What's Next
Oh boy, I have so many plans for this place! Not just the farm, but our little inspected farm kitchen too.
Cooking has always been a major part of my life.
Mom taught me to bake homemade bread and to make dinner. In fact, making the family dinner while she was at work was one of my chores, though I admittedly never thought of it as a chore - I enjoyed it so much.
From my Dad, I learned the art of dessert making. I could have been a pastry chef... He called me from work several afternoons a week to coordinate the production of whatever dessert it was that he desired. And I'd make it happen. Those were the days (before wheat and sugar began to wreak havoc on me!)
Now, I'm thinking, why not put my cooking skills to work? We have the inspected kitchen. We have the meats. I have the skills. My good friend Diana is interested in working with us to master it all (AND she's a great cook). So, why not? Even our inspector is on board with it.
I'm thinking soup, tamales, pot pie, meat loaf, dumplings, creamed chicken, pulled pork, ropa vieja and more... One of my problems is that my brain never stops so that means that the ideas never stop flowing...
Some made gluten-free and others made with high quality heirloom grain flours.
I'm planning to source flours from from Anson Mills. Anson Mills sustainably grows a variety heirloom grains which are then stone milled and hand bolted. They even have their own gluten-free flour mix. I have yet to test the gluten free flour, I'll have to let you know how that goes.
The kids have tested Anson Mills whole grain heirloom flours and even our picky eater, Carmin, preferred it over the dull flours you find at the grocery!
Some of these meals will be heat and eat (think soup). Others would require you to bake or otherwise cook them. I'm not entirely sure yet!
It's the perfect time to begin experimenting with some new products, as this time of year tends to be slow on the farm for a few reasons: folks are preparing for the holidays and spending extra money on travel and gifts so sales slow a bit, none of the animals are having babies now (yay), and our garden is done.
Speaking of experimenting, I have two hams and a pork belly curing in preparation to begin experimenting with in the new smoker! I finally made contact with the correct folks at VDACS to begin the conversation about starting to smoke our own bacon and such for sale! This is something else that I hope to see come to fruition by the new year! I'll keep you posted.
As always, I'd love to here your thoughts and ideas.
Are ready to cook or ready to eat meals something you'd be interested in?
What kind of meals would most interest you?
What dishes would you want to see?
You know I love feedback and I love talking to customers! So, talk to me!
