Pick up your Meat Share:
Friday (10/31) and later, self service
Rain followed by sun makes for some happy pigs.
Dear Shareholders:
This month we commemorated the fall season at Archway Farm with an impromptu pig roast where the whole team past and present, along with their families, gathered to share a meal. This is the time of year when people get together to take part in the warmth and comfort of good food and company. I can honestly say that nothing brings me more happiness and pride than knowing we also enjoy the meat we grow. We can stand behind the quality, flavor and creativity we think you as the customer deserve. It’s what we feed ourselves too after all! We hope you eat heartily and share your meat with loved ones this season. In November we will be busy dreaming up some tasty holiday creations in the kitchen and envisioning ways in which we can continue to serve our customers.
If you see us around please say hello!
– Maggie (for Mark, Alona & the Archway Farm team)
Special Items in This Months Shares
(depending on size and meats you selected)
Pulled Pork: Our very own pit-roasted pulled pork, cooked over a fire and lightly seasoned. Its ready to heat and eat or will take any sauce/preparation of your choosing very nicely.
Stew Beef: Soup and stew season are once again upon us but these tasty cubes are versatile! We hope you enjoy these grass-fed Archway Farm beef chunks that can be seared and served or slow cooked in a crock pot.
Ground Chicken: An excellent lean and healthy alternative to other ground meats. Ground chicken goes great in anything from tacos to chili to burgers. Ground chicken & ginger steamed buns with a soy and honey dipping sauce are on my menu this week.
Recipe of the Month
Beef Stew with Drop Dumplings
There may have been a point in time where I had a recipe to reference for this dish but for as long as I can remember I have been making this stew from memory. It is one of my ultimate comfort foods and reminds me of something my mom would make me when I was a kid. Especially the steamed drop dumplings. This stew is relatively quick to throw together, which means once you’ve chopped everything you can set it on simmer and go about your business.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 people
For the Stew
- 1 lb. of Archway Farm stew cubes
- Tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 medium onions or 1 large, diced
- 3 carrots in 1 – 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large potato in 1 inch cubes
- 2 stalks of celery in 1/2 inch pieces
- Optional quarter pound of thick sliced baby bell mushrooms
- Optional 3 cloves of diced garlic
- 3 cups of broth or stock
- 1 can of diced tomato liquid included (I like Muir Glen fire roasted)
- 3/4 cups of instant barley
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot Hungarian paprika, depending on preferred spice level
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Dumplings
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ¾ cup milk
Steps to make it
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven heat olive oil on medium heat and add onions. Cook and stir occasionally for 3 minutes.
- Add stew meat and a pinch of salt & pepper. The key is to brown the sides of meat, turn down the heat if onions of meat begin to burn. Three to five minutes.
- Add celery, carrots, (and mushrooms & garlic if using). Cook until mushrooms release their liquid and it begins to evaporate. About 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, paprika and oregano. Toast paprika with veggies by mixing vigorously and not allowing any burnt bits to stick to the bottom of the pan. You can add additional salt and pepper at this point. cook for 1 to 2 minutes
- Once the spices have been added, add the canned diced tomato and stir. cook a minute and then pour in stock. Add bay leaves and place a lid over the pot.
- Turn burner down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes add instant barley and mix it into the stew. This will thicken up the stew quite a bit. You may need to add extra liquid if the barley uses a bunch of the cooking liquid. It takes ten to twenty minutes for the barley to cook depending on heat. Check in half way through and add additional water or stock if it is looking pretty dry. Salt and pepper to taste.
- While the barley is cooking throw together your dumplings (see recipe above) and drop 5-6 large dollops of batter right on top of the stew.
- Place the lid back on the pot and cook for the remainder of time (about 15 minutes), until dumplings have risen and feel solid when poked. Taste the barley to make sure it is tender.
- Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes before serving each bowl with some stew and a dumpling.
Enjoy!