News

It’s been a busy week at the farm as last week’s rain encouraged both our crops and our flowers to grow quickly. Some of our tomatoes and peppers are starting to set fruit and will continue to ripen over the next couple of weeks. That means that we are in full swing, and roles here at the farm are evolving. Over the past year, Johann has been working on the newsletter that you see every week. He is also head of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). If you are not a member, you may consider it for next year; it’s a great addition the farm! So I (Tim) have been asked to head the Farm Market Newsletter. So that Johann can spend more time in the field tending to the crops. 
I am very excited to be able to write about the exciting things that are happening on the farm. Over the course of the year I will be letting you know when new things are happening, and giving you updates on what is going on here are the farm. Along with updates and news from the farm, I’m excited to introduce the farm to new faces. I’ll be doing that through Facebook and other media. If you have any suggestions please feel free to email me at service@griggstownquailfarm.com.
If you live in North Jersey you have something to get excited about. This week at the farm we are excited to be starting two new Farmer’s Markets for the season. Bernardsville and Morristown Farmers Markets are both starting this week. Chief of Operations and Head Chef, Matthew will be back in Bernardsville for the 5th year!! The humorous and always charming Nicolas, will be at the Morristown Farmers market on Sundays all season long! This week would be a great week to pick up your GQF Marinated Poussin, perfect for the weekend Barbeque!!!

Our harvest for this week includes:

Veggies:
Arugula
Broccoli
Cabbage
Collards
Garlic
Kale
Lettuce – mixed heads
Summer Squash & Zucchini – mixed

Additional News:
-Bernardsville and Morristown Farmers Markets open this Weekend!

-For farm updates, pictures, and a different way to keep in touch, look to become a “fan” Griggstown Quail Farm on Facebook!

-The Griggstown Farm Market now carries organic iced tea, available by the cup in Black Tea and Spring Melon flavors.

-The Griggstown Quail Farm will be hosting a scholarship fundraiser dinner on the farm at the end of July. More info will follow in next week’s newsletter.

- The Ice Cream Stand is coming!!! Awaiting Permits 

That’s all for now!

-GQF Newsletter Staff

Recipes:

Kale Chips
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Remove the leaves from stems and tear into chip size pieces. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

GQF BBQ Boned out Chicken
Ingredients:
1 Boned out Griggstown Quail Farm Boned out Chicken
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Directions:
Cook on Indirect/Medium Heat
Pat the chicken dry. Brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken, bone-side down, in center of cooking grate.
Grill-roast until breast meat near bone registers 165°F and thigh meat registers 180°F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, cook until the chicken meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove and let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 2-3.

Hello Patrons,

The warm weather continues to be great for the farm.   As you drive by the entrance to the farm you can see that our flowers are springing up, and will soon be ready for “Cut Your Own Flowers.” We are excited to announce that we will soon have Home Made Ice Cream right here on the farm.   In addition to ice cream we have New “Shangri La” Organic Iced Tea with two types, Black and Spring Melon available now in the Farm Market Store.  This new season we introduce some new faces on the farm that will be happy to assist you with as much as possible!  Below is a great list of veggies that we have cut fresh from the garden.  We will also have herbs available throughout the week.

Veggies:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Collards
• ‘Tuscan’ Kale
• ‘Rainbow Tuscan’ Kale
• ‘Red Russian’ Kale
• ‘Purplette Scallions
• ‘Evergreen Hardy’ Scallions
• Romaine, Red and Flashy Trout back Lettuce mixes

Additional News:

-Our Ice Cream Stand is awaiting final permits and electrical work.  It should be open within two weeks.  Yea!

- We have New “Shangri La” Organic Iced Tea with two types, Black and Spring Melon available now!

-We will be offering Chicken Salad Wraps in addition to our other great prepared foods!

Recipes:

Garlic Lemon Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:
1 medium sized broccoli head
1/2 – 1 lemon
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Clean & chop broccoli into florets.  Steam until tender, adding the garlic to the water first.  Remove broccoli and set aside.  Strain water in order to retain the garlic.  Toss broccoli and garlic together, squeezing lemon over both.  Drizzle evoo and add salt and pepper to taste.  Let chill prior to serving.

Collard Wraps

Ingredients:
4 collard leaves
Griggstown Chicken Salad or Griggstown Cabbage Slaw

Directions:
Blanch collard leaves in salted boiling water.  Cool.  Wrap a generous portion of chicken salad or slaw in leaf.  Cut in half and serve.  Serves 2-4.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes
8 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
8 basil leaves
extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Slice tomatoes in to 8 pieces.  Top with mozzarella and basil leaves.  Drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serves 2.

Fast Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients:
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bunches scallions or spring onions, about 1 pound
1 egg
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup flour
Peanut, canola or olive oil as needed

Directions:
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil while you trim the scallions. Roughly chop three bunches, and mince the fourth.
Add the larger portion of scallions to the water, and cook about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked scallions in a blender, adding just enough of the cooking liquid to allow the machine to do its work.  Mix the puree with the egg and soy, then gently stir in the flour until blended. Add pepper to taste, then the reserved minced scallions. Film a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with oil, and turn the heat to medium-high. Drop the batter into the pan by the tablespoon or quarter cup, and cook about 2 minutes to a side, or until lightly browned. If necessary, the pancakes can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven for about 30 minutes

Yield 4 servings, Time 20 minutes

If you omit the soy -– making these pancakes a perfect accompaniment to braised foods that use European seasonings — you can use any vegetable oil or even a good olive oil.

Source: The New York Times (http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/recipe-of-the-day-fast-scallion-pancakes/)

Spring has sprung in the gardens at Griggstown. Our greenhouse is filled to the brim with broccoli, cabbage, scallions, and flowers eagerly awaiting transplant to the field. Big plans are in store for the Griggstown Farm Market this summer as efforts are underway to transform the acre and a half around our market into a flower and herb garden filled with pick-your-own delicacies. Stay tuned for updates as they unfold, or better yet, stop by and keep tabs on the transformation first-hand!

In-Store Seasonal Produce:

• Arugula
• Carrots
• Celery
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Parsnips
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots
• Spinach
• Spring Mix

Feature of the Week: Griggstown Quail & Pheasant Eggs

Quail eggs are considered a delicacy. They are sometimes used raw in sushi and often found in Japanese Bento lunches. In Colombia, quail eggs are less exotic than in many other countries, and a single hard-boiled quail egg is a common topping on hot dogs and hamburgers, often fixed into place with a toothpick. 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.

Griggstown Quail Farm supplies quail and pheasant eggs to a number of local restaurants and merchants. The versatile uses of both allow any chef to add a touch of something special to any dish served.

Recipes:

Smoked Pheasant Breast Salad with Roasted Beets, Arugula, and Pheasant Egg
Miner’s-Lettuce Salad With Roasted Asparagus, Rhubarb, Pancetta, and Poached Pheasant Egg
Frisee and Wild Mushroom Salad with Poached Egg

Upcoming Events:

Griggstown Farm Market & Wellspring Fitness’s Bike Ride / Yoga-thon Fundraiser for South Brunswick Food Pantry
Taste of the Nation Fundraiser

Happy New Year from the Griggstown Quail Farm & Market! The holiday season is over and the winter has put our produce fields to rest, but we are still stocked with some great veggies from New Jersey and Northeast farms, and, as always, our all-natural, free-range poultry. Try our hearty boneless turkey breast or our Griggstown Chicken Sausage…simply delicious!

In-Store Seasonal Produce:

• Acorn Squash
• Butternut Squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots

Herbs:

• Parsley
• Thyme
• Winter Savory

Feature of the Week: Griggstown Farm Market Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program

Griggstown Quail Farm & Market is proud to announce the 2nd season of our new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program designed to offer our valued customers fresh, local, naturally-grown produce at an affordable cost. At each pick-up throughout the season, shareholders receive a seasonal assortment of fresh vegetables & herbs. This product offering will provide a well-rounded supply of groceries for shareholders to take home and enjoy with their family and friends. Additionally, CSA participation insures the shareholder will save dramatically on the retail price of store-bought organic or conventionally grown produce.

How It Works:
Each week, each in-season crop is harvested from our CSA plot and divided amongst the participating shareholders. Throughout the growing season (June thru October), shareholders stop by our farm to pick up their share of the weekly harvest. Shares average 10-20 lbs. of produce per week. Typically, the shares start out with cold-hardy crops at the beginning of the spring, swell as the summer’s bounty matures, and return to the spring offerings in the fall before the fields are put to rest for the winter. We encourage our shareholders to embrace the seasonality of New Jersey agriculture and remain open-minded to our changing availability.

What Does It Cost?
$600 – Full Share / $350 – Half Share
Includes: A broad range of seasonal vegetables and herbs grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
Share Size: Our full share generally supplements the produce needs of a family of four, or two adult vegetarians. Our half share is suitable for two adults. Full and Half shares may each be “split shared” to accommodate two (or more) participating families or individuals.

When Will It Happen?
Shareholders may pick-up the weekly harvest on Thursday and Friday from 12-6 pm throughout the 20-week season. Shares may also be boxed and put aside for weekend pick-up. We anticipate an early June start date and a late October end date. Pick-up location is at our farm, located at 986 Canal Rd. at the corner of Bunker Hill Rd. in Princeton, NJ.

For more information, please email produce(at)griggstownquailfarm.com or call the market at (908)359-5218.

Recipes:

Griggstown Italian Chicken Sausage & Potato Soup

Stuffed Griggstown Turkey Breast with Cider Gravy

Leeks with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

There’s still time to order one of our wonderful poultry options for the holiday season. Try one of our gourmet geese, delicious ducks, or terrific turkeys. Oven-ready options are available! Place your order over the phone or stop in our Market.

In-Store Seasonal Produce:

• Acorn Squash
• Griggstown Broccoli – freshly harvested every morning throughout the week!
• Easter Egg Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Griggstown Spicy Mesclun Mix & Winter Mix
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots
• Swiss Chard

Herbs:

• Parsley
• Thyme
• Winter Savory

Poultry of the Week: Muscovy Duck

The Muscovy Duck has been domesticated for centuries, and is widely traded as “Barbary duck”. Muscovy breeds are popular because they have stronger-tasting meat – sometimes compared to roasted beef – than the usual domestic ducks which are descendants of the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The meat is lean when compared to the fatty meat of mallard-derived ducks, its leanness and tenderness being often compared to veal. Muscovy ducks are also less noisy, and sometimes marketed as a “quackless” duck; even though they are not completely silent, they don’t actually quack. The carcass of a Muscovy Duck is also much heavier than most other domestic ducks, which makes it ideal for the dinner table.

This non-migratory species normally inhabits forested swamps, lakes, streams and nearby grassland, and often roosts in trees at night. The Muscovy Duck’s diet consists of plant material obtained by grazing or dabbling in shallow water, with some small vertebrates and insects. This is a somewhat aggressive duck; males often fight over food, territory or mates. The females fight with each other less often. Some adults will peck at the ducklings if they are eating at the same food source.

Muscovy Ducks had been domesticated by various Native American cultures in the New World when Columbus arrived. The first few were brought to Europe by the European explorers at least by the 1500s.

The term “Muscovy” means “from the Moscow region”, but these ducks are neither native there nor were they introduced there before they became known in Western Europe. It is not quite clear how the term came about; it very likely originated between 1550 and 1600, but did not become widespread until somewhat later.

In one suggestion, it has been claimed that the Company of Merchant Adventurers to New Lands traded these ducks to Europe occasionally after 1550[6]; this chartered company became eventually known as the Muscovy Company or “Muscovite Company” so the ducks might thus have come to be called “Muscovite Ducks” or “Muscovy Ducks” in keeping with the common practice of attaching the importer’s name to the products they sold[6]. But while the Muscovite Company initiated vigorous trade with Russia, they hardly, if at all, traded produce from the Americas; thus they are unlikely to have traded C. moschata to a significant extent.

Finally, John Ray clears up much of the misunderstanding by providing a contemporary explanation for the bird’s etymology:

“In English, it is called The Muscovy-Duck, though this is not transferred from Muscovia [the New Latin name of Muscovy], but from the rather strong musk odour it exudes.”

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscovy_Duck)

Recipes:

Lavender Honey-Glazed Roast Duck
Duck a l’Orange
Molasses-Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing

Make it a Griggstown Christmas! Place your orders now for Christmas pick-up of our gourmet goose, delicious duck, or terrific turkey. Oven-ready options are available! Place your order over the phone or stop in our Market.

In-Store Seasonal Produce:

• Acorn Squash
• Easter Egg Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Griggstown Spicy Mesclun Mix & Winter Mix
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots
• Swiss Chard
• Yellow Squash

Herbs:

• Parsley
• Thyme
• Winter Savory

Poultry of the Week: Griggstown Goose

Domestic geese (Anser anser domesticus or Anser cygnoides) are domesticated Grey geese (either Greylag geese or Swan geese) kept as poultry for their meat, eggs, and down feathers since ancient times. In Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, the original domesticated geese are derived from the Greylag Goose Anser anser. In eastern Asia, the original domesticated geese are derived from the Swan Goose Anser cygnoides; these are now known as Chinese geese. Both have been widely introduced in more recent times, and modern flocks in both areas (and elsewhere, such as Australia and North America) may consist of either species, and/or hybrids between them. Chinese geese may be readily distinguished from European geese by the large knob at the base of the bill, though hybrids may exhibit every degree of variation between them.

The domestication, as Charles Darwin remarks in The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, is of very ancient date, with archaeological evidence for domesticated geese in Egypt 5,000 years ago. They are much larger, and they have been selected for that larger size, with domesticated breeds weighing up to 10 kg, compared to the maximum of 3.5 kg for wild Swan Goose and 4.1 kg for wild Greylag Goose. This affects their body structure; whereas wild geese have a horizontal posture and slim rear end, domesticated geese lay down large fat deposits toward the tail end, giving a fat rear and forcing the bird into a more upright posture. This also completely prevents flight, though geese will run and flap their wings when startled, and may get a foot or so in the air momentarily. Geese have proved resistant to intensive rearing methods, and they remain to be an expensive luxury compared to other poultry like the chicken and domesticated turkey. Geese produce large edible eggs, weighing 120-170 g.[2] They can be used in cooking just like chicken’s eggs, though they have proportionally more yolk, and this cooks to a slightly denser consistency. The taste is much the same as that of a chicken egg.

A goose can be roasted as a whole bird, but its size tends to preclude this except for banquets and other festive meals (such as at Christmas). Goosemeat contains much more fat than turkeys or chickens – at least 500 ml (around one pint) of fat may be rendered from an average-sized goose during cooking. One liter is not unusual for larger birds. The Cantonese barbecue features roast goose over a charcoal spit with a “tuned” crispy skin. Roast goose is a traditional Christmas food in Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland and the UK.

Most of the fat is concentrated in the skin, and the meat itself is very lean, rather like duck.

Goose fat is often separated and stored for use on its own. It can be used as a substitute for butter, although the flavor can be slightly “gamey”. Potatoes cooked in this fat are highly regarded by some. The fat keeps well in the refrigerator. Goose schmaltz is very popular in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, and the overfeeding of geese to produce this schmaltz is widely considered to be the origin of foie gras in modern Europe. Goose can also be prepared as confit, and the fat used to preserve the meat.

When Aphrodite first came ashore she was welcomed by the Charites (Roman “Graces”), whose chariot was drawn by geese. The geese in the temple of Juno on the Capitoline Hill were said by Livy to have saved Rome from the Gauls around 390 BC when they were disturbed in a night attack. The story may be an attempt to explain the origin of the sacred flock of geese at Rome.

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_goose)

Recipes:
Roasted Holiday Goose Breast and Braised Legs with Cassis Sauce
Gala Goose
Risotto of Goose Giblets

Griggstown Quail Farm & Market has sold out of Red Bourbons for Thanksgiving 2009. Everyone that has ordered a Red Bourbon will receive one. For those of you who still haven’t ordered your Griggstown All-Natural, Free-Range Turkey for 2009, hurry soon! We still have plenty of White Broad-Breasted, but they’re moving fast!

In-Store Seasonal Produce:

• Acorn Squash
• Apples (Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Winesap)
• Griggstown D’Avignon French Breakfast Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Griggstown Leeks
• Griggstown Spicy Mesclun Mix
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Baby Griggstown Scallions
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots
• Swiss Chard
• Yellow Squash

Decorative:

• Gourds
• Indian Corn
• Corn Stalks

Herbs:

• Parsley
• Thyme
• Sage
• Oregano
• Dill
• Cilantro

Poultry of the Week: Griggstown Chicken

The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a domesticated fowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other bird. Humans keep chickens primarily as a source of food, consuming both their meat and their eggs.

Conventional wisdom has held that the chicken was domesticated in India, but recent evidence suggests that domestication of the chicken was already under way in Vietnam over 10,000 years ago. From India the domesticated fowl made its way to the Persianized kingdom of Lydia in western Asia Minor, domestic fowl were imported to Greece by the fifth century BCE. Fowl had been known in Egypt since the 18th Dynasty, with the “bird that lays every day” having come to Egypt from the land between Syria and Shinar, Babylonia, according to the annals of Tutmose III.

The chicken is believed to have descended from both the Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) and the Grey Junglefowl (G. sonneratii), though hybrids of both wild types usually tend to be sterile. Recent genetic work has revealed that the genotype for yellow skin present in the domestic fowl is not present in what is otherwise its closest kin, the Red Junglefowl. It is most likely that the yellow skin trait in domestic birds originated in the Grey Junglefowl.

Before the development of modern commercial meat breeds (cows, chickens, etc.) broilers consisted mostly of young male chickens (cockerels) which were culled from farm flocks. The males were slaughtered for meat and the females (pullets) were kept for egg production. Compared to today, this made chicken meat scarce and expensive compared to eggs, and chicken was a luxury meat. The development of special broiler breeds decoupled the supply of broilers from the demand for eggs. This, along with advances in nutrition and incubation that allowed broilers to be raised year-round, allowed chicken to become a low-cost meat.

Recipes:

Chicken & Tarragon
Chicken Provencal with Grilled Vegetables
Crisp Oven Roasted Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes

Griggstown Thanksgiving:
Don’t forget to place your orders now for our all-natural, free-range White Broad-Breasted or Heritage Red Bourbon Turkeys. Please remember to place all orders for our delicious side dishes by November 18th. Orders may be placed on-line, over the phone, or in-person at our Griggstown Farm Market location. Turkeys are available for pick-up in Bernardsville NJ, Headhouse Market in Philadelphia, Flemington NJ, and of course, our very-own Griggstown Farm Market in Princeton NJ.

In-Store Seasonal Produce:
• Acorn Squash
• Apples (Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Winesap)
• Baby D’Avignon Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Griggstown Spicy Mesclun Mix
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots
• Swiss Chard
• Yellow Squash

Decorative:
• Mums
• Pumpkins
• Gourds
• Indian Corn
• Corn Stalks

Herbs:
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Sage
• Oregano
• Dill
• Cilantro

Poultry of the Week: Griggstown Quail

The Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix, is a small bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is widespread and is found in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa with several subspecies recognized. They are also bred and kept as poultry in some parts of the world both for eggs and meat. It is a small (17 cm) rotund bird, essentially streaked brown with a white eyestripe, and, in the male, a black chin. As befits its migratory nature, it has long wings, unlike the typically short-winged gamebirds. This is a terrestrial species, feeding on seeds and insects on the ground. It is notoriously difficult to see, keeping hidden in crops, and reluctant to fly, preferring to creep away instead. Even when flushed, it keeps low and soon drops back into cover. Often the only indication of its presence is the distinctive “wet-my-lips” repetitive song of the male. The call is uttered mostly in the mornings, evenings and sometimes at night. It is a strongly migratory bird, unlike most gamebirds. Upon attaining an age of 6–8 weeks, this quail breeds on open arable farmland and grassland across most of Europe and Asia, laying 6-18 eggs in a ground nest. The eggs take from 16–18 days to hatch.

The Common Quail was previously much favoured in French cooking, but quail for the table are now more likely to be domesticated Japanese Quail. The Japanese Quail, Coturnix japonica, is a species of quail found in East Asia. They are a migratory species, breeding in Manchuria, southeastern Siberia, and northern Japan, and wintering in the south of Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and southern China. They dwell in grasslands and cultivated fields. The plumage of the Japanese Quail is a speckled yellow-brown, with a creamy white strip above the eye. Adults are approximately 20 centimeters in length. The species is abundant across most of its range. The Japanese quail is used mainly for table and egg production, and is a good dual purpose bird. The Japanese Quail is the type of quail raised at the Griggstown Quail Farm.

The Common Quail is also part of Maltese cuisine and Portuguese cuisine, as well as in Indian cuisine such as a bhuna. Quails are commonly eaten complete with the bones, since these are easily chewed and the small size of the bird makes it inconvenient to remove them. Quail eggs are considered a delicacy. They are sometimes used raw in sushi and often found in Japanese Bento lunches. In Colombia, quail eggs are less exotic than in many other countries, and a single hard-boiled quail egg is a common topping on hot dogs and hamburgers, often fixed into place with a toothpick. 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.

from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Quail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quails_in_cookery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Quail

Recipes:

Grecian Quail
Greek-Style Quail Salad
Pomegranate-Mint Marinated Quail with Figs, Arugula, & Crispy Potato Croutons
Quail with Portobello Mushrooms
Butternut Squash Soup from “The Asylum” Restaurant in Jerome, AZ

In-Store Seasonal Produce:

• Acorn Squash
• Apples (Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Winesap)
• Baby D’Avignon Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Mesclun Mix
• Mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Shiitake)
• Red & Yellow Onions
• Red Bliss Potatoes
• Russet Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Shallots
• Swiss Chard
• Yellow Squash

Decorative:

• Mums
• Pumpkins
• Gourds
• Indian Corn
• Corn Stalks

Herbs:

• Parsley
• Thyme
• Sage
• Oregano
• Dill
• Cilantro

Poultry of the Week: Griggstown Pheasant

The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). It is native to Asia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe (where it is naturalized), it is simply known as the “pheasant”.  It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world.

The Common Pheasant is one of the world’s most hunted birds; it has been introduced for that purpose to many regions, and is also common on game farms where it is commercially bred. Ring-necked Pheasants in particular are commonly bred and were introduced to many parts of the world; the game farm stock, though no distinct breeds have been developed yet, can be considered semi-domesticated. The Ring-necked Pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, one of only three US state birds that is not a species native to the United States.

Common Pheasants are native to Asia, their original range extending from between the Black and Caspian Seas to Manchuria, Siberia, Korea, Mainland China and Taiwan. The birds are found in woodland, farmland, scrub and wetlands.  In its natural habitat the Common Pheasant lives in grassland near water with small copses of trees. Extensively cleared farmland is marginal habitat that cannot maintain self-sustaining populations for long.  While Common Pheasants are able short-distance fliers, they prefer to run. If startled however, they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive “whirring” wing sound and often giving “kok kok kok” calls to alert conspecifics. Their flight speed is only 43-61 kilometres per hour (27 to 38 mph) when cruising but when chased they can fly up to 90 kilometres per hour (60 mph).  Common Pheasants feed solely on the ground but roost in sheltered trees at night. They eat a wide variety of animal and vegetable type-food, like fruit, seeds and leaves as well as a wide range of invertebrates, with small vertebrates like snakes, lizards, small mammals and birds occasionally taken.

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Pheasant)

It’s Almost Halloween!

Halloween (also spelled Hallowe’en) is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. Halloween has origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sau-an), which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly “summer’s end”.  A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Gaeaf (pronounced kalan-geyf). The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the “lighter half” of the year and beginning of the “darker half”, and is sometimes regarded as the “Celtic New Year”.

The celebration has some elements of a festival of the dead. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family’s ancestors were honored and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off.  It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.  In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by young men dressed in white with masked, veiled or blackened faces.  Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores.

The Origin of Jack-o’-lantern:

The name jack-o’-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America where pumpkins are both readily available and much larger- making them easier to carve than turnips. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their doorstep after dark. The American tradition of carving pumpkins preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 1800s.Because the holiday comes in the wake of the annual apple harvest, candy apples (known as toffee apples outside North America), caramel or taffy apples are a common Halloween treat made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, sometimes followed by rolling them in nuts.

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween)

Recipes:

Old-Fashioned Candied Apples

Caramel Apples

Homemade Candy Corn

Roast Wild Scottish Pheasant with Swiss Chard and Wild Mushrooms With Sweet Potato-Vanilla Purée

Skewered Pheasant Breast Rolled with Three-Seed Mustard and Sage

Jack Daniel’s Pheasant Braised under Cabbage