Eats

There are two farms about 20 minutes from my sister's house.

One farm grows vegetables and raises dairy cows. I get almost all of my produce from this farm as well as raw milk. They hoop farm and keep produce in cold storage (think large root cellar) so they have lettuces and other produce throughout the winter. They also supplement their offerings with items from other farms. They sell local eggs and baked goods.

The second farm raises cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and turkeys and they sell rabbit from a nearby farm. The chicken may be from the same farm as the rabbit but I haven't figured that out. This farm not only raises all these meat animals but they process and butcher it themselves. They also make their own fresh and dried sausages.

Each of these farms has a small room where one goes to shop from their offerings. Payment is on the honor system. I will post more about the farms when I have a chance to take some pictures of each of them. I planned on doing so today but it was a little overcast and smoggy so I thought I would wait for a clearer day.

Last night we had sausage and sour-kraut (choucroute garnie) from the meat farm with sauteed spaetzle and I made a salad of frisse and green apple from the veggie farm. The smaller sausages are white veal sausages made with milk. The larger sausages are made with turkey but in the same way as the veal sausages.

This is one of my favorite cheeses, it very well may be my favorite. This is a winter cheese available late September through March. I am SO pleased that we are here during the season as I have not had a proper Mont D'Or for two years. We were able to find two wheels of this cheese when we were here last August but as nice as it was to have some, it was a little old even for my tastes. I love both the French and the Swiss Vacherines but I give a slight edge to the French Mont D'Or. I don't know if the difference has to do with the French that I've had being made from raw milk vs. the Swiss being made with slightly warmed/pasteurized milk but I guess that would have something to do with it. Either way, French or Swiss, Vacherine Mont D'Or is heaven. If you like soft, runny cheese this is that at its best.

There were some wheels with a darker rind and some with a lighter rind, this one was just right.


This is the cheese after it sat out for about 4 hours. It will get a little softer and runnier by the time Steve gets home from the office but I couldn't resist trying a bit. Some times people will lightly warm the cheese in the oven and even slit the rind and push in a clove of garlic and drizzle a dry white wine of the region over the top before it goes into the oven. I am not warming it in the oven today but it is heavenly like that. Think fondue from heaven.



This is a saucisson de campagne from the farm/butcher, Georges Martin Et Fils. I wish I had given it a squeeze before I cut into it. It is not as cured as I would like it to be. The one I had this summer had cured longer and was harder. I liked that texture better but this is still wonderful. It is smoked and we've been having it on a mixed wheat peasant bread with coarse mustard.

Tonight we are having Mont D'Or,
left over choucroute garnie and a duplicate of last night's salad.