the eggs to add another dimension to the dish.
Didier Elena
Adour, New York City

After working with garlic, rub your hands vigorously on your stainless steel sink for 30 seconds before washing them. It will remove the odor.
Gerard Craft
Niche and Taste, St. Louis

Brine, baby, brine! Ya gotta brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor.
Guy Fieri
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Food of the Week: Red Bourbon Turkey

The Bourbon Red is a breed of domestic turkey named for its unique reddish plumage and for Bourbon County, Kentucky. The standard indicates mature Bourbon Red toms weigh 33 pounds (15 kilos), and mature hens weigh 18 pounds (8.2 kilos). The standard indicates the bourbon red should weigh 23 pounds for toms and 14 pounds for hens at maturity (butcher, 28 weeks). These standard weights were published at a time when the Bourbon Red was at its prime. Though there are efforts to restore the bourbon red to its prime, today these weights are not realized by many breeders and growers.

Featured Recipe

Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Vegetables

Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

We’re all trying to be a little more health conscious these days so we thought this recipe would help you in this endeavor.  Substituting ground turkey for ground red meat is one way to achieve a healthier diet.  Try this scrumptious recipe and you will realize more and more how great it is to use ground turkey in many of your meat recipes.

Check Out All of the Handwritten Tips from Food Network Chefs

Use a coarse Microplane to shave vegetables into salads or vinaigrettes. You can create an orange-fennel dressing by adding grated fennel and orange zest to a simple vinaigrette.
Paul Kahan
Avec, Big Star, Blackbird and The Publican, Chicago

Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter’s, Chicago

If you’re cooking for someone important — whether it’s your boss or a date — never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.
Marcus Samuelsson
Red Rooster, New York City

Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.
Mario Batali
Iron Chef America

After making eggs sunny-side up, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, then drizzle the sauce on the eggs to add another dimension to the dish.
Didier Elena
Adour, New York City

After working with garlic, rub your hands vigorously on your stainless steel sink for 30 seconds before washing them. It will remove the odor.
Gerard Craft
Niche and Taste, St. Louis

Brine, baby, brine! Ya gotta brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor.
Guy Fieri
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

I don’t know about you, but I always get excited at the prospect of getting a discount or money off of products I like.  With the Griggstown G-Bucks, you can use them when making purchases at the Griggstown farm market.

How do you earn G-Bucks?

Simply send a recipe using Griggstown products to CustomerRelations@griggstownquailfarm.com and if it is used in our newsletter, you’ll receive a $5 G-Buck.

For helpful kitchen tips, send to the same address and if we use one, we’ll send you a $2 G-Buck.  This is really simple to do and the best part is you’re sharing valuable information with others.

There is still time to become a member of our CSA if you have not done so already.  Visit our website for sign-up information click CSA or call 908-359-5218

Chuck’s Corner

Burned a pot of rice? Just place a piece of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes to draw out the burned flavor. Be careful not to scrape the burned pieces off of the bottom of the pan when serving the rice.

Before you chop chili peppers, rub a little vegetable oil into your hands and your skin won’t absorb the spicy chili oil.

If you aren’t sure how fresh your eggs are, place them in about four inches of water. Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. If only one end tips up, the egg is less fresh and should be used soon. If it floats, it’s past the fresh stage.

To banish ants from the kitchen, find out where they are coming in and cover the hole with petroleum jelly. Ants won’t trek through the jelly. If they are coming under a door, draw a line on the floor with chalk. The little bugs also won’t cross a line of chalk.

Before making popcorn on the stove or in an air popper, soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier with fewer “old maids.”

To keep potatoes from budding in the bag, put an apple in with them.

If you manage to have some leftover wine at the end of the evening, freeze it in a ice cube trays for easy addition to soups and sauces in the future.

To clean crevices and corners in vases and pitchers, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. The bubbles will do the scrubbing.

After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.

Food of the Week: Chicken Breast

Raw chicken can be frozen for up to two years without significant changes in flavor or texture. Chicken is typically eaten cooked as when raw it often contains Salmonella.

Chicken can be cooked in many ways. It can be made into sausages, skewered, put in salads, grilled, breaded and deep-fried, or used in various curries. There is significant variation in cooking methods amongst cultures. Historically common methods include roasting, baking, broasting, and frying.

Featured Recipe

Tarragon Chicken

Courtesy of www.myrecipes.com

Brighten up the flavor of basic chicken breast halves with fresh tarragon and lemon juice and cook in the skillet for about 7 minutes for quick weeknight dinner.  Add the remaining olive oil-tarragon mixture at the final stage of the cooking process to preserve its full-bodied taste and citrus essence. This fast and easy entre is ideal for weeknight guests.

Burned a pot of rice? Just place a piece of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes to draw out the burned flavor. Be careful not to scrape the burned pieces off of the bottom of the pan when serving the rice.

Before you chop chili peppers, rub a little vegetable oil into your hands and your skin won’t absorb the spicy chili oil.

If you aren’t sure how fresh your eggs are, place them in about four inches of water. Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. If only one end tips up, the egg is less fresh and should be used soon. If it floats, it’s past the fresh stage.

To banish ants from the kitchen, find out where they are coming in and cover the hole with petroleum jelly. Ants won’t trek through the jelly. If they are coming under a door, draw a line on the floor with chalk. The little bugs also won’t cross a line of chalk.

Before making popcorn on the stove or in an air popper, soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier with fewer “old maids.”

Don’t store your bananas in a bunch or in a fruit bowl with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer.

To keep potatoes from budding in the bag, put an apple in with them.

If you manage to have some leftover wine at the end of the evening, freeze it in a ice cube trays for easy addition to soups and sauces in the future.

To clean crevices and corners in vases and pitchers, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. The bubbles will do the scrubbing.

After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.

Since the warm weather is already here, we have been planting as many vegetable and herbs as possible.  We are looking forward to a wonderful planting season.  If you haven’t had a chance to attend one of our farmers markets during the “off season”, then I’m sure you are looking forward to the farmer’s market in your area.  With the great weather we have been seeing, there are already some that have started. If you’re not sure when the farmer’s market in your area starts, please feel free to call us, we have all the dates for you.

There is still time to become a member of our CSA if you have not done so already.  Visit our website for sign-up information click CSA or call 908-359-5218

Chuck’s Corner

You know all of those helpful kitchen-related suggestions that old-timers are so willing to share with the younger generations? These little tips and tricks might be called “kitchen hacks” these days, but they’re still the same good old nuggets of wisdom that they always were. As with any old wives’ tale, hack, or tip, your mileage may vary. Some of these gems have been around for several lifetimes – and according to most grandmas, they really work.

1. For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor.
2. Fresh coffee beans can also absorb nasty odors from your hands.
3. If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.
4. When boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to keep the shells from cracking.
5. Never put citrus fruits or tomatoes in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor of these persnickety fruits.
6. To clean cast iron cookwear, don’t use detergents. Just scrub them with salt and a clean, dry paper towel.
7. Will milk curdle if it is allowed to boil? It turns out that this age-old piece of wisdom isn’t true, after all. Milk that has been boiled is perfectly safe to consume.
8. To clean an electric kettle with calcium buildup on the heating element, boil a mixture of half white vinegar and half water, then empty.
9. When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting stinky.

10. If you are making gravy and accidentally burn it, just pour it into a clean pan and continue cooking it. Add sugar a little at a time, tasting as you go to avoid over-sugaring it. The sugar will cancel out the burned taste.

Food of the Week: Quail Eggs

Quail eggs are considered a delicacy in many countries, including western Europe and North America. In Japanese cuisine, they are sometimes used raw or cooked as tamago in sushi and often found in bento lunches.

In some other countries, quail eggs are considered less exotic. In Colombia and Venezuela, a singlehard-boiled quail egg is a common topping on hot dogs and hamburgers, often fixed into place with atoothpick. In the Philippines, kwek-kwek is a popular street food delicacy, which consists of soft-boiled quail eggs dipped in orange-colored batter before being skewered and deep-fried. In Vietnam, bags of boiled quail eggs are sold on street stalls as inexpensive beer snacks.

Quail eggs are often believed to be very high in cholesterol, but evidence shows their cholesterol levels are similar to chicken eggs.

Featured Recipe

Maw-Maw’s Favorite Quail Egg Recipes

Courtesy of www.quail-egg-recipes.com

Cajun Omelet with Quail Eggs
In a sauce pan add one can of cooked tomatoes drained and chopped fine, two onions cut fine, plus mince 1-2 garlic cloves. Add heaping tablespoon of bread crumbs, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne. Cook slowly until onions are tender. Take two dozen quail eggs and beat together. In a 12 inch non-stick skillet place one tablespoon of butter and when hot add quail eggs. When omelet sets pour other ingredients on it, fold over and cook 2 minutes longer.

Poached Quail Eggs, Cajun Style
Stew 1 can of diced tomatoes and one green pepper shredded until reduced by half. Pour into hot platter and arrange toast on top. On each piece of toast place 2 poached quail eggs. Pour a small amount of melted butter, salt and pepper over eggs.

Baked Quail Eggs
Spread butter in muffin tins. Put a thin slice of fresh tomato in the bottom of each ring. Break 2 quail eggs in each ring, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover each ring with another slice of tomato, sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with a small amount of butter. Bake until tomatoes are done and quail eggs solid. Serve on buttered toast.

You know all of those helpful kitchen-related suggestions that old-timers are so willing to share with the younger generations? These little tips and tricks might be called “kitchen hacks” these days, but they’re still the same good old nuggets of wisdom that they always were. As with any old wives’ tale, hack, or tip, your mileage may vary. Some of these gems have been around for several lifetimes – and according to most grandmas, they really work

1. For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor.
2. Fresh coffee beans can also absorb nasty odors from your hands.
3. If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.
4. When boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to keep the shells from cracking.
5. Never put citrus fruits or tomatoes in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor of these persnickety fruits.
6. To clean cast iron cookwear, don’t use detergents. Just scrub them with salt and a clean, dry paper towel.
7. Will milk curdle if it is allowed to boil? It turns out that this age-old piece of wisdom isn’t true, after all. Milk that has been boiled is perfectly safe to consume.
8. To clean an electric kettle with calcium buildup on the heating element, boil a mixture of half white vinegar and half water, then empty.
9. When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting stinky.

10. If you are making gravy and accidentally burn it, just pour it into a clean pan and continue cooking it. Add sugar a little at a time, tasting as you go to avoid over-sugaring it. The sugar will cancel out the burned taste.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday weekend with family and friends, and delicious food was enjoyed by all.  Just driving around the neighborhoods in the warm weather we’ve been having, makes us excited.  The trees and flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping away.  These are all signs of Spring and Summer soon to come.  We don’t have cut your own flowers yet, but we will soon!  This year they have moved up the last frost date for Zone 7.  The last frost for our area is usually around May 15^th.  This year is expected to be April 15^th.  This is exciting for us, because it means that we are able to start planting an entire month earlier than last year.  Our veggies will certainly be ready by the May 31^st start date of our CSA.  It also means that our birds will be that much happier on the warm spring mornings, taking dust baths and soaking up the sun!

Despite the wind today, we are very busy planting crops so we can have the best harvest for our CSA shareholders.  There is still time to become a member if you have not done so already.  Visit our website for sign-up information at GRIGGSTOWN 2012 CSA INFORMATION or call 908-359-5218 to ask for an application.

Chuck’s Corner

Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick
cookware by boiling, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again, season it with salad oil.

Burnt food can be removed from a glass baking
dish by spraying it with oven cleaner and letting it soak for 30 minutes. The burnt-on residue will be easier to wipe off.

Whenever you empty a jar of dill pickles, use the left-over juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pans.  Just pour the juice in a large bowl, set the pan in the juice for about 15 minutes. Comes out looking like new.

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

Instead of using expensive silver cleaners, put a dab of toothpaste on a clean rag and rub it on your precious possession. After you’ve rubbed it in, just clean it with another clean rag. Your silver will look like new.

To clean copper bottoms on pots and pans, simply open a can of tomato soup paste, rub it on and scrub then rinse. If you do this weekly, your pots and pans stay shiny clean. This is a very inexpensive way to clean copper and brass items!

Stains and sediment in cut glass or hobnob bowls or vases respond to olive oil. Pour some in and let stand until the stains or sediment disappear.

Clean eyeglasses; Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.

When preparing lunches for your children (or anyone), try “drinkable” ice packs: Fill a 12-ounce plastic bottle about halfway with drinking water and freeze it overnight, tilting the bottle so the water will freeze at an angle (if you freeze it straight up, the expanded water will make the bottle bulge). Next morning pack the lunch, add more drinking water to the bottle, and stick it in the lunch box to keep the food cool and be melted enough to drink by lunchtime.

Food of the Week: Stew

Stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes,  beans,  peppers  and  tomatoes, etc.), meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, wine, stock, and beer are also common. Seasoning and flavorings may also be added. Stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature (simmered, not boiled), allowing flavors to mingle.

Stewing is suitable for the least tender cuts of meat that become tender and juicy with the slow moist heat method. This makes it popular in low-cost cooking. Cuts having a certain amount of marbling and gelatinous connective tissue give moist, juicy stews, while lean meat may easily become dry.

Stews may be thickened by reduction or with flour, either by coating pieces of meat with flour before searing, or by using a roux or beurre manié, a dough consisting of equal parts of butter and flour. Thickeners like cornstarch or arrowroot may also be used.

Stews are similar to soups, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two. Generally, stews have less liquid than soups, are much thicker and require longer cooking over low heat. While soups are almost always served in a bowl, stews may be thick enough to be served on a plate with the gravy as a sauce over the solid ingredients.
Stews have been made since ancient times. Herodotus says that the Scythians (8th to 4th centuries BC) “put the flesh into an animal’s paunch, mix water with it, and boil it like that over the bone fire. The bones burn very well, and the paunch easily contains all the meat once it has been stripped off. In this way an ox, or any other sacrificial beast, is ingeniously made to boil itself.”

Amazonian tribes used the shells of turtles as vessels, boiling the entrails of the turtle and various other ingredients in them. Other cultures used the shells of large mollusks (clams etc.) to boil foods in. There is archaeological evidence of these practices going back 8,000 years or more.

There are recipes for lamb stews and fish stews in the Roman cookery book Apicius, believed to date from the 4th century AD. Le Viandier, one of the oldest cookbooks in French, written by the French chef known as Taillevent, has ragouts or stews of various types in it.

Hungarian Goulash dates back to the 9th century Magyar shepherds of the area, before the existence of Hungary. Paprika was added in the 18th century.

The first written reference to ‘Irish stew’ is in Byron’s “The Devil’s Drive” (1814): “The Devil … dined on … a rebel or so in an Irish stew

Featured Recipe

Country Stew Recipe

Courtesy of  Countryrecipes.net

When down home cooking sounds good to you, there is no doubt that you are going to be on the lookout for country recipes. Most people find that the hearty country food delivers a warm and comforting approach to traditional recipes.

One of those country recipes most people still will turn to when they are looking for a delicious option is country stew. This will of course come in beef, chicken or even a vegetable style. Depending on what you are in the mood for, there will be a delicious dish that you will be able to make in your home.

To get the best flavor from your stew, allow it to slowly cook all day and then serve it warm in the evening. This will allow the flavors to meld together and provide you with a delicious dish that is going to really impress everyone sharing some of this delicious country food.

Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick
cookware by boiling, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again, season it with salad oil.

Burnt food can be removed from a glass baking
dish by spraying it with oven cleaner and letting it soak for 30 minutes. The burnt-on residue will be easier to wipe off.

Whenever you empty a jar of dill pickles, use the left-over juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pans.  Just pour the juice in a large bowl, set the pan in the juice for about 15 minutes. Comes out looking like new.

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

Instead of using expensive silver cleaners, put a dab of toothpaste on a clean rag and rub it on your precious possession. After you’ve rubbed it in, just clean it with another clean rag.  Your silver will look like new.

To clean copper bottoms on pots and pans, simply open a can of tomato soup paste, rub it on and scrub then rinse. If you do this weekly, your pots and pans stay shiny clean. This is a very inexpensive way to clean copper and brass items!

Stains and sediment in cut glass or hobnob bowls or vases respond to olive oil. Pour some in and let stand until the stains or sediment disappear.

Clean eyeglasses; Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.

When preparing lunches for your children (or anyone), try “drinkable” ice packs: Fill a 12-ounce plastic bottle about halfway with drinking water and freeze it overnight, tilting the bottle so the water will freeze at an angle (if you freeze it straight up, the expanded water will make the bottle bulge). Next morning pack the lunch, add more drinking water to the bottle, and stick it in the lunch box to keep the food cool and be melted enough to drink by lunchtime.

Save the dates of May 17 and 18^th for our 2012 CSA Shareholder’s Orientation.

With April showers come May flowers and before you know it, we will soon be fresh vegetables from our field to your table.  But before we start harvesting crops, we will be having a meet and greet orientation for this year’s CSA members.  So, if you haven’t become a member yet or if you know of someone who would love to be a member as much as you are, our website explains the sign-up process.

http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/csa/what-is-csa/ or call 908-359-5218

Chuck’s Corner

Tips on Keeping Food Fresh

Following are some interesting tips on keeping food items fresh with different applications. Dry storage,  refrigeration,  pickling, brine, and more.

Food of the Week: Chicken Sausage

QUESTION – Make your own or purchase ours?

Making your own chicken sausage is not something most people would consider, unless they lived in rural Italy and maybe 50 years ago and more. Since sausage is readily available and chickens are no longer in everyone’s backyard, the technique is not so popular anymore.  That is why people purchase our chicken sausage.

However, for those adventurous types, homemade chicken sausage can be made with normal kitchen tools.  Flavorings can be adjusted and changed to whatever your preferences are. This chicken sausage is very versatile and easy to cook and can be used for pizza or spaghetti sauce or whatever recipe that calls for sausage.

LIKE our Facebook page and receive a G-Buck good towards the purchase of our many varieties of chicken sausages.  Click HERE to go to our Facebook page.

Featured Recipe

Stuffed Zucchini with Chicken Sausage

Courtesy of Christine, www.allrecipes.com

A great blend of flavors and textures that will be sure to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.

Tips on Keeping Food Fresh

Following are some interesting tips on keeping food items fresh with different applications. Dry storage,  refrigeration,  pickling, brine, and more.

• If you store half an apple in the container where you are storing a cake, the cake will retain its freshness longer.
• Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.
• To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water, if it sinks then it is fresh, if it floats to the surface, throw it away.
• To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
• The best time to harvest fruits and vegetables for maximum flavor is in the morning.
• Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
• Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.
• What should you do with fruit with mold? Throw it away rather than simply cutting off the mold since mold on fruit goes much deeper than what appears on the fruit.
• Mushrooms should never be soaked in water because they absorb liquid and will become mushy.
• To keep mushrooms from discoloring, squeeze the juice of one quarter lemon onto a paper towel and wipe each cap with the dampened towel, this also helps clean the mushrooms.

Storing Potatoes

• Store potatoes, loosely packed, in a cool dark place. Do not store in the refrigerator.
• Avoid rinsing potatoes before storing.
• Store in a cool, dark, dry place. A root cellar, if you have one, is the best storage option.
• Make sure the temperature in the area is about 45 to 50 degrees F.
• Don’t store potatoes in the refrigerator, or they will become too sweet.

Avoid storing potatoes with onions because, when close together, they produce gases that spoil both.

Store potatoes no longer than two months if mature. If they are new, store no longer than one week.

Check on them occasionally and remove those that have become soft or shriveled, as well as those that have sprouted.